Outdoor Living, Rain or Shine
What are Covered Structures?
Covered structures, covered decks, and patios are all the rage, nowadays. In fact, they’re a staple item if you purchase a newly constructed property. We estimate that about 95% of new homes have a covered deck of some sort. They’re often the extension of a dining room or kitchen.
Where do we get our business?
Well, if you own a home that’s about 15 years or older, you probably don’t have a covered deck. So, we began receiving calls five or six years ago, from folks in that category, asking about this. We’ve come up with a couple spec options for this.
One of those is the “exposed rafter” combined with the tongue-and-groove ceiling. We’ve recessed the tongue-and-groove aspect to go along with ceiling fans, and often include a classy cedar build-out component. This is a premium option for folks who are the most serious about upgrading. There’s also an economical version, which involves a plywood roof, minus the exposed rafters.
How Does Hinkle Outdoor Living Build Covered Structures?
About four or five years ago, we became a Class C contractor, so we are licensed to build entire houses. We construct pool houses, roof structures, roof tie-ins, hip-style roofs, and many other variations. Sometimes we add in various screened-in elements as well.
All of our covered structure projects are like building a house. We start by developing an initial concept and make a proposal to you. Then we go to an engineering phase. We also get the designs approved by an architect, who might add specific measures to it. Once they’re done, we get it engineered, then permitted, then finish construction.
Roofed structures go up pretty fast; often within the first five days. From there, we’d have to spend additional time to fit it with gutters and other support elements. If you were installing a composite deck or patio underneath, that would add to the project length. The roofs themselves are rather straightforward for us, though.
Advantages to Building a Covered Deck for Your Home
- It can drastically increase the volume of liveable space around your property.
- If you’re ready to sell your home, this is a guaranteed way to attract more buyers (for a higher asking price).
- This is one of the best ways to gain more backyard privacy.
- With the way we install them, they’re built just as strong as the rest of your home, and require only minimal upkeep.
- It’s one of many ways to enjoy your backyard for a greater part of the year, irrespective of cold winters or hot summers.
Mistakes Other Contractors Make
What mistakes do other contractors make with this task?
We encounter folks who try to do this, but don’t have the same Class C contractor license as we do. Hinkle Outdoor Living went through licensing to do everything. The companies that don’t possess that credential won’t be able to do everything, including the permitting aspects (which means homeowners have to shoulder the responsibility).
It’s also common to see them not have an electrician on staff, leaving you to hire a subcontractor to cover that. It’s a major flag when the company asks you to go get certain things elsewhere (especially permits). Again, the advantage of working with the Hinkle team is that we handle everything in-house.
Those contractors usually won’t go through all those engineering and design steps, either, something that could lead you to fail a city inspection. If that happens, the contractor might abandon your project, leaving you with a mess on your hands. You can call us to address the problems, of course, but we’ll have to spend some time determining where they pulled permits (or cut corners during their building efforts).
Summary of Our Building Steps
Again, our process steps will proceed like this:
- Initial consultation with us to go over designs and expectations.
- Our architects review our work and make structural detail changes.
- Then it goes to engineering, where they will look at loads, plot plans, and building plans (if applicable).
- Then we pull permits, which may require us to make adjustments and redo things at the engineering phase.
- Once we’re permitted, we install everything as we described, schedule inspections (in-house and city), and finish with a covered structure that should last a lifetime.
Hinkle Outdoor Living - Your Top Resource for Luxury Upgrades in Kansas City
Covered decks and structures are one of our favorite ways to help you turn your old deck or patio into an absolute masterpiece. Not only is Hinkle Outdoor Living a fully licensed and credentialed contractor, but we also have an outstanding reputation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and earn numerous testimonials.
To get started with us, all you have to do is fill out a quick form online with basic information. Then we’ll get in touch with you to explore ideas and develop the outdoor living element of your dreams.
Contact us anytime for excellent service options for covered structures, outdoor swimming pools, firepits, and more.
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Design Discovery Call
In-Home Design Meeting
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