Wind and snow ratings, side by side
Most of these numbers are the maker's own claim, and we found no outside test to back any of them. Read the number as "what the company says," not "what a lab proved."
Wind claims, in mph, against hurricane categories
Maker's own claim, no outside test found. Categories from the National Hurricane Center. Numbered boxes are hurricane categories 1 to 5.
Snow claims, in pounds per square foot
Maker's own claim. Sunjoy figures are our arithmetic from total roof pounds. Dashed lines: FEMA P-957 weight of one foot of snow.
Read on Nov 4, 2026. Prices change, so check the maker's page before you buy.
The table
| Model | Wind number the maker gives | Snow number the maker gives | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanso Pro+ aluminum pergola | 72 to 120 mph (a range; the page doesn't say which setup gets which) | 25 pounds per square foot | Hanso product page |
| Hanso Horizon pergola | 165 mph with the roof closed, 120 mph with it open | 60 pounds per square foot | Hanso product page and Hanso spec sheet |
| Sunjoy Kingston hardtop gazebos | 50 mph | Up to 3,700 pounds on the whole roof (largest, 12x20) | Sunjoy Kingston page |
| Sunjoy 13x15 Estate Planter gazebo | 50 mph | 3,500 pounds on the whole roof | Sunjoy product page (sold out when we looked) |
| Sunjoy 10x11 wood hot tub pergola | 35 mph | None given | Sunjoy product page |
One we left out
Hanso's Apex pergola. Hanso's own pages disagree with each other on its wind and snow numbers. We won't print a number the company can't agree with itself on. If Hanso fixes its pages, we'll add it.
Two things the table doesn't show
1. Sunjoy's instruction manuals say something different from its store pages. The manuals call these structures "decorative and sunshade purposes only" and say they are "not designed to withstand harsh weather, including high winds, rain, and snow." The store pages list 50 mph and thousands of pounds of snow. We don't know which one Sunjoy would stand behind in a claim. The warranty in the manual is one year. (manual 1, manual 2)
2. Sunjoy gives snow as total pounds on the roof. Hanso gives it per square foot. You can't compare them as they sit. Here is a rough conversion, using the floor size as the roof size (the real roof is a bit bigger, so the true figure is a little lower):
- Kingston 12x20: 3,700 pounds over 240 square feet is about 15 pounds per square foot.
- Estate Planter 13x15: 3,500 pounds over 195 square feet is about 18 pounds per square foot.
- Hanso Pro+: 25. Hanso Horizon: 60.
For scale, FEMA puts a foot of fresh, light snow at about 3 pounds per square foot and a foot of wet snow at about 21 (FEMA P-957 figures, as summarized on inspectandtest.net). So 15 pounds is about 5 feet of light snow, but less than a foot of wet snow.
How we handle a number
- Every figure has a link to the page we read.
- If a maker's pages disagree, we leave the number out and say so.
- If we only have the maker's word, we say that.
This page has not been checked by an engineer. Nobody here has put these structures through a storm.
How to look up your own numbers
- Go to the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool and type in your street address.
- Write down the wind speed and the ground snow load it gives.
- Compare them to the table above. Snow load is in pounds per square foot, the same unit as Hanso's number.
- Ask your town's building office whether a roofed structure your size needs a permit.