How Much Does It Cost to Build a Pavilion?

Last updated Wednesday, September 21st, 2022

List prices on our finely crafted wood custom pavilion kits 2021 average cost to build a pavilion is at $6,732 for a 10’ x 10’ and $26,612 for a 20’ x 32’ delivered within 150 miles of Lancaster County PA. The lumber is re-milled at the factor to a smooth finish out of Premium #1 Pressure Treated Lumber.

You could literally drive over a hundred miles and not see lumber like this – most people have never heard of it or ever seen it – it’s truly unique.

How Much Does it Cost To Build a Pavilion?

Vinyl Pavilion Example

Before contacting us, in case you’d like to know, “About how much are these vinyl pavilions?”, a mid-size vinyl pavilion runs $15,869, and includes the following:

Hip or A-Style Shingled Roof

14’ x 18’ with 6” Posts

Electrical Package

Expert Assembly (kits available as well)

First 150 Miles of Transportation

Sealed Drawings (if needed, $750 less if not)

We also have the best lead times in the business, so buying your pavilion from the industry leader gives YOU an unfair advantage.

Which adds up to you getting more enjoyment out of your outdoor space with your family and friends this summer.
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Thinking About Doing It All Yourself Instead?

You Need to Consider All of the “Real” Pavilion Costs

Materials are just the starting point. No question, the materials from the lumber yard are going to be MUCH cheaper than purchasing a high quality kit. And no doubt a local team can produce a functional structure that will keep the sun and rain off your heads. But if you factor in ALL of the pavilion costs, the savings are not as much as you may think (don’t leave out engineering.) Especially if how the structure is going to look in 5 years in any way weighs into your decision making. 

Material Quality

The wet pressure treated lumber you’re familiar with at the lumber yard is perfectly adequate for many applications. In fact probably 80% of pavilions are made from this very common functional material. Part of your decision about which direction to take with your pavilion is what your finish expectations are. Wet pressure treated lumber is going to have fairly substantial splits and cracks right from the stack – which you already know if you’ve ever picked through the pile at the lumber yard trying to find the best pieces. Another thing you may not be aware of is that since it has a very high moisture content it’s going to twist and continue to split more as it dries out. 

This might be OK – OR you could possibly end up with structural problems if the wood warps and twists enough for it to start torquing against the fasteners or other members. Cedar pavilion with aluminum roof is the best example of a protective Wood Pavilion that helps you stay safe in all weather conditions.

End Result

How important is it to you what will your pavilion look like in five years? We have structures that have been in the field for many years – you can speak to their owners. We have so many – you may be able to actually see one especially if you’re in the NorthEast US. We have a massive photo library including close-ups – you will have a very good idea what YOUR pavilion is going to look like before you commit to anything. That pavilion you see in the drawings – what is that actually going to look like when it’s actually built. And even more importantly, what is it going to look like in 5 to 10 years – or longer. How about 20 years? You can see here in this picture to get an idea of what that could be. 

Vinyl Clad

We also offer elegantly finished vinyl clad pavilions for only slightly more than wood only pavilions so you can avoid either allowing the pavilion to just look old and weathered, or the cost of re-staining or painting as often as every 2 years if  you want to keep it looking new. 

If you’re considering building a pavilion such as an elegant Backyard Pool Pavilion from locally sourced materials – it’s easy enough to find drawings for FREE online.

Here’s their material list, so you can contact your local lumber yards. Please note that lumber prices over doubled since COVID)

Engineering

Another factor to keep in mind is that if you’re planning on getting a permit for your pavilion, about a third of municipalities require sealed/certified drawings for approval. So once you’ve found that engineer, make sure you’re factoring that cost in to your total cost of your pavilion project. Our engineering costs for 80% of our standard product line pavilions are $500-$800. For larger and more custom pavilions the most we’ve ever charged is $3,000, and this on a 2400 square foot pavilion. 

We have the drawings available for our high quality pavilions but not the cut lists. You can see in the photos the extraordinary finish quality of our products. Amish craftsmanship is a big contributor to what you’re seeing here, the generational and cultural characteristics that are impossible to replicate. If you’ve ever seen an Amish woodworking team work together, you know of not only their craftsmanship but absolutely amazing work ethics and efficiency. 

Construction Time

The 20’ x 40’ pavilion shown in this photo a 3-man crew would have assembled from a kit in about a day and a ½. The kit is produced in a highly efficient production operation at the same time as multiple other kits with an estimated total including packing the kit of 20 man hours. This particular one is less than 10 miles from Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia. 

Building your pavilion from scratch, here’s what the process looks like of 90% of the pavilions:

• Set the posts in concrete and wait for the concrete to dry
• Come back to cut and set the beams
• Either cut and raise the rafters or set the trusses (Often untreated)
• Roof sheathing (We use pressure treated  tongue and groove (Lower cost pavilions use either plywood or OSB)
• Roofing
• Wait for the lumber to dry out for 6-9 months
• Stain/paint

There’s A Better Way…

Between purchasing the right materials and building your pavilion from scratch, you’ll give yourself far more headaches than the few dollars you save is worth.

It’s just so much easier, and much more worthwhile to have our team design and build it for you, or order one of our perfectly packaged DIY Pavilion Kits. Which adds up to you getting more enjoyment out of your outdoor space with your family and friends.

Quote Your Pavilion Today

Not ready to request a quote? Take a few more moments to check out all of our Pavilions for Sale.