How to Build a Grape Pergola

Cut the 12-foot board to length and nail it horizontally to the side of the house over the doorway, making sure it's level.

Dig two holes in the ground at least 12 inches deep at the front two corners of the pergola. Mix up one bag of concrete per hole using a rubber tub, water and a hoe. Set the posts in the holes and check for plumb--that the posts are standing straight up and down--and shovel the concrete into the holes. Brace the posts and allow the concrete to set.

Run a level line from the top of the horizontal board nailed to the house to each post. Hang a "string level" on the line. Move the string up or down on the post until the string reads level. Mark the line on each post with pencil and draw straight right angle lines across the posts using a metal square. Cut the tops of the posts off with a circular saw.

Notch out the front facing top of both posts. The notch will accomodate a 4x6 face board set on edge.

Cut the 2x6 board to length and set up on the two notched-out posts on edge. Attach the face board to the posts with carriage bolts.

Cut the 2x6 rafters to length and nail them to the face board and ledger board that is nailed to the house. Set a rafter every 16 inches for the full width of the pergola.

Measure the distance between the rafters. Cut 10 cross pieces of 2x6 lumber to that measurement. Nail these between the rafters. Line them up with each other all the way across the width of the pergola so when all are nailed in place, it looks like two, parallel, continuous rafters.

Climb up a ladder and on top of the pergola. Wherever a cross piece connects to a rafter, lay a 1/2 by 5-inch flat galvanized nail plate over the union and nail in place.

Cut 12 pieces of 2x6 board at 15 3/4 inches long. Draw out a paper pattern 15 3/4 inches wide by 6 inches high. From the right end of the long edge of the paper, measure in 4 inches and mark. On the top left, measure down 1 1/4 inches and mark. From the 4-inch mark, measure straight up 2 inches. Lay the metal square down on the paper and connect the 1 1/4-inch mark with the 2 inch mark and draw a line--the line will be at an angle. Cut out the pattern.

Lay the pattern on each 15 3/4 inch piece of wood and transpose the design. Cut along the lines with a saw.

Nail one decorative end piece on the face plate at the end of each rafter on the front. On each side, nail a decorative end piece at every point where a cross piece is nailed to the outside two end rafters.