Most calls about a new deck come in April, the week of the first dry Saturday. By then the summer calendar is filling, and a deck that needs a permit is still several steps from its first footing. Working back from the date you want to use it is the simplest way to avoid building in August.
The steps, and how long each takes
| Step | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| First reply | Within one business day | We look at your photos and the property, and offer visit times. |
| Design visit | About an hour on site | We measure, look at sun, slope and drainage, and inspect any old deck. |
| 3D plan and fixed quote | One to two weeks | A drawing you can walk around, and an itemized price. |
| Permit | A few weeks for a straightforward deck; longer for roofs, slopes and shorelines | We prepare the drawings and submit them, with any tree, critical-area or HOA package. |
| Build | One to two weeks on site for most decks; two to five for covered structures and kitchens | One crew from footings to final railing, then a walkthrough. |
Not every project needs a permit. A low, freestanding deck under the height limit often does not; an elevated deck, anything with a roof and any deck carrying a hot tub almost always does. The Deck Permit Checker answers that for your city in a minute, and How We Work describes each step.
Working back from a summer date
Add the steps up, leave room for weather and the city, and the start dates come earlier than most people expect:
- A ground-level deck or a paver patio with no permit: start in March for a June finish.
- An elevated deck, a deck replacement or a hot tub deck: start in January or February.
- A covered patio, pavilion, screened porch or outdoor kitchen: start in the winter before, in December or January. Roofed structures take longer to design, longer in review and longer to build.
- A hillside deck on a mapped slope, or a lot with shoreline or tree review: start the fall before. A geotechnical report or a shoreline exemption can add weeks on its own.
What moves the date
- The city. Review times change with the season and the backlog. Kirkland, Mercer Island and Seattle look closely at trees near footings; Issaquah, Newcastle and parts of Bellevue have mapped hazard slopes where footings need a geotechnical engineer’s input. Our deck permit guide explains what each review looks at.
- The HOA. Many 1990s subdivisions in Redmond, Sammamish and Newcastle review exterior changes. We prepare that package from the same drawings and run it alongside the permit, but a board that meets monthly sets its own pace.
- Decisions. Board color, railing system and lighting have to be settled before materials are ordered. The Composite vs Cedar Calculator and the guide behind it help with the biggest one.
- Weather. We build in the rain for most stages, but concrete for the footings and some finishes wait for suitable days.
What to do this winter
The planning that takes longest is the part you can do from the kitchen window:
- Decide what the space is for: dinners for six, a hot tub, a place to sit out of the rain. Planning a Deck Layout shows how that sets the size.
- Get a first number from the Deck Cost Calculator, so the design starts inside your budget.
- Take three photos: the yard from the back door, the house wall where the deck meets it, and the underside of any old deck.
- Send them with the quote form. We reply within one business day with first thoughts and visit times.
A deck planned in winter is built in spring and used all summer. Whether you live in Kirkland, Sammamish or anywhere else in our service area, the order is the same; only the city’s part of the calendar changes.