Gazebos and pergolas
Dunster House gazebo and pergola installation in Colchester
We build Dunster House gazebos and pergolas in Colchester, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea and across North Essex, including hot tub gazebos. We set the posts plumb on a solid, level base and fit the roof covering you ordered.
- Based in Colchester, covering North Essex and South Suffolk
- Base, build and finishing from one local team
- Built to Dunster House's published instructions
- Free, no-obligation quotes
Gazebo and pergola posts that have to stand plumb
Whether you have ordered a Utopia pergola or a Leviathan gazebo, Dunster House's garden structures page lists 70mm and 120mm posts in pressure-treated spruce. Its terms describe its products as "designed for Competent DIY assembly by two or more adults", and on a gazebo one of those adults can spend much of the build holding posts upright.
Every post must be plumb and every beam level, or the roof sits out of true and the joints take the strain. We brace each post as the frame goes up and keep checking.
Dunster House's help centre says "We do not currently offer an installation service on any of our product ranges". We are an independent installer and follow Dunster House's published assembly instructions.
A base or patio that can take the load
A gazebo puts its weight through a few small points, so each post needs a solid, level footing. That can be a new concrete slab, a paving-slab base or a sound existing patio. If your patio is cracked, hollow or uneven, we will suggest a new base.
A filled hot tub is far heavier than the empty shell, and the base under it has to take that weight. Send us the tub's make and model so we can check the maker's base requirements.
We do not do wiring, but tell us if you plan power for a tub or lights so it can be planned with the base. The Planning Portal lists a complete new circuit as notifiable work and advises using an installer registered with a competent person scheme; otherwise building control must be notified before work starts.
Gazebo roof options: open, EPDM, polycarbonate or shingles
Dunster House's garden structures page offers open lattice, EPDM, polycarbonate and shingle roofs. We fit the covering that came with your kit or that you bought as an upgrade. EPDM is the rubber membrane we already fit on flat roofs, and Dunster House's guarantees page covers it against water getting through for 10 years from the first date of delivery.
- Open lattice: no covering, good for climbing plants
- EPDM: one rubber sheet, dressed neatly at the edges
- Polycarbonate: lets light through, fixed with room to expand
- Shingles: laid in even, overlapping rows so water runs off
Decks, raised platforms and planning for gazebos
We can also lay low-level decking, a patio or a path to link the gazebo to the house.
The Planning Portal's permitted development rules for outbuildings say "No verandas, balconies or raised platforms (a platform must not exceed 0.3 metres in height)". A higher deck or platform falls outside those rules.
The rules are tighter for listed buildings and on designated land, which includes conservation areas. Check with Colchester City Council, Tendring District Council or Ipswich Borough Council before you build.
How it works
- Send us the details Tell us the model and size, your delivery date and where it will stand, with photos.
- Check the parts Count the posts, beams and fixings against the component list. Dunster House's terms ask you to report missing or damaged items within 2 calendar days of delivery, and to check all parts "before confirming an assembly date". We can go through it with you first.
- Survey and free quote We look at the ground, any patio and the access, then give you a free, no-obligation quote.
- Base and post positions We lay or prepare the base and mark every post position from the plan, so the frame goes up square.
- Frame and roof We stand and brace the posts, fit the beams and rafters following Dunster House's published instructions, then fit the roof covering.
- Final checks We check every fixing and level, finish any decking or path you asked for, and hand it over.
Garden buildings, bases and timber work we have built
Real photos from our own jobs around Colchester. See more in the project gallery.
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Garden building, Coggeshall -
Base preparation, Lexden -
Timber canopy with trellis, Lexden -
Raised deck with balustrade, Witham
Questions we are often asked
Can you build a gazebo over my hot tub?
Yes. Dunster House's garden structures page includes hot tub gazebos. We build them like any other gazebo, but plan the base around the weight of the filled tub and leave any wiring to a registered electrician.
What is the difference between a gazebo and a pergola?
A pergola is usually an open frame of posts, beams and rafters that you can grow plants over. A gazebo usually has a roof covering for shelter.
Do the posts need treating?
Dunster House's garden structures page says they are pressure treated. Its guarantees page says that if the timber is cut, "exposed surfaces are to be brushed with 'Ensele' end grain wood preservative". We avoid cutting posts and treat any cut we do make. If you want a colour, we can paint or stain the frame after the build.
Can a gazebo go close to my fence?
The Planning Portal's permitted development rules set a "maximum height of 2.5 metres" for a building within two metres of a boundary. Check your model's overall height, then confirm with Colchester City Council, Tendring District Council or Ipswich Borough Council before you build.
Can I see a timber structure you have built?
Yes. Our landscaping and outdoor spaces page has a video of our team building a timber canopy with trellis panels over a side passage in Lexden, Colchester.
Other garden buildings we build
Tell us what you have bought
Send us the model name and size, your delivery date and a photo of where it will go. We will come back to you with a free, no-obligation quote for Colchester, North Essex & South Suffolk.
Independent installer. McKenzie Property Renovations Limited is an independent building contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of Dunster House Ltd. "Dunster House" and product names are used only to describe the products we build and remain the property of their owner.
Information about Dunster House is quoted from its own help centre and terms, and planning guidance from the Planning Portal, checked 27 September 2026.
