No wonder this is a best seller. Well made. The posts are solid even though they have cedar panels on the outside and lots of 2x2s inside to make they solid. But you have to use your own judgement in using the manual to fit your own needs. I put up the basic frame first and keep making sure the 4 posts are perfectly straight before the next step. Also, DON'T screw in the 4 braces early, as they suggested in the manual, until the very last step. Because as you take a step to make one post straight, the other posts shift. As careful as I was to make sure I do the braces last, I still had to redo all posts! To lift up the entire structure to secure the post footing with concrete screws is unrealistic because by then the pergola is already too heavy. It is like a table already. Why would you fasten down an 600 lb dining table?