Seating with Style: DIY an Outdoor Accents® Pergola Bench

Simpson Strong-Tie dealer sales rep John Ross has gained recognition for his innovative DIY pergola bench that blends style with utility. Crafted using our black powder–coated Outdoor Accents® hardware, this bench offers a perfect fusion of function and fun. Discover how you can easily DIY this versatile bench for your own backyard today.

Just built Outdoor Accents Pergola Bench

I first found out about Simpson Strong-Tie through my wife’s cousin. He told me about a new dealer sales representative opening there and thought I’d be a good fit based on my previous employment at Lowe’s, where I worked for 16 years. Impressed by his positive remarks about the company, I applied and was hired in April, on April Fool’s Day to be painfully precise. Since joining, I quickly came to love the culture, the company and the people. My experience at Lowe’s, where I participated in weekend workshops to learn various DIY skills, and the renovations I have tackled as a first-time homeowner, have proven very useful in my current role.

John Ross sitting on his newly built Outdoor Accents pergola bench

I’m constantly thinking of innovative ways to highlight our product line, with a particular focus on our Outdoor Accents hardware. One of my notable DIYs is a pergola bench – a versatile seating bench that also serves as a great way to showcase our hardware.

My goal was to design a project that any do-it-yourself enthusiast could tackle over a weekend to enhance their backyard. This pergola bench has gotten quite popular among my customers and has become something of a specialty of mine. In fact, one of my customers even built one for their own backyard!

If you’re ready to build your own pergola bench project, the lists below itemize the lumber and cut sizes and the hardware pieces needed to make the DIY process a breeze.

Lumber Materials List

4×4 x 8′ (7)
2×4 x 8′ (6)
2×6 x 8′ (4)
4×6 x 8′ (1)
4×8 x 8′ (2)

Cut List

Posts 4×4 x 79″ (4)
2×4 x 90″ (runners) top pieces (4)
2×6 x 84″ (girders) front fascia boards (2)
4×6 x 18″ (cross block) cross braces to support the bench seat (2)
4×8 x 66″ bench seat with 3″ overhang on both sides of the cross brace supports (2)
4×4 x 84″ back beam (1)
2×4 x 18″ armrests (2)
2×6 x 18″ (cross block) top cross braces (2)
4×4 x 33″ (perpendicular beams) left and right (2)
2×4 x 31″ joists (4)
2×6 x 52 1/2″ bench back rests (2)
4×4 x 26″ knee braces on back posts to back fascia board (2)