The questions we get
on every discovery call.

It depends on what you are building, and we publish the bands rather than making you ask. Deck-primary projects run $60,000 to $90,000. A deck and paver hardscape designed together run $60,000 to $150,000. Hardscape-only work starts around $20,000 to $40,000 and rises past $80,000 for larger installations. Louvered pergolas and covered structures run $45,000 to $90,000. Motorized screens run $15,000 to $60,000 depending on the number of openings. Kitchens, fire features and lighting start around $5,000 and reach $80,000 and beyond. A complete outdoor environment combining several of these runs $180,000 to $300,000 and up.

Because the alternative wastes everybody’s time. If a project is outside what you had in mind, you should find that out on this page rather than three weeks into a sales process. Published bands also mean the number we give you is not invented on the spot based on the house you live in.

Fixed. We price the completed design, not a sketch, which is what makes a fixed price possible. The number does not move unless you ask for a change. There are no allowances to true up at the end.

There are three steps. A discovery call is free. A site visit is $150 and is not applied to anything. The design itself is $3,000, which covers the model, the renderings, the presentation and two rounds of revisions, with further rounds at $300 each. When you move ahead to construction, $1,500 of the design fee is applied toward your build. Full detail is on the design page.

Yes. We work with Acorn Finance, and the application is built into the estimate we send you, so one application returns offers from several lenders. We are builders rather than lenders, and we are equally happy with cash projects. See financing.

Three phases: Align, Create and Execute. Align is where we work out what you actually want and whether the budget and the goal match. Create is the design phase, where the project is drawn, modeled and priced. Execute is construction, which starts only once the design is settled and the price is fixed. The point is that discovery happens on paper rather than halfway through a build. Detail on the A.C.E. Method page.

About fifteen minutes. You describe what you are picturing and how you use the space now. We tell you whether it is something we build, roughly what it costs, and whether we are a fit. Nobody is sold anything on that call.

You see the 3D model and renderings as part of the design phase, before you sign a construction agreement. You are deciding whether to build from a design you have already looked at, not from a description.

Two revision rounds are included, and further rounds are $300 each. If you decide not to build, you keep nothing and owe nothing further. The design concepts, renderings and specifications remain our property until a construction agreement is signed, which is standard for design-build firms.

Often, yes. Bring what you have to the discovery call and we will tell you honestly whether it is buildable as drawn and what it would cost.

Construction itself is usually a matter of weeks rather than months for a single element, and longer for a full environment. The honest answer is that the schedule is set by permits and weather more than by our crews. We give you a real date range once the design is settled and the village is known.

We do. Permit requirements vary a lot between villages in DuPage, Kane and Will counties, and the timeline differences are significant. We have a guide to deck permits covering what each one expects.

Not every single day, and anyone who promises that is describing a schedule rather than a build. You get a point of contact, and you are told when crews are coming and when they are not.

On elevated and multi-level builds, powder coated steel framing rather than lumber. Pressure treated framing carries no manufacturer warranty at all, which is worth asking any builder about. More on this in our steel versus wood framing guide.

TimberTech composite and PVC. We are an authorized TimberTech dealer, which lets us register your warranty directly rather than leaving you to file it. We do not build wood decks, and our composite deck cost guide sets out why.

Materials are covered by the manufacturer, between 25 and 30 years on TimberTech decking and 25 years on Fortress steel framing. Our own installation is covered for one year from the final walkthrough. The full picture, including what nothing covers, is on the warranties page.

Composite and PVC need washing, not sealing or staining. Motorized louvered systems and screens need periodic cleaning and an inspection of the drainage channels, and clearing those before and after winter matters in this climate. Care instructions come with the handover package.

Chicago’s western suburbs, including Naperville, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Barrington and St. Charles, and the surrounding communities across DuPage, Kane and Will counties. The full list is on service areas.

Yes, including restaurant and hospitality enclosures. See commercial outdoor living.

Generally no. We are a design-build firm, and taking on repair work would mean doing it badly or pulling crews off builds. If you have a warranty issue on something we built, that is different and it is covered.