The vertical post or column is the most architecturally visible element of a covered patio structure — the element that defines the covered patio’s visual character at eye level from both inside the structure and from the yard beyond. VistaScapes & Design builds covered patio structures with a range of post and column options throughout Tulsa and helps homeowners choose the post specification that matches their home’s architectural character and their covered patio’s intended design direction.
6×6 Wood Posts
A 6×6 pressure-treated wood post is the standard structural post for covered patio construction in Tulsa — structurally adequate for most covered patio spans, readily available, and easily finished with paint or stain to match or complement the home’s existing trim color. A 6×6 post has a clean, straightforward appearance that suits contemporary and transitional homes well and reads as intentionally simple rather than under-detailed when properly finished. For homeowners who want the covered patio to have a more elaborate column treatment, a 6×6 structural post can be wrapped with decorative column material — PVC, composite, or wood trim — to create a more finished appearance than the bare structural post.
Wrapped and Decorative Columns
Wrapping a structural 6×6 post with decorative column material creates a finished column profile that better matches a traditional or craftsman home’s architectural vocabulary. Common wrapping approaches: a square box column built from painted PVC trim boards around the 6×6 core (durable, low-maintenance, paintable), a fluted square column using router-detailed wood trim (traditional character, requires repainting), or a tapered craftsman-style column wrapped with wood trim to create the tapered profile that reads as Arts and Crafts architecture. Column wraps add $200 to $600 per column to the covered patio cost depending on the detail complexity but significantly elevate the finished appearance of the covered patio structure when the home’s architecture calls for it. We match the column treatment to the home’s existing architectural language at the design consultation.
Masonry Columns
A masonry column — concrete block core with stone or stucco veneer matching the outdoor kitchen — creates the most permanent and architecturally substantial column treatment for a covered patio with an outdoor kitchen. Masonry columns read as fully integrated with the outdoor kitchen base rather than as a separate wood structure, and they require no maintenance beyond occasional cleaning. The structural requirement for a masonry column is a continuous footing from the column base through the frost line — more substantial than the post base hardware required for a wood post — which adds to the foundation work. Masonry columns are well-suited to covered patios where the design intent is full architectural integration with the outdoor kitchen and the home’s masonry elements. We build masonry columns as part of covered patio projects where the design direction calls for a stone or stucco column treatment.
Call VistaScapes & Design at (918) 779-1317 for a free covered patio consultation in Tulsa. We’ll evaluate your home’s architectural character and recommend the post or column treatment that creates the most cohesive outdoor living environment.
