The straight answer
We do not lay pavers, pour concrete slabs or set flagstone. If what you want underfoot is stone or concrete, a hardscape contractor is the right call, and we would rather say so now than after a visit.
What we build on that same piece of ground is a deck. For a great many Bay Area yards that turns out to be the better answer anyway, because the ground is not flat and a patio has to be made flat before it can be laid. The table below is how we decide, and it points at a patio in two of the six rows.
Deck or patio, by situation
Six situations that actually decide it. Two of them point away from us, and they are left in on purpose.
- Sloping or uneven ground Deckwhat we would build
- A patio needs the ground made flat first — excavation, base, sometimes a retaining wall. A deck stands on posts and simply steps over the slope. On most Bay Area hillside lots this is the whole argument.
- The door sits above the soil Deckwhat we would build
- If the threshold is a step or more above grade, a patio leaves you dropping down out of the house. A deck meets the door at its own height.
- Flat ground, tight budget Patiowhat we would build
- On level soil, pavers or a concrete slab cost less per square foot than any deck we build, and there is nothing to refinish later. We will tell you so.
- Fire pit or heavy grill Patiowhat we would build
- Stone and concrete do not care about embers. A deck can carry both, but it needs a proper pad or the clearance the manufacturer specifies.
- Drainage that has to run somewhere Deckwhat we would build
- Water passes between deck boards and keeps going. A slab has to be pitched and sometimes drained, and a patio that traps water against the house is a problem you pay for twice.
- You want it to match the house Eitherwhat we would build
- Redwood and composite read warm and sit well against trim and siding. Stone reads solid and matches masonry. This one is taste, and we do not pretend otherwise.
What we do build
- Composite decksEva-Last, Trex, TimberTech, Fiberon and Deckorators. We are a certified Eva-Last installer, and on those decks the certification adds a year of labor coverage over our own three.
- Redwood and hardwood decksRedwood is what most homes here had before composite arrived, and it still ages better than anything else when it is refinished on schedule. Ipe and other hardwoods when the budget allows.
- Stairs and railingsPriced by rise, run and linear foot rather than by deck area. Cable, picket and panel systems, all built to the California code numbers we publish.
- Custom redwood pergolasAttached or freestanding, over a deck, a pool surround or the patio you already have. Open rafters for shade, or a solid roof that covers it from rain.
- Kit assemblyPergola, gazebo and sunroom kits you bought yourself, unpacked, built to the manufacturer's specs and anchored properly to concrete, pavers or an existing deck.
Questions people actually ask
Do you build patios?
Not the paved kind. We do not lay pavers, pour concrete slabs or set flagstone — that is hardscape work, and a hardscape contractor does it better than we would. What we build on that same ground is a deck: composite, redwood or hardwood, with the railings and stairs it needs.
So what is the alternative to a patio?
A composite deck, in most cases. It covers the same outdoor room, it goes over ground a patio would need levelled first, and it needs no sealing or re-sanding the way stone and concrete joints do. On flat ground with a small budget a patio is still the cheaper answer, and we will say that out loud.
Can you build a deck next to an existing patio?
Yes, and we do it often. A deck that steps down onto an existing patio, or a pergola anchored into a patio slab, are both normal jobs for us. The patio stays as it is; we build what goes above and beside it.
Do you build a cover over a patio?
Yes. That is a pergola, and it is one of our services. Open rafters give shade and keep the frame light; corrugated polycarbonate on top turns it into cover from rain and UV, which changes the framing underneath. Both are anchored into the slab or pavers you already have.
What do you actually build?
Composite decks — we are a certified Eva-Last installer, which adds a year of labor coverage on top of our own — redwood and hardwood decks, deck replacement and repair, stairs, railings, custom redwood pergolas, and assembly of pergola, gazebo and sunroom kits you have already bought.
Who should I call for pavers?
A hardscape or masonry contractor. Ask for their California license the same way you should ask for ours — our guide on checking a licence works on any contractor, and it takes two minutes on the state site.
See what a deck would cost on your ground
The calculator takes the size, the material and the site and gives you a range. It takes about a minute and asks for nothing in return.