Top 10 Things to Know Before You Build an Outdoor Timber Structure
Planning a backyard timber structure? These ten practical truths will help you design with confidence — from purpose and placement to site needs, style, cost, and future use.
Planning a backyard timber structure? These ten practical truths will help you design with confidence — from purpose and placement to site needs, style, cost, and future use.
Gather under a handcrafted timber frame gazebo: a six-post hexagon with arched knee braces, warm two-tone finish, and power-ready posts for lighting and fans. Built for everyday family life—and polished enough for hospitality patios and community courtyards.
Thanksgiving gatherings were not always guaranteed. A true story of how this day became national and why gratitude still brings us home.
Over the years, we have framed pavilions and cabanas above all kinds of water features, including ponds. There’s something…
Mass timber charring is nature’s built-in fire protection. When exposed to flames, timber forms a charred shield that slows heat penetration, preserves strength, and provides critical time for safe evacuation in commercial and exposed timber frame buildings.
This timber tennis pavilion shows how mass timber craftsmanship can elevate any recreation or commercial outdoor space. With lattice details, TimberVolt power, and The Dovetail Difference, it creates a durable, welcoming courtside destination for lessons, gatherings, and high use environments.
From community landmarks to greenhouse engineering to an accessible backyard bridge, these custom timber projects show how thoughtful design can solve real problems and elevate everyday living.
Outdoor spaces sing when the structures work together. By blending timber frame style across pergolas, trellises, colors, and architectural lines, you can create a landscape that feels layered, unified, and intentionally crafted. Whether for a home, business, or commercial development, thoughtful design choices make every space feel connected.
Built in 2013, this triple post cedar pavilion marked the beginning of a design legacy. Its hipped roof, stone bases, and early power integration show how handcrafted timber architecture continues to bring people together in places of strength, beauty, and rest.
Introduction: The Shape of Welcome There’s a reason people gather under a roof like this.A hipped roof pavilion doesn’t…
There’s a certain kind of structure that does more than cast shade — it creates a stage for life….
A solar-ready timber frame cabana brings together handcrafted beauty and modern innovation. Designed for strength, sustainability, and year-round comfort, this outdoor retreat supports solar panels while offering a naturally shaded space to gather, relax, and recharge—both your home and your spirit. Built with The Dovetail Difference®, it’s where craftsmanship meets clean energy.