How to Calculate Gazebo Cost — Step by Step

The short answer

To work out what a gazebo costs, measure the length and the width, multiply them for the area, and price the structure, the foundation and the assembly. For a 12 by 12 ft gazebo that gives an area of 144.00 square feet, a structure cost of $6,480.00 at $45.00 a square foot, plus $500.00 for the foundation and $800.00 for assembly, which is $7,780.00 in total.

The six numbers that matter

The first number is the size, in feet, measured along the footprint you want for seating. For this gazebo that is 12 ft long and 12 ft wide. The second number is the rate per square foot, which is about $45.00 for a structure installed, including the posts, the roof and the labour. The third number is the foundation, which is about $500.00. The fourth number is the assembly, which is about $800.00. The fifth number is the budget, which is $5,000 here. The sixth number is the all-in cost per square foot, which is $54.03 here, and it is the number to compare between gazebos and between quotes.

The area is the length times the width, which is 12 times 12, which is 144.00 square feet. The structure cost is the area times the rate per square foot, which is 144 times $45.00, which is $6,480.00. The total is the structure plus the foundation plus the assembly, which is $6,480.00 plus $500.00 plus $800.00, which is $7,780.00.

The method

The method is three parts and one addition. One: multiply the length by the width, to get the area. Two: multiply the area by the rate per square foot, to get the structure cost. Three: add the structure, the foundation and the assembly, to get the total. Four: divide the total by the area, to get the all-in cost per square foot.

Step by step

Step 1: find the area. Measure the footprint in feet, with a tape measure, and multiply the length by the width. For this gazebo that is 12 times 12, which is 144.00 square feet. A gazebo that follows a slope or a fence is measured in pieces, and the pieces are added up, because the straight-line distance is not the gazebo.

Step 2: price the structure. Multiply the area by the rate per square foot. For this gazebo that is 144 times $45.00, which is $6,480.00. The rate is the posts, the roof and the labour, so a builder quote and a kit price are not the same number.

Step 3: price the foundation and the assembly. The foundation is $500.00 for a slab or footings and the levelling, and the assembly is $800.00 to put the gazebo up in your yard. A gazebo assembled yourself costs $0 for assembly, which brings the total to $6,980.00.

Step 4: add the total. Add the structure cost, the foundation and the assembly, to get the total. For this gazebo that is $6,480.00 plus $500.00 plus $800.00, which is $7,780.00. The foundation and assembly are $1,300.00 of $7,780.00, so they are a small part of the job, but they are the part that holds the gazebo up and gets it built.

Step 5: check the cost per square foot and the budget. Divide the total by the area, to get the number to compare between gazebos and between quotes. For this gazebo that is $7,780.00 divided by 144, which is $54.03 a square foot all-in. And a $5,000 budget minus the $500 foundation and the $800 assembly leaves $3,700, which divided by $45.00 is 82.22 square feet of gazebo.

The worked example

A homeowner is building a 12 by 12 ft gazebo, and the structure costs $45.00 a square foot, the foundation is $500.00, the assembly is $800.00, and the budget is $5,000. The area is 12 times 12, which is 144.00 square feet. The structure cost is 144 times $45.00, which is $6,480.00. The total is $7,780.00, or $54.03 a square foot. The budget covers 82.22 square feet, which is about 9 by 9 ft, so the gazebo does not fit the $5,000 budget, and the homeowner either spends more or builds smaller.

A smaller gazebo, and other round numbers

A 10 by 10 ft gazebo is 10 times 10, which is 100.00 square feet, so the structure is $4,500.00, and the total is $5,800.00, or $58.00 a square foot. Structure at $60.00 a square foot costs $8,640.00, and the total is $9,940.00, or $69.03 a square foot. Structure with a $0 foundation costs $6,480.00, and the total is $7,280.00, or $50.56 a square foot. With no assembly the total is $6,980.00, or $48.47 a square foot. A 14 by 14 ft gazebo is 196.00 square feet, the structure is $8,820.00, and the total is $10,120.00, or $51.63 a square foot.

Working backwards from a budget

To find how much gazebo a budget covers, subtract the foundation and the assembly from the budget, then divide what is left by the rate per square foot. A $5,000 budget minus the $500 foundation and the $800 assembly leaves $3,700. Divide that by $45.00, and it is 82.22 square feet of gazebo, which is about 9 by 9 ft. An $8,000 budget buys 148.89 square feet, which is about 12 by 12 ft.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is forgetting the foundation and the assembly. A 144 square foot gazebo is $6,480.00 of structure, not $7,780.00, so forgetting the foundation and the assembly leaves the gazebo short by $1,300.00. The second mistake is measuring the straight-line distance instead of the gazebo. The third is comparing a kit price with a builder quote, which includes the labour. The fourth is forgetting the screens, the furniture, the lighting and the permit, which are not in the model. The fifth is building on a slope without pricing the levelling, which the foundation does not cover.

The verdict

A 12 by 12 ft gazebo costs $7,780.00: 144.00 square feet of gazebo, at $45.00 a square foot, plus $500.00 for the foundation and $800.00 for assembly. Measure the length and the width, price the structure, and add the foundation and the assembly. Check the numbers on the gazebo cost calculator, the pergola cost calculator, or the shed cost calculator.