Pergola Planner exists because every weekend builder runs into the same problem: the free pergola plans on the internet are either marketing collateral for a lumber brand, half-built blog posts that stop at "and then frame the roof," or paywalled PDFs that promise a cut list and deliver a sketch.
Every plan we publish includes the four things a builder actually needs: an exact dimensional cut list with quantities and lengths, a full hardware schedule down to fastener size and quantity, a footing spec referenced to the IRC frost-line rule for your climate, and a numbered build sequence written in the order you'd actually do the work.
We use the same conventions that The Family Handyman, Popular Woodworking, and the IRC light-frame standards have established over the past forty years. Lumber dimensions are nominal (a "2x8" is 1-1/2" by 7-1/4"). Rafter spacing is 24 inches on center unless your snow-load region requires tighter spacing. Footings are dug to 36 inches OR 6 inches below frost line, whichever is greater. None of this is exotic — it is just the standard practice that gets glossed over on most free-plans pages.
The library is published under a Creative Commons attribution license. Print, photocopy, mark up, modify, and use any plan as the starting point for your own build. We would love to see what you make.