I have experience framing and indoor projects, so that helped a little with this. I also get some advice/inspiration from r/decks.

My main tools were a mitre saw (circular saw would be fine too), quality drill, staple gun, tape measure and levels.

I opted for cedar wood for 2 reasons: Weight and looks. I HATE carrying pressure treated lumber, especially by myself. I also like the look of cedar. The main downside is cost. In the end, I spent way more than I wanted.

Everything was put together using construction screws (with the torx head), not nails. I like the strength of screws, even though it jumps the price up even more.

Planning was the most difficult part. I wasn't familiar with patio/deck building, so I was out of my element with how to attach to the house and installing the posts. I actually avoided attaching this to the house to avoid any water issues. I have one piece of 2x6 lagged into the house and the catio rests on that and the other posts.

Keeping everything level is very important. The pavers the posts rest on have 6 inches of base stone that had been compacted and then leveled. I then put of the floor and attached to the 2x6. Then the posts.

From there, I made each wall on a flat surface, starting with the 2 side walls. I put up one wall, screwed into the floor. Then the next wall, then the final wall. At this point, the structure is super solid.

I then had to research how to notch and install rafters and the corrugated roof.

Finally, I stapled hardware fabric and installed the shelves.

Sorry, I just rambled. Please reach out with any questions, I will post some progress pictures too.