CABANAS & PERGOLAS
Pool Cabanas and Pergolas Built for Ontario Weather
Enclosed cabanas, semi-enclosed pavilions, or open pergolas. With electrical, plumbing, change rooms and kitchenettes if you want them — all permitted, all to code.
CABANAS & PERGOLAS
Enclosed cabanas, semi-enclosed pavilions, or open pergolas. With electrical, plumbing, change rooms and kitchenettes if you want them — all permitted, all to code.
CABANA VS PERGOLA
These three terms get used interchangeably and they shouldn't be. The difference changes your budget, your permit situation and how much use you actually get out of the structure.
A pergola is an open overhead structure. Usually posts and beams with cross battens on top. Provides dappled shade and structure, not real weather protection. Cheapest option. Doesn't usually need a building permit unless attached to the house.
A pavilion is a pergola with a solid roof. Full shade, rain shelter, but still open on the sides. Middle of the road on cost. Usually needs a permit in London because of the roof load.
A cabana has walls, often with a change room, washroom, outdoor kitchen or bar. It's a small outbuilding next to your pool. Full permit. Electrical and plumbing run by licenced trades. Most expensive, most usable, biggest return on resale.
WHAT WE BUILD
From a simple cedar pergola over a lounger area to a full pool cabana with a bar, change room and bathroom.
Western red cedar, exposed joinery, weathers to a silver patina. Classic look that works with any home. Low maintenance after first year.
Powder coated aluminum with adjustable louvered roof. Opens and closes with a remote. Modern look. No maintenance.
Cedar or pressure treated posts and beams with a solid shingled roof. Full rain protection. Eavestrough, soffit, fascia if desired.
Framed walls, insulated if you want it four-season, electrical and plumbing run in. Change room, washroom, kitchenette options.
Open front with bar seating, built-in grill, sink, fridge. The outdoor kitchen as a dedicated structure.
Pergola or roof extension off the house tied into existing rafters or roof line. Needs engineering for load.
HOW IT WORKS
Chris sits down, looks at your pool and yard, and nails down whether you actually want a pergola, pavilion or full cabana. Honest conversation about cost vs use.
Drawings, elevations, siting. We file for permits (cabanas and most pavilions in London need them) and handle the municipal back-and-forth.
Frost-depth footings tied to local code. Framing in cedar, pressure treated, or aluminum depending on spec.
Roof finish installed. Electrical and plumbing rough-ins if applicable, then walls and finishes. Licenced trades for gas, electrical, plumbing.
Final municipal inspection, punch list, handover with warranty docs. Usually a 3 to 8 week build on site depending on scope.
TRANSPARENT PRICING
Installed ranges for 2026, before HST:
What moves the number:
All ranges are ballpark figures for London and Southwestern Ontario, 2026. HST (13%) added as a final line on every quote.
COMMON QUESTIONS
In London, detached pergolas under a certain footprint and height usually don't need a building permit, but they do need to clear zoning (setbacks, lot coverage). Anything attached to the house, over that footprint, or with a solid roof does need a permit. We handle the paperwork either way.
Yes, and we plan for it from day one. Underground conduit run during footing stage. Licenced electrician pulls the permit and does the panel-to-cabana wiring. Licenced plumber for water and drain if there's a bathroom or wet bar. These aren't optional — uninsured work voids your home insurance.
A properly permitted, well built cabana with electrical and plumbing generally appraises well in London. Unpermitted structures are a liability at resale — the buyer's inspector flags them and the deal gets messy. We only build with permits, full stop.
Cedar looks warmer and ages into a beautiful silver if you let it. It needs a stain refresh every few years if you want to keep the colour. Aluminum is no maintenance, modern looking, and the louvered roof option is genuinely useful (opens for sun, closes for rain). Cedar wins on aesthetics, aluminum wins on function.
Pergolas: 1 to 2 weeks on site. Pavilions: 2 to 4 weeks. Full cabana with trades: 6 to 10 weeks including permit wait times. The permit timeline in London is currently around 4 to 6 weeks from submission.
PAIRS WELL WITH
READY TO GET STARTED?
Tell us what you're picturing — from a simple cedar pergola to a full cabana with a washroom. We'll give you a real ballpark within 24 hours.