How to Construct Grape Arbors

Set the posts. You will need 4x8 beams for the headers, 4x6 beams for the posts and rafters, and 4x4 beams for the cross pieces. You can choose from many types of wood, but many builders like Douglas fir because it is easy to find. Dig post holes two feet deep and one foot wide. Fill the holes with ready made concrete. Put a 4x6 inch galvanized post bracket in each and make sure it is level. Wait 24 hours to dry and then put in the posts. Secure the posts with lag bolts. Once the posts have been put up, mark them at a height (seven feet works well) and cut off the tops with a circular saw.

Place the beams. Cut the 4x8 headers and 4x6 rafters to the length that is the distance between the posts, plus 18 inches of overhang on each side. Use a jigsaw if you want to cut out a design. Cut the header boards at a 22.5 degree angles. Place the header on top of two posts and secure with a nail gun. Do this for all headers, which go around the perimeter of the posts. Then nail the rafters across the headers, approximately three feet apart.

Cut 4x4 cross pieces to three feet long. Set them into the gaps perpendicular to the rafters.

Paint or decorate your arbor. Now that you have your arbor framework up, you can decide which grapes you want to grow. Take the vine and wrap in and out of rafters. You can secure them with a twist tie until they grow in that direction.