Paragon Outdoor 11’ x 16’ Florence Alumnum Pergola, Powder-Coated Aluminum Frame in Canadian Cedar Wood Grain Finish with Soft Top Retractable Canopy in White for Backyard, Patio, Porch, Garden

Here is our assembled product. Curtains purchased separate as it faces west. Instructions state need 3 people, we did with 2 and bungy cords holding up corner posts. If you don’t have that, you really need 3 people. Pleased with quality, sturdiness and value. Instructions could have been a bit more clear. Read ahead. Read all steps. Slow and deliberate assembly works well.

Pro tip #1: Get a powered allen key driver, there are literally HUNDREDS of allen screws to install.The bad: The instructions are poorly written and sometimes hard to understand. Some of the holes on the cross beams don't quite line up and needed to be augured out a tad with a power drill (see pic). The magnet plate that holds the canopy was defective in that the magnets actually partially blocked the installation of the screws. An easy workaround is just to forgo the magnets and use one or two velcro strips on each side to secure the canopy to the large cross beams.Pro tip #2: Spray the canvas canopy with Scotchguard or other UV/Water protectant before you raise and install it to extend its life.The good: I LOVE the look of this Pergola. The canopy seems fairly heavy duty, somewhat opaque but still lets light through. If you're innovative you can build this with two people but THREE is highly recommended to stabilize vertical posts during frame construction. It's a sturdy structure once it's all put together, I don't anticipate having to secure the posts to the ground but time will tell.

Instructions were clear and concise.

I can't say it was easy to assemble since I just watched my brother in law and nephew put it together but, it seemed very straight forward with no problems. Dimensions are exact and it fits perfectly! I love it!

What a headache. Not only was the wrong item shipped to me (I received the dark Chilean wood frame), I couldn't even put it together due to missing frame pieces! When I called in, neither the manufacturer or the seller had any record of my purchase (though they were fairly helpful besides that). Not sure what is going on, but it might be Amazon's mistake?I paid extra so that I would receive the item by Mother's Day (almost all other resellers are cheaper), but it took me a month to finally get the right pieces sent to me (I received light Canadian cedar replacement parts the first time because that's what I thought I was putting together).Long story short, I got Amazon to give me a discount because of the mistake (disassembling it would have been annoying). The quality is actually pretty decent, though there were a few hiccups putting it together such as duplicate smaller pieces and about 1/8th of the washers were powder coated together. I wouldn't buy the pergola here, but would buy it again from Wayfair or Home Depot for cheaper.

I have tried to contact the support to notify them that the large piece holding up the structure was damaged and wouldn’t support the frame. Our only option was to request a return however most of the assembly was complete. We had to hire someone to fabricate another price to hold the structure in place. After assembly We noted there is more warping of other material causing the fits not to be clean and wabling. We’re still working with a contractor to fix the pieces that are a problem. For $2,000 this product should of been perfect. The shipping company came to pick up the product today however what box was it supposed to go in and then we would have to go through the task of disassembling. Ahhhh!

Takes 2-3 people to assemble 4 hours with power tools. Less if you have 2 power drills and Allen bits

The structure is made of metal and so it gets quite hot in the Nevada sun. But over all it works very well. The shade cloth is thick and blocks the sun effectively.There are many pieces to the structure and one needs two people to assemble it and raise it in place, just like the instructions say. In fact, one would need about two days to do it properly.It is braced in one direction. I think it should have braces in both directions for maximum stability. That is the reason for only four stars. Everything else is fine and well thought out.