This case study describes a composite project type we execute regularly in Lee’s Summit — a mid-2000s suburban home with an elevated deck off the main living level, a flat yard below, and homeowners who want usable outdoor space year-round. The cost figures reflect KC market conditions in 2025–2026.
The existing situation
A 2004 two-story in Lee’s Summit, 2,600 square feet. The original PT wood deck was 15 years old and at end of life. The boards were soft in three sections, the ledger board had corroded fasteners, and the footings — poured in 2004 to approximately 18” depth — had visibly shifted over 15 KC winters. The deck framing was structurally sound in the center sections but the perimeter posts had movement.
The homeowners’ brief: tear out the old deck, build new, add a patio at grade with a firepit, and add a pergola over the dining area on the new deck.
What we built
Composite deck, 520 SF. TimberTech AZEK PVC decking in Weathered Teak (a mid-tone gray-brown with grain pattern). AZEK was specified over Trex Transcend primarily for the lower surface temperature characteristic — the south-facing deck gets full afternoon sun in KC summer, and the PVC cellular-core product runs several degrees cooler than WPC composite at the same exposure.
Frame: all treated lumber framing on 16” centers, poured concrete piers to 42” depth (exceeding the KC 30” frost depth minimum by 12” for additional stability margin on a deck this size). Steel post bases rather than embedded posts — better long-term performance and replaceability. Railing: cable rail system on three sides (one of the better investments for preserving the view across the lot; this homeowner had a usable view and the cable rail maintained it).
Deck system (framing, decking, railing, stairs): $36,200.
Paver patio at grade, 240 SF. Belgard Olde Cobble pavers in a color blend matched loosely to the deck decking tone. Gravel base and sand setting bed. Integrated edging. This patio created a distinct zone below the deck — separate from the deck, at grade level, accessible without stairs.
Paver patio: $8,400.
Gas firepit on paver pad. A freestanding gas firepit on a separate 8x8 paver pad adjacent to the patio. Gas line extension from the existing gas stub (the homeowner already had a gas stub near the back of the house from a previous project). Fitting, tested, gas permit pulled. The firepit itself was owner-supplied (a $1,200 unit from a local hearth shop); we did the pad and the gas line.
Paver pad + gas line extension, permitted: $4,200.
Pergola, 12x14, over the dining area of the deck. Douglas fir framing, stained to match the cedar tones in the decking. Electrical rough-in to the pergola for ceiling fan and LED strip perimeter lighting (homeowner-supplied fixtures). The pergola was engineered with adequate post sizing and footing depth for KC wind loads — a freestanding pergola of this size in KC needs to be engineered for wind; this was not decorative construction.
Pergola with electrical: $12,700.
Total: $61,500.
Timeline
Permit applications (deck + paver + gas): Week 0. Deck permit issued (Lee’s Summit standard): Week 1. Gas permit issued: Week 1. Paver permit not required for this scope in Lee’s Summit. Demo of old deck: Week 2 (half day, one crew). Footing drilling and pour: Week 2 (frost depth piers require 2-day cure time before framing). Deck framing and decking: Weeks 3–4. Railing installation: Week 5. Paver work at grade: Weeks 4–5 (concurrent with upper deck framing — independent crew). Pergola framing: Week 5. Electrical rough-in for pergola: Week 6. Gas line extension + testing: Week 6. Electrical final + gas final inspection: Week 7. Deck final inspection: Week 7. Punch list and walkthrough: Week 7.
Total: 7 weeks from permit application to homeowner sign-off.
The material decision analysis
Why AZEK over Trex Transcend: At nearly equivalent price points, the choice came down to surface temperature and the specific color availability in tones that worked with this homeowner’s exterior paint. AZEK’s cellular PVC core runs cooler in direct sun than Trex’s WPC core in our experience — a meaningful factor on a south-facing deck in KC July. If the deck had been north-facing, the decision might have been different.
Why cable rail over traditional picket railing: The lot behind this house has a natural area with mature trees. The homeowner had a view worth preserving. Cable rail costs more (roughly 40–50% premium over a standard aluminum balusters on composite posts) but the visual difference — especially from inside the house looking out — was worth it. The view through the glass doors from the family room goes through the deck and into the trees. Picket railing would have cut that in half visually.
Why Douglas fir pergola instead of aluminum kit: A 12x14 aluminum pergola kit from a box store costs $3,500–$6,000 and looks like a box-store kit. A site-built Douglas fir pergola with proper joinery, appropriate post sizing for KC wind loads, and custom dimensions to match the deck runs more — $12,700 all-in versus $4,000–$7,000 for an aluminum kit plus installation. The homeowner wanted the visual mass and material quality of real timber. Budget reflects that. A family for whom the cost difference is meaningful should look at aluminum pergola kits seriously — they’re not bad products, they just look different.
What the homeowners got
An outdoor space they use nine months of the year. The firepit extends the season from May–September to March–November in most KC years — the couple’s stated goal. Zero maintenance beyond an annual pressure wash on the composite and re-lighting the firepit. No more annual deck-staining weekends.
“We’ve been out there every weekend since it was finished. Lit the firepit the first week of March. That’s the point.”