Thank you! I trust the contractor as far as building it sturdy enough so as not to sway etc. he has currently quoted pt wood but i asked about trex because of maintenance. Of course it’s the most expensive option lol. He’s doing a small trex deck for us though as well.

Do the pergolas you design cover the entire patio typically or do you leave a section uncovered? Do you recommend doing a canopy system?

The pergola will go the length of the garage less a few feet where there’ll be steps down from a small deck. Existing decks will be gone.

For trex pergolas we have them fabricated by a company here in VA and shipped to the site. It's composite material over an aluminum core. Is that what you're looking at?

As for how much of the patio we cover or not, that's all down to the space planning. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. If the sun is really a big issue (ie west facing patios here in VA) I always recommend a retractable cover. It's much better coverage than just 2x2s, even if you tighten them up a bit. The motorized ones are great but super finicky to install.

We’re in MA and the yard faces north. We are concerned about the pergola providing shade! I’ve been looking into sliding canopy type systems. I want it to hang lights and plants but also to provide a bit of shade cover. We’re planning to include a dining space and a comfy seating space with a gas fire table. Potentially installing an outdoor tv at some point. We haven’t sought out a designer but possibly should. I can’t imagine okaying all this without even seeing a drawing or discussing column style, number, width, etc first! It seems to be how a lot of people operate however!

The advantage to a designer is that those little details will all be thought out in advance. Different materials can span different distances, but sometimes you still want another post for aesthetics. You'll have a way to hide wiring, you'll have blocking in place for future media mounts, etc. If you want to hang stuff like your lights or plants under the pergola, that means a top mount canopy - which leads to a whole other set of considerations. There's a reason why several contractors in our area send their clients to us. Unless you're way out in western MA I'd have to think you have designers in your area. APLD.org is a good starting point. You want someone who loves space planning, structural design, and has a portfolio of installed pergolas.