NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
An arbor alone is a frame you walk through. Add a bench between the posts and it becomes a destination — somewhere to actually sit under the vines you're growing up the trellis sides.
The posts carry everything, so they're the one part of this build where you don't cut corners: 6x6 stock, buried two feet in concrete. Every other board — the seat slats, the trellis lattice — is just infill between those four posts.
Build the trellis sides before you commit to a permanent finish. Vines take a season or two to fill in, and it's much easier to stain bare wood than wood with a climbing rose already established on it.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Cedar, 6x6, 10 ftLine total for all four posts — large cedar timbers run $50+ each. Don't substitute a smaller post; the notches for the seat and trellis rely on this much material. | 4 each |
| Cedar, 2x6, 8 ftLine total for all six boards. | 6 each |
| Cedar, 2x4, 10 ftLine total for both boards. | 2 each |
| Cedar, 2x2, 8 ftLine total for all seven boards. | 7 each |
| 3" deck screws | 150 each |
| Quick-setting concreteOne bag per post, minimum. Don't skimp here — the posts carry the whole structure. | 4 bag |
Overall cost: $$$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| PostsCedar 6x6Notched at the top per the plan. Buried 24" in concrete, so order stock long enough to lose two feet into the ground. | 4 | 5 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 120" |
| Upper side railsCedar 2x6 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 95" |
| Mid side railsCedar 2x2 | 5 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 47" |
| Lower cross bracesCedar 2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 59" |
| Seat support bracesCedar 2x4 | 5 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 24" |
| Seat and backrest slatsCedar 2x6 | 7 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 48" |
| Trellis uprightsCedar 2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 72" |
| Trellis lattice, longCedar 2x2 | 7 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 21" |
| Trellis lattice, short ACedar 2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 9 3/4" |
| Trellis lattice, short BCedar 2x2 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 10 1/2" |
Some parts are longer than a 8 ft board, so there is no honest board count to show here. Open the board plan to pick a longer stock length — it names every part that does not fit.
0 boards
7 boards
3 boards
7 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Cut the four 6x6 posts to length and notch the tops per your layout — this is what the upper rails will seat into. Dig four holes 24" deep, set the posts, brace them plumb, and pour concrete around the base of each one.
Let the concrete cure before putting any load on the posts. Everything else in this build — bench, trellis, all of it — hangs off these four posts, so an out-of-plumb post here is a problem you'll be fighting for the rest of the build.
Cut the two 2x6 upper rails to length, notch the ends to match the post notches, and screw them into place near the top of the posts on both sides.
Install the five 2x2 mid rails below the upper rails on each side, then notch the posts for the 2x4 lower cross braces and install those — measuring up from the ground to account for how deep you buried the posts, so the seat ends up at a sittable height.
Cut the five 2x4 seat support braces and screw them between the posts at seat height. Cut the seven 2x6 slats to length and screw them across the supports for the seat and backrest.
Clamp each slat level before driving screws if you're working alone — a slat that's screwed down slightly twisted is hard to fix after the fact.
Cut the trellis uprights and lattice pieces per the cut list, then assemble each trellis frame flat on the ground before attaching it to the sides — it's far easier to keep a lattice square on a flat surface than fastening piece by piece in place vertically.
Attach the finished trellis panels to the outside of each side, between the posts.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.