Thank you very much for purchasing a do it yourself pergola kit from Average Joe’s Pergola Depot. We appreciate your business, and we are here to help you in any way possible. Make sure before you get started, you have: a helper, a hammer, a stepladder, a screw gun, a pencil, a posthole digger, a ¾” wrench, a level, and a tape measure.

Read this entire Instruction sheet before beginning so you can get a feel for what you will be doing. If take your time and follow these instructions you can do it. We have faith in you!

If you are installing this kit on a concrete patio, we advise that you use a 6x6 Galvanized post base on each post secured with ½” red head concrete anchors which can be purchased from your local hardware store. You will need some additional tools for this. Ask your hardware salesman for instructions on how to install them.

If you have any questions we are only an email or phone call away.

• Step 1 - Remove the top of the crate with the square drive bit found in the hardware bag with all of the screws.
• Step 2 - Lay out all parts next to where you will be installing the pergola.
• Step 3 - Place one beam on the ground (with the x’s facing up) exactly where you would like the front of the pergola to stand.
• Step 4 - Place the other beam approximately 9 ft. behind the first beam.
• Step 5 - Take 1 of the rafters and slide it down onto the outermost X marks on both beams. You may have to move the back beam around a little to get it into place. Make sure you have the rafter on top of the same mark on both beams. The rafter may fit a little tight, so you may have to stamp it down with your foot. The X marks look like this lXl
• Step 6 - Take another rafter and slide it down on the next X mark to the inside. Keep placing rafters on the x marks until all rafters are resting on the beams.
• Step 7 - Step back and take a look to see how square everything looks. Take a tape measure and hook it on the outside corner of one of the beams, and pull the tape to the opposite corner. Write down the measurement. Then hook it on the other corner and pull to the opposite corner like this:

Move the back beam from side to side until you have the same measurement both ways. When you have the same measurement, it is perfectly square.

• Step 8 - Now you can see where you have to dig your holes for each post. (Or mount your post bases if you’re on concrete.) Look in between the two boards that make up the beam, where it says "POST". If you are on concrete, take a pencil and stick it down in between and make marks on the ground in the middle of the space where it says post on all four corners. If you are on grass or dirt, stick the flags that are provided with the kit into the ground on all corners where it says post.
• Step 9 - Take all of the rafters off of the beams and move the rafters and beams out of the way. Now you should be left with four marks where your holes or post bases will go. Like this:

• Step 10 - Dig 2 ft deep holes or install your post bases directly over top of all 4 of your markers.
• Step 11 - lay the four posts on the ground with the bottoms at the edge of each hole, with the tops facing away from each other. Like This:

• Step 12 - Lay the beams down on the ground at the top of the two sets of posts with the corresponding letters. Slide the posts in between the lines on the beam where it says "POST".
• Step 13 - Take the carriage bolts and hammer them through the predrilled holes. They fit really tight sometimes so don’t be shy about giving them a good smack.
• Step 14 - Take one of the corner braces and slide the long side up in between the two pieces of wood that make up the beam. Get it flush with the top of the beam and push the other side against the post. Screw it in through the predrilled holes. Repeat for each post.
• Step 15 - With one person on each side, tilt the assembly up and drop the posts into the postholes. Place one washer and one nut on each of the carriage bolts. Refill the holes around the posts with dirt or concrete. If you are using concrete, do not water it in yet. Check for level across the top of the beam and on the sides of the posts. If you are installing the pergola on top of a concrete patio with post bases, you will need to prop the assembly up so that it does not fall. The crate that the kit came in works well for this purpose. Once you have the bottom of the posts in the post bases, put one nail on each side to hold them in place.
• Step 16 - Repeat step 15 for the other side.
• Step 17 - Move your stepladder in between the two sides. Take one of the rafters and slide it onto the outermost X mark on the beams just like you did on the ground. Now move to the opposite side and slide another rafter into position on the outermost X mark. Now your helper should be able to let go of the assembly.
• Step 18 - Put a washer and nut on the other side of all of the bolts that you hammered through.
• Step 19 - Install all of the remaining rafters on the remaining X marks. (If on concrete, now is the time to finish securing the posts to the bases.)
• Step 20 - Take the top slats and place them into position in the layout lines across the rafters. There are predrilled holes to screw them down. Be careful screwing the screws in because stainless steel is a soft metal and they strip VERY EASILY! Push down hard while screwing them in. There are extra screws in every kit just incase you strip some, but if you need more you should be able to find them at any Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or your local hardware store.
• Step 21 - Water in the concrete or dirt

You’re Done!

Questions? Contact Us

Beam	Rafter	Angle Brace
Top Slat		Post

Questions? Contact Us

Thanks again for your business. We really do appreciate our customers and their feedback on ways to improve our products. So after you’ve completed putting your kit together, sit down, have a cold drink, and drop us a line via email to tell us what you think about our products. Any feedback on how we can make our kits easier to install will be very helpful. Pictures are always welcome! Don’t forget to check back often for new outdoor living structure kits coming soon!

Crafted with pride in the

Florida