Shade structures · Houston Heights & Greater Heights
Open pergolas, louvered and retractable systems, and solid covers for Heights backyards — chosen by whether you want shade, rain protection, or both.
The first question on any Heights shade structure is simple: do you want shade, or do you want to stay dry? An open-slat pergola filters sun and frames a space, but it does not keep rain off. A solid patio cover does, and it also creates a roof’s worth of water that has to go somewhere on a flat lot. Louvered and retractable systems sit in between and add motors and controls to maintain.
From there the decisions are material, attachment and wiring. A freestanding structure avoids tying into an old roofline; an attached cover can feel like part of the house but needs careful flashing and a structural connection the existing wall can carry. Fans, lights and outlets are far easier to plan before posts go in than after.
Rafters and purlins that break up sun and define an outdoor room. Good over a dining table or a deck on the east or north side. Add shade cloth or plants if you need more cover.
Adjustable louvers or a retractable canopy let you open up in winter and close down in summer. These are aluminum systems with motors and wiring; they cost more and have parts that need service.
A roofed structure that keeps rain off. It needs gutters and a planned outlet so the water does not land next to your foundation or your neighbor’s fence.
Attaching saves a row of posts but depends on the house framing and roof. Freestanding keeps the structure independent of an older roof and wall.
Photos of our projects, labeled with where they were built. Reference images are marked as such.
| Cedar | Steel | Aluminum (incl. louvered) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character | Warm, traditional; suits bungalows | Slim profiles, modern lines | Clean, engineered system look |
| Upkeep | Stain or seal on a cycle | Coating touch-up; watch for rust at cuts | Low; motors and seals need occasional service |
| Spans | Moderate; larger spans need bigger members | Long spans with small sections | Set by the manufacturer’s system |
| Rain protection | Only with added roofing | Only with added roofing | Louvered systems shed rain when closed |
| Customization | Easy to shape on site | Fabricated to drawings | Within the product line |
We price from a site visit rather than a square-foot number. These are the factors that move the figure most. Try the budget tool for an illustrative amount at our standard rates.
A solid roof, gutters and flashing cost far more than an open slat pergola of the same size.
Cedar is usually the starting point; steel fabrication and motorized aluminum systems cost more.
Fans, lights, heaters and motorized roofs need circuits run from the panel, sometimes a long way on a deep lot.
Post loads, roof type and whether the structure ties into the house drive footing and connection design.
Larger or attached structures may need engineered drawings; historic district addresses may need review time.
West-facing yards take the hardest afternoon sun. Open slats help less there; louvers, a solid roof or shade fabric do more.
Any solid or closed roof concentrates water. We plan gutters and an outlet with the structure, not afterwards.
Structures are designed to the requirements that apply to the project. Size, exposure and roof type drive the connections, and a qualified engineer is involved when the scope calls for it.
Narrow lots leave little room near property lines; deed restrictions may add their own rules.
Some Greater Heights properties sit inside City of Houston historic districts and some do not; ZIP codes do not tell you which. Whether a Certificate of Appropriateness is needed depends on the specific address and scope of work, not only on what is visible from the street. That review is separate from building permits, and deed restrictions are separate again. We check the address on the City historic district map at the first visit and plan drawings and schedule around whatever review actually applies.
Sun path, roofline, utilities and where water will go.
Structure type, material, size and electrical plan.
Engineered drawings where needed, building permit, and any historic review.
Set footings and run conduit before posts go up.
Erect posts, beams and rafters or the roofing system; install gutters.
Stain or coating, fans, lights and controls, then a walkthrough.
Projects are led by principals Omar Afra and Pedro Salazar.
An open pergola does not. If you want to stay dry, you need a solid patio cover, an added roof panel, or a louvered system that seals when closed — each with a plan for the water it sheds.
They make sense for patios you use year-round and want to open in winter and close in summer. They cost more than fixed structures and add motors, sensors and wiring to maintain, so they are rarely worth it for a small occasional-use space.
Yes. We plan circuits, boxes and conduit before the structure goes up, so wiring is hidden and the electrical work can be permitted and inspected properly.
It depends on your address and where the structure will sit. Check the City of Houston historic district map; if a district applies, whether the work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness depends on its scope and location on the lot, and that review is in addition to any building permit.
A site visit is the fastest way to a real scope and number.