Miami
Miami yards are rarely generous and almost never square. Between older lots with mature trees, newer builds with strict HOA review, and the constant problem of low western sun coming over a neighbour's roof, a pergola here is a fitting exercise as much as a construction one.
The city's housing stock is genuinely varied, and the structure follows from it. Older neighbourhoods — the Roads, Shenandoah, Silver Bluff, parts of the Grove — tend to mean smaller lots, mature planting and houses with real architectural character. The structure has to defer to the building rather than compete with it, which usually argues for a lower profile, a slimmer frame, and finishes that pick up something already there.
Newer construction and gated communities have the opposite problem: plenty of space but very little shade, and often a design review process to satisfy before anything goes up. Colour, height and material can all be constrained, which is fine as long as it is known at design stage rather than after fabrication.
The constraint that shows up almost everywhere in Miami is access. Long aluminium extrusions and insulated roof panels have to physically get to the back of the property, and a lot of city lots have a side gate barely wider than a wheelbarrow. This is workable — it just changes how the structure is staged, and it is worth checking on the first visit rather than with a truck parked on the street.
Miami backyards are frequently boxed in by neighbouring houses, which means the sun that reaches them arrives low and from the side, particularly in the late afternoon. A roof that shades the deck perfectly at midday can leave you squinting at four o'clock, which is exactly when most people are actually outside.
The fix is straightforward when it is designed in: a fixed slat panel or a roll-down screen on the western side, or a louvered roof section that can be closed down as the sun drops. Retrofitting it later is possible and always looks like a retrofit.
Aluminium is the default here for the reasons it is the default across South Florida — no rot, no termites, no refinishing cycle, and slimmer members that clear a span with fewer posts, which matters more in a small yard than a large one. On a Gables or Grove property under real tree canopy, or against an older house with timber detailing, wood becomes a legitimate option again.
On Key Biscayne, along the bay, and anywhere with salt in the air, the specification tightens: alloy, coating and every fastener matter. Mention it early and it costs nothing; discover it later and it costs a structure.
Elsewhere in Miami-Dade, see Homestead, Kendall and Hialeah, or the full service areas list.
Our work
Pergolas
A freestanding pergola with a deep cantilever over the pool edge, built around a fluted media wall with a mounted television, outdoor speakers and a ceiling fan.
Pergolas
A compact solid-roof pergola in a walled courtyard, giving a grill and lounge area full shade while keeping the patio open to the garden.
Send photographs of the yard, rough dimensions, and a note about which direction it faces. Mention the side-gate width if you know it — it saves a conversation.
If you are not sure whether you want a pergola or something more like a tiki hut, describe how you would use the space and we will tell you which suits the yard better.
Photographs and rough dimensions are enough to start. You will get a real answer about what fits.