What Is a Pergola With a Roof Called?

A pergola with a roof is often called a covered pergola, although a more specific name usually describes the roof itself. Adjustable blades create a louvered pergola, while a retractable fabric roof creates a retractable fabric-top pergola. These names help distinguish structures that may look similar in a garden photograph but offer different ways to control the space overhead.

Types of Pergola with Different Roof Designs

The useful distinction is what happens above the frame: the roof blades can rotate, a fabric covering can retract, or the shading elements can remain fixed. Each arrangement changes how sunlight reaches the terrace and explains the more specific product name.

Louvered pergola

A louvered pergola has a roof formed from a series of blades. On an adjustable model, these blades rotate to change the openings between them, letting you adjust shade and ventilation without moving the supporting structure. The blades stay within the roof area as their angle changes.

SUNLEVER’s aluminum louvered pergola range includes manual and electric options. Here, “louvered” identifies the roof construction, while “manual” or “motorized” describes how it operates. Keeping those terms separate helps when comparing products: an electric control describes the drive system, but you still need to know whether it rotates blades or retracts a covering.

Retractable fabric-top pergola

A retractable fabric-top pergola changes the covered area by drawing its fabric back along the structure. SUNLEVER’s ASTRA-LITE uses this arrangement, with a fabric roof that folds and unfolds above the outdoor space.

Unlike rotating louvers, the fabric gathers back to expose more of the overhead area. The frame and supporting members remain in place. This distinction matters if you want to switch between a shaded seating area and a more open setting, rather than adjust light through a blade roof. Including “fabric-top” in the name also makes the covering material clear before you compare operating options.

Fixed-blade and perforated-top pergolas

Fixed shading creates a different relationship with daylight. SUNLEVER’s FOLIA uses fixed blades, while PERFORA uses perforated aluminium panels. Shade comes from the spacing of the blades or the pattern of openings in the panels, not a moving roof mechanism.

Those openings let light and air through and also allow rain to pass. These designs therefore belong to the sunshade category: a fixed top can provide architectural shading without forming a continuous roof surface. For a terrace where rain shelter matters, the roof’s construction tells you more than the word “covered” alone.

When installed over a patio, these pergolas can also serve as patio covers—a term that describes their use rather than a specific roof design.

Choosing a Roof for Your Outdoor Space

Choose the roof around the conditions you want to change. A terrace that gets too bright at lunch needs a different solution than a garden corner where the main aim is decorative shade. First, decide whether you want to adjust the light, uncover more of the space overhead, or create a permanent shading feature.

For a dining terrace used at different times of day, start with an adjustable louvered roof. It lets you respond to changing sunlight while keeping the same seating arrangement. Within SUNLEVER’s range, the Stellar M140 offers manual operation, while the Stellar E140 offers electric operation. If you expect to adjust the roof frequently during meals or while entertaining, consider the electric option; if you prefer manual control, the M140 offers that choice. Where rain shelter is also part of the brief, review the proposed roof’s blade seals and drainage arrangement with SUNLEVER before settling on the configuration.

For a courtyard lounge or restaurant terrace where you want shade during busy daytime hours and a more open setting later, consider ASTRA-LITE, SUNLEVER’s electric retractable fabric-top pergola. The key question is whether you want to reduce the covered area overhead or simply change the light passing through it. Fabric color is also part of the design: the catalog includes neutral and bolder options, letting the covering coordinate with terrace furniture or a hospitality setting.

If your garden seating area is mainly for dry-weather use and you want the roof to add a consistent architectural pattern, compare FOLIA and PERFORA. FOLIA’s fixed blades suit those who prefer repeated straight lines. PERFORA is the more relevant option when the pattern itself is part of the design brief, with perforated panels and custom-designed patterns available. Choose between them according to the visual effect you want above and around the seating area; for a space intended primarily as a rain shelter, return to the closed-roof options instead.

Once you have a preferred roof type, check its fit against the furniture layout, nearby doors and windows, and the direction of afternoon sun. This final step helps determine the size and placement of your chosen product, so you don't have to go through the entire range again.

Explore a Custom Pergola with SUNLEVER

SUNLEVER is the outdoor shading brand of Yongfeng Lihua Industrial Group, bringing the group’s aluminium manufacturing and product development experience to outdoor living spaces. Alongside standard-size pergolas, SUNLEVER offers custom sizes for projects that need a different fit. Once you have identified your preferred roof style, the next step is to match it to your site.

For a custom inquiry, send the project location, the required width and projection, and your preferred height. Include a dimensioned sketch and photographs showing the installation area from several angles. If the pergola will sit beside a building, show the available wall space, roof overhangs and any obstacles near the proposed roofline. Describe the ground surface and indicate any planned changes to its level, so the inquiry reflects the space as it will be when installed.

Add the product name that interests you, your preferred finish and control option, and any side shading you would like to discuss. If you are still choosing between two roof types, explain the remaining decision—for example, whether you value adjustable daylight or a retractable covering more. These details give SUNLEVER a practical starting point for discussing the model, dimensions, and configuration with you.

Contact SUNLEVER with your site information to discuss a pergola tailored to your outdoor space.