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Custom cedar pergolas, arbors, and covered back porch additions for University Park homes in the Park Cities. Built for shade from the Texas sun with real craftsmanship.
University Park sits right beside Highland Park in the heart of the Park Cities, with the same $2M-plus home values and the same need for shaded, usable outdoor space. Families here live outside when the weather allows — between Southern Methodist University events, afternoons at Goar Park, and evenings walking the tree-lined streets near the George W. Bush Presidential Center — but the Texas calendar allows far fewer comfortable outdoor hours without cover than most homeowners expect. A well-built cedar pergola or covered back porch is what closes that gap.
Get a Free EstimateA pergola is the most-requested structure in University Park precisely because it solves the Texas sun problem without turning the backyard into a dark cave. Open cedar rafters filter the direct sun that makes patios unusable by three in the afternoon, while keeping light and air moving through the space — you get the respite from the heat without losing the evening sky or the garden view. For full protection over dining and furniture, a solid patio cover or a covered porch is the better tool, and we will tell you honestly which one your yard actually needs.
University Park homeowners expect finishes and detailing consistent with the surrounding custom homes — the same standard the neighborhood holds its streets and parks to, from Goar Park to the manicured blocks near the SMU campus. Our cedar work is built to that standard: real Western Red Cedar timbers, proper post-and-beam joinery, hardware that will not fail in ten years, and stain finishes that age gracefully rather than peeling. We covered the material case for cedar in our comparison guide, and the same logic applies to every structure we build.
Some projects start small — a cedar arbor over a gate or a garden walk, planted with climbing jasmine and hung with flower baskets, in the spirit of the classic Park Cities garden. Others grow into a full covered back porch addition with a complete outdoor kitchen beyond it. We design at whatever scale your lot and family call for, and we plan each structure so the yard can grow over time if you would rather build in phases.
The homes being renovated and built in University Park increasingly open the back of the house to the yard — wide glass, continuous flooring, the kitchen looking out at the patio. The covered structure is what makes that opening livable in this climate. With fans moving air, recessed lighting overhead, and a cedar ceiling that warms up the architecture, the porch becomes the room where homework, dinner, and Saturday mornings all happen. It is the highest-return project we build in Highland Park and University Park alike, and you can see the results in our project gallery.
In the Park Cities, the outdoor room earns its keep after the sun goes down. University Park families host constantly — the neighborhood social calendar is famous — and a pergola or porch with integrated evening lighting keeps the party outside instead of retreating to the kitchen. We plan beam-mounted fixtures, dimmable zones, and warm under-ceiling lighting into the structure itself during design, not retrofitted afterward with extension cords and clip lights.
Start with a call or the estimate form. We walk the property, look at sun path and tree cover, and talk through how your family actually uses the yard — then return a fixed-price estimate with a design specific to your home. No pressure, no vague allowances, and no surprise fees. Homeowners across University Park, Preston Hollow, and the rest of our Dallas service areas get the same straightforward process.
Custom decks designed around how your family uses the backyard, from simple ground-level platforms to expansive multi-tier entertaining spaces.
Traditional Western Red Cedar pergolas and garden arbors with warm wood grain, classic post-and-beam craftsmanship, and room for hanging flowers and climbing vines.
Custom covered back porches with warm cedar ceilings, ceiling fans, recessed lighting, and layouts that make the backyard usable in every season.
High-end outdoor kitchen additions with built-in grills, stone counters, and bar seating, designed for Texas evenings and effortless hosting.
Solid and lattice patio covers that extend your living space and help protect your family, furniture, and finishes from North Texas sun and rain.
An arbor is typically a smaller arch or frame over a gate, walkway, or garden entry, often planted with climbing vines. A pergola is a larger overhead structure covering a patio or seating area. We build both in Western Red Cedar — see our pergolas and arbors page for the details.
Yes. University Park is part of the Park Cities and is one of our core service areas, alongside Highland Park. Call 972-586-2442 or use the estimate form with your project details.
Yes — that is exactly what pergolas are designed to do in North Texas. Open rafters cut the direct sun that makes patios unusable in the afternoon while keeping the space visually open and airy. When you need full shade or rain protection instead, we recommend a solid patio cover or covered porch.
Attached structures and many freestanding ones can require city permits and architectural review, and the Park Cities review their streetscapes carefully. We identify what applies to your project during the estimate so the requirements are known before design work starts, not discovered mid-build.
Timelines depend on the scope — a garden arbor and a full porch-and-kitchen addition are very different projects. We walk you through the schedule for your specific design at the estimate stage, and the free estimate itself is the fastest first step.
The project gallery shows recent cedar arbors, pergolas, covered porches, and outdoor kitchens, and our reviews page shows what homeowners said about the projects. University Park and Park Cities homeowners can also request to see project photos specific to their neighborhood.
Call us or send your project details and we will follow up with a free, fixed-price estimate.