We purchased this pergola in July. It took us, with the help of four friends (moats with some construction experience, but certainly no professionals), about four hours to assemble it. It was not hard at all with the help of the app. We are loving it so far! We have furniture, but still need to jazz it up a bit with some pillows, plants and outdoor lighting. It has added a calm space in which to hang out in our backyard. Can't wait for the fall weather when we will be able to enjoy it even more.

The instructions say 2 people and 10 hours but i put it together on my own in 6 hours because the instructions were so easy to follow. i needed the help of my wife for about 20 mins to move the assembled short sides but outside of that it was too easy. love that this app is a thing.

I loved this pergola from the minute I saw it. So much so that we hired contractors to build a deck under it. Our yard gets a LOT of wind so I'd been searching for awhile until I came across the Hawthorne. So we ordered it in December and the four boxes sat in garage for five months waiting for their time to shine. Although the co tractors erected it, I can testify to the clear packaging and labeling. Everything was in those boxes. It is so solid and sturdy. We've had a rainy, stormy few weeks and not even a wiggle. We absolutely love it.

Just a quick note that while searching for a 12x16 pergola, I came across the Hawthorne design and found the price very competitive. I live in West Virginia so I wanted the steel rather than a vinyl due to varying weather conditions. I had questions, and your customer service was prompt and knowledgeable. I ordered the unit and it arrived in a timely manner. It was assembled yesterday on a 12 x 20 deck extension we built for it. My neighbor, my wife and I did the assembly working in stations. All parts were perfectly marked for identification, and connectors easily identifiable. It went together perfectly. Of the significant number of connectors only 1 connection needed extra attention where the powder coating needed cleared. Where the base plate connects to the post footing. Very well, designed, manufactured, and it is incredibly sturdy. We took extra care to square it on all corners and across the diagonal. Having it square ensured the alignment for all the screws. The directions were well designed and informative with every numbered item listed to make sure the correct parts were being used. From the beginning to the end I give this item 5 out of 5 stars. This was our first pergola, so we didn't know what to expect. It went so smoothly, we've recommended your products to our friends. Thank you, and keep up the good work.

We bought this to replace an old canopy and to update the look of our patio. We could not be more happy with the purchase. The canopy arrived exactly in the timeframe we were quoted at time of purchase. It was drop shipped and the company even carried it into our garage (which they weren't supposed to). We unfortunately noticed one column was badly damaged and we immediately called the number on the box as instructed. Customer service was very sincere and prompt in their response to help send out a replacement ASAP (which we received in 3 days). The assembly was time consuming but not hard at all. Definitely a 2-3 person job so grab a friend and a few cold ones. Our only constructive criticism is that the canopy can use a middle buckle (mid span) because once the 4 corners are tightened the center of the sides "curl" or "fold" in. We opted for the 14x12 and think its PERFECT in every way !! (lights shown were NOT included but added after assembly).

Just finished erecting a Hawthorne, 14 x 10 pergola. I have nothing but good comments about this backyard treasure. The instructions provided were excellent, and the BLT app was exceptionally put together and very thorough. The quality of this product is exceptional. I would love to assist someone else in putting up another one as I enjoyed myself immensely.

The pergola is a beautiful addition to our backyard. The crew of three that built our deck put it together in a few hours, they said it was the easiest pergola they have built and that it was the only one that they have built that wasn't missing parts and wasn't broken or dented upon arrival. Plenty of room for a sofa, loveseat, chairs, and a fire table. Can't wait to enjoy our outdoor living area this year.

Very pleased with Backyard Discovery overall. Shipping, no damage found on any of my Stratford 10 × 12 pergola, no missing parts, etc. Beautiful addition to my new Trex deck, Hot Springs Spa arriving this week to be placed under pergola. Very Impressed with quality of this pergola!

We had a spectacular Blue Spruce tree that was 30 feet tall and as wide. It was over 50 years old and had been the Christmas tree of the little boy who lived in our house before we bought it. We loved it, but it became ill and we were treating it for its sickness. Sadly it was very weak, but a wonderful friend. Fast forward to a horrific wind storm one evening that blew across our creek and the next morning we came out to find our friend had blown over and its root ball had uprooted. It was a mess, but because we took such good care of it, our "friend" did not do damage to our fence, our pool or our patio. It just sighed and fell over. We always wanted a pergola in our yard, but we had no place to put one because of our tree. After we said goodbye to the remains of our Spruce, I immediately went to a folder I had saved for years from Backyard Discovery. Inside the folder was the perfect pergola and my husband agreed. Our handyman and a helper were so impressed when they opened the box and began to unpack the components of the pergola. They were amazed at how well it was made and the careful packaging of the parts. Within two days they had our fabulous new pergola erected and it is absolutely gorgeous. We are so anxious for our garden surrounding it to bloom as it will be a picturesque spot to sit and overlook our pool. Everyone tells us the location was destined to have a pergola and it is a spectacular one. The next step is to have our electrician install lights so our garden spot will be complete. We can't say enough about Backyard Discovery, the quality of our pergola and the ease with which it can be installed. It is a lemonade ending to a lemon of a story and we know our Blue Spruce is looking down and telling us how happy it is we chose a pergola as a replacement! Thank you Backyard Discovery.

This is a very well engineered, thought out item. There is no waste in assembling this pergola. The packaging is such that items are snug as a bug on a rug. Assembly instructions are clear and concise, and available with the items as well as via a 3D app. You may download a pdf version, too. Four 100+ lb boxes is thoughtful, as it is manageable for most tandem sets of DIYers to handle. Parts are individually placed in bags. Two tightening tools is all that is needed. A rubber mallet was the only additional piece of equipment other than a ladder that was needed. It was a low-stress one day, 10-hr project.