Choosing The Best Overhead Shade For Your Yard in Boise, ID


While you're celebrating the extended daylight hours that summer brings to Boise, does the heat and sunlight also remind you of areas where you wish you had a little more shade? When considering overhead shade options as part of the hardscaping of your yard, you have a lot of choices. Everything from gazebos to arbors and pergolas to various kinds of trellis-style covers can bring you some relief during the hottest days of the summer, but choosing the best fit can include a lot of considerations. The team at Bella Vista Landscape can help. Before choosing your best option, here are some of the items you'll want to consider:

  • Purpose: Are you looking mostly for shade or for aesthetic? Do you plan to have climbing plants on your structure? Making those decisions in advance is key to choosing a structure that works for you, and not one you'll constantly be trying to adjust in the future.

  • Location: Do you want a free-standing structure in a larger yard away from your house, or do you want something that is more of an extension of existing buildings?

  • Size: Size can be a function of practicality–what activities you're planning under the overhead feature–and also a function of aesthetics–a very small feature in a very large yard can look awkward, and too large a feature in a small yard can overtake it completely.

  • Weather Protection: We are lucky to experience all four seasons in Boise, Idaho and surrounding areas. Weather-friendly building materials are key to an outdoor structure that stands the test of time.

  • Maintenance: As an extension of weather protection, it's important to consider what you or a yard landscape company like Bella Vista will need to do to keep your structure in prime condition. Wooden gazebos and pergolas will require some treatment in order to stay as beautiful as the day they were built. Some more modern materials require less attention.

  • Building Codes, Permits, and HOAs: When building any overhead structure, it's important to pay attention to your surroundings. If you have any power lines, phone lines, or cell towers in the vicinity, you may have to get a permit to build an overhead structure that affects access. Also, many Homeowners' Associations require permission to make large structural changes. Having these ducks in a row ahead of time makes construction a breeze.


Whatever the conditions, the hardscaping experts at Bella Vista Landscape would love to help you install a beautiful, long-lasting, functional overhead shade for your yard. We offer free landscape design consultations and you can also call us with questions at 208-995-3947 or contact us here for help.

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