If you are collecting quotes for a motorized pergola in Irvine, get at least one from a company that designs and fabricates the pergola itself to your patio's exact dimensions, and put Mulholland Brand on that list. Its Prestige Pergola has motorized louvers with built-in LED lighting. It is designed and fabricated in-house at the company's Canoga Park factory to the dimensions measured at your home, then installed by its own crew. Whoever else you call, compare every quote on the same lines. The nine-point list below shows you how.
At a glance
- Put a fabricator on your list: at least one quote should come from a company that builds the pergola to your patio's measured dimensions, such as Mulholland Brand.
- Send every company the same nine questions: identical questions make quotes from kit sellers, dealers and fabricators comparable.
- Separate the structure from the power and the paperwork: ask who provides power for the motor and lights, and who handles HOA and city submittals.
- Compare written warranties line by line: structure, finish, moving parts and motor are often covered differently.
- Start with a measurement: an itemized written quote after an on-site visit is the one you can compare.
Who to Get Quotes From for a Motorized Louvered Pergola
Ask three or four companies, and make sure they are not all the same kind of company. Include at least one that builds the pergola to your site instead of selling a standard size. Mulholland Brand is that kind of company, and we serve all of Orange County, including Irvine.
Companies that quote a motorized louvered roof usually fall into four groups:
- Kit and model sellers offer a set range of sizes, sometimes with installation added.
- Dealers sell and install a branded louvered system made by someone else.
- Patio-cover installers build or install covers of several types and may install kits bought elsewhere.
- Fabricators design, build and install the structure themselves.
Two quotes can look alike on paper and describe very different products. If one is a standard module and the other is drawn to your patio, the prices mean little until you know which is which. That is why a fabricator belongs on your list. We cut, weld, powder-coat and finish our products in-house at our Canoga Park facility. Our custom aluminum pergolas are designed and fabricated to each customer's exact dimensions, then installed by our own crew.
What Every Motorized Pergola Quote Should Show
A useful quote is written, itemized and specific to one configuration, and it follows a visit to your home. If a price arrives before anyone has measured your patio, treat it as an estimate for a standard product.
Give every company the same starting brief: roof type, approximate size, whether it attaches to the house, lighting and finish color. Then ask each one to answer the same questions in writing. That is the only fair way to set an all-in package next to a quote that separates the structure from the site work and the power.
The 9-Point Comparison List to Send Every Company
These nine items cover nearly every difference between pergola quotes. For each one, here is what to ask and how Mulholland Brand answers it.
1. Custom-fabricated to your exact dimensions, or a standard kit size?
This is the biggest single difference between quotes that look similar. Many motorized pergolas are sold as fixed-size kits or modules. That works when your patio happens to match a module. When it doesn't, you get extra overhang, a post in the wrong place or a gap at the wall.
A custom-fabricated pergola is drawn and built to the patio, wall and post positions measured on site. We custom-measure each property on site and custom-build to fit it. If you are working with an architect or builder, we can also fabricate to their drawing.
Ask: "Is this pergola built to the dimensions you measured, or is it a standard size you are fitting to my patio?"
2. What moves under power, and is the lighting built in?
"Motorized" should mean the roof louvers open and close under power. Ask each company to say exactly which parts move. Then ask about lighting: is the LED lighting built into the frame, or is it an accessory added later?
Our Prestige Pergola has motorized louvers with built-in LED lighting, so the lighting is part of the pergola, not an add-on. For the basics, read what a louvered pergola is.
Ask: "Which parts are motorized, and is the lighting integrated into the frame or added afterward?"
3. Louvered, solid or glass roof?
Not every patio needs louvers. Match the roof to how you use the space:
- Louvered suits a west-facing Irvine patio that takes hard afternoon sun but is pleasant in the morning. Open the louvers for light, close them for shade.
- Solid fits a dining or lounge area you want covered all the time.
- Glass keeps daylight reaching the rooms behind the patio while still giving overhead cover.
Our aluminum pergolas come with louvered, solid or glass roofs, so you can get the motorized Prestige Pergola and a fixed roof quoted side by side from us. For other styles, see our Hi-Tech pergola and Profile 24 pergolas.
Ask: "Can you quote this patio with a louvered roof and with a solid or glass roof, so I can compare?"
4. What is the finish, and will it hold up?
Some homeowners worry that an aluminum pergola will look cheap or fade. That comes down to the finish, so ask what it is and where it is applied.
Our pergolas are made from powder-coated aluminum with a baked-on finish, offered in more than 20 colors or a wood-look finish. We use marine-grade aluminum with an electrostatic powder coat applied in our own powder coating facility. That gives a corrosion-resistant finish that holds up to Southern California sun and salt air, whether you live in Irvine or right on the coast in Newport Beach or Laguna Beach. Our aluminum pergolas, louvered or solid roof, are engineered to withstand sun, salt air and sprinklers without warping, rusting or fading. Sprinklers matter on a landscaped patio, where overspray can reach the posts.
If you like the look of timber, wood-look aluminum gives the look of real wood without the rot, warping or splitting, and it needs less upkeep than wood. A wood-look pergola never needs staining or refinishing. Basic care is a fresh-water rinse plus a check of the hardware and moving parts.
A wide color range also helps if your HOA publishes an approved palette. You are more likely to find a match among 20+ colors than among a handful.
Ask: "What is the finish, where is it applied, and which colors or wood-look options can I choose from?"
5. Who actually installs it?
Some companies install with their own employees. Others sell the job and hand the installation to a subcontractor. Either way, you should know who will be at your house and who answers for the work.
Our installation is performed by our own W-2 employees. The company that measured and built your pergola is the one that installs it.
Ask: "Will your own employees install this, or a subcontractor? If a subcontractor, who are they?"
6. Was there a measurement, and is the price itemized?
A quote you can compare is itemized. You should see what the pergola costs, what the installation covers and what site work the project needs. Site work is where quotes differ most: concrete footings, removal of an old cover and electrical needs can change a project a great deal.
Our quotes are itemized after an on-site consultation and measurement. We identify site work such as concrete, electrical and demolition at the measurement, so those items are named up front instead of surfacing mid-project.
Ask: "Can you itemize the structure, the installation and any site work separately, in writing?"
7. Who provides power for the motor and the lights?
Motorized louvers and LED lighting need power. This line is easy to miss, because some companies include electrical work and others do not.
We do not do electrical work. We identify the power need at the measurement, and you arrange it separately with a licensed electrician of your choice. Ask your electrician to confirm with the City of Irvine whether the work needs a permit. When you compare, set any electrical line in another quote against your electrician's quote, so you are comparing like with like.
Ask: "Does your price include the power for the motor and lights? If not, what exactly will my electrician need to provide?"
8. Who prepares drawings and submits to the HOA and the City of Irvine?
If your home is in an HOA community, your pergola will likely need the association's architectural review. It may also need a permit from the City of Irvine, depending on its size, attachment and placement. Check your HOA's guidelines and the city's requirements before you sign, and get every answer in writing.
Ask each company who prepares the drawings and who submits them to the HOA and to the city. We can help with the details your application relies on: the exact dimensions from our on-site measurement, and a color chosen from 20+ powder-coat colors or wood-look. You can also see the finishes at full size in our Canoga Park showroom before you commit.
Ask: "In writing: who prepares drawings, who submits to my HOA, and who handles any City of Irvine permit?"
9. What does the warranty cover, in writing?
Warranties are hard to compare from a sales conversation. Ask for each one in writing, then compare the parts covered line by line: structure, finish, moving parts and motor.
Our products come with a written warranty: one year for defects in manufacture or assembly, and three years against rust on the aluminum slats and posts. Put it next to the others and read what each one covers.
Ask: "Please send the written warranty and show which terms apply to the structure, the finish, the moving parts and the motor."
The list, ready to send
Copy these into each email, so every quote you get answers the same questions:
- Is this pergola built to the dimensions you measured, or is it a standard size?
- Which parts are motorized, and is the lighting built into the frame?
- Can you quote a louvered roof and a solid or glass roof for comparison?
- What is the finish, where is it applied, and what colors are available?
- Will your own employees install it, or a subcontractor?
- Can you itemize the structure, installation and site work separately?
- Does your price include power for the motor and lights? If not, what will my electrician need?
- Who prepares drawings and submits to my HOA and the City of Irvine?
- Please send your written warranty, broken out by structure, finish, moving parts and motor.
Before you sign with any contractor, including your electrician, check the license number on the Contractors State License Board website, which offers a free license lookup for California contractors.
Which Kind of Company Fits Your Project?
Mulholland Brand fits a buyer who wants a pergola designed and built for their exact patio, in a chosen color or wood-look finish, made and installed by one company's own people.
Choose us if you want:
- a motorized Prestige Pergola or a custom aluminum pergola sized to your patio, not a standard module
- a finish chosen from 20+ powder-coat colors or wood-look, seen at full size before you decide
- one company to fabricate your pergola and install it with our own W-2 crew
- an itemized written quote based on a measurement at your home
Some buyers should look elsewhere. If you want a fabric retractable roof, a kit to assemble yourself, or one contract that also covers the electrical work, ask a company that offers exactly that. You will get a clearer quote, and a better fit, from a company built around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions Irvine homeowners ask most while comparing pergola quotes.
What is the difference between a custom-fabricated motorized pergola and a kit?
A kit or module comes in set sizes and is fitted to your patio. A custom-fabricated pergola is drawn and built to the dimensions, wall and post positions measured on site. Mulholland Brand designs and fabricates custom aluminum pergolas in-house to each customer's exact dimensions.
Does a motorized pergola need its own electrical work, and who does it?
Yes, the motorized louvers and LED lighting need power. Mulholland Brand does not do electrical work: we identify the power need at the on-site measurement, and you arrange it separately with a licensed electrician.
Will powder-coated aluminum fade or look cheap?
Mulholland Brand's pergolas use powder-coated aluminum with a baked-on finish in more than 20 colors or a wood-look finish. They are engineered to withstand sun, salt air and sprinklers without warping, rusting or fading. Wood-look pergolas never need staining or refinishing, though they still benefit from a fresh-water rinse and a check of the hardware and moving parts.
Do I need HOA approval for a pergola in Irvine?
If your home is in an HOA community, expect architectural review, and check with the City of Irvine whether your pergola needs a permit. Ask every company, in writing, who prepares drawings and who submits them. Mulholland Brand can supply exact dimensions and a chosen color, and we show finishes at full size in our Canoga Park showroom.
What does Mulholland Brand's warranty cover?
Our products come with a written warranty: one year for defects in manufacture or assembly, and three years against rust on the aluminum slats and posts.
Does Mulholland Brand serve Irvine?
Yes. Mulholland Brand serves all of Orange County, including Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Anaheim and Fullerton. We fabricate in Canoga Park and install with our own crew.
Book an On-Site Measurement with Mulholland Brand
The next step is a measurement at your home and an itemized written quote for the exact pergola you want. That puts a custom-fabricated option among your quotes, ready to compare against every other bid.
Mulholland Brand has been operating since 1994. We are rated 4.5 stars on average across more than 850 Google and Yelp reviews (as of October 2026). We design and manufacture our pergolas in-house at our Canoga Park factory and install them with our own W-2 employees, in Irvine and across Orange County.
At the on-site consultation, our team measures your patio and talks through roof type, lighting and finish. We identify site work such as concrete, electrical and demolition. Then you receive an itemized written price for the exact configuration. Bring your HOA's color palette if you have one.
Book your on-site measurement and itemized written quote. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call (877) 616-2947 or (800) 562-5770.
Mulholland Brand, 7959 Deering Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91304. California contractor license CSLB #1061373.
