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Patios, catios and sheds, planned before you call a builder

Pick a project and the sheet below fills in with the questions we’d ask on the first call.

The project
How much of it we do

Same prices as the Prices page.

Read your starting questions

Patio

Off the back door, or out in the yard

  • Where does water sit after a November rain?Winter puddles show us where the water goes and which way the patio should slope.
  • Where is the sun at dinner time in July, and where is the shade?That’s where the table goes, and it tells us whether you’ll want a cover later.
  • Flat on the ground, or a little raised?A low deck can skip the building permit in Portland. The permit table further down this page says exactly when, and other cities have their own rules.
  • What has to fit on it?A table for six, a grill and room to walk around them sets the size before anyone prices it.

We’d start with the consultation and brief

On the call we go over what you want, what you can spend and what the yard won’t allow. Then we write it up with what we’d do next. If you want the full plan after that, it starts at $349 and adds the materials list, the budget and the order of work.

Start a $149 consultation & briefOr call (971) 757-0248

When a Portland shed needs a permit

These are the City of Portland’s general rules for sheds, garages and low decks. Your lot’s zoning still decides where a structure can sit and how much of the yard it can cover.

Shed or garage over 200 sq ftFloor area measured inside the walls
Building permit
Shed or garage over 15 ft tallEven when the floor is 200 sq ft or less
Building permit
200 sq ft or smaller and 15 ft or shorterZoning setbacks and lot coverage still apply
Usually no building permit
Wiring or plumbingElectrical and plumbing are separate permits from the building permit
Separate permit
Deck 30 in or lowerWalking surface 30 inches or less above grade and at least 3 ft from the property line
No permit

City of Portland shed and garage rulesThis is a summary. The city has the final say.

Drawing of a shed and a low deck. The shed is marked 15 feet tall, with 200 square feet of floor measured inside the walls, and needs a permit if it is over either. The deck is marked 30 inches above the ground and 3 feet from a dashed property line, and needs no permit if both apply.200 SQ FTinside the walls15 FTtall30 INPROPERTY LINE3 FTSHEDpermit if overeither limitLOW DECKno permit ifboth apply
Shed and low deck, City of Portland rulesNot to scale

What we do on a patio or shed, and what goes to contractors

We don’t build any of it ourselves. The rows under “Us” are the parts you can hire us for, one at a time or together.

Each part of a home project, grouped by who does it, with the price or a note
The workPrice and notes
UsPlanning and the phone calls
Going over your photos, measurements and what you want the space to do, then writing up your goals, the limits and next stepsConsultation & brief, $149
Scope, materials list, budget and the order of workDetailed planning, from $349
Pointing out which of the city’s published permit rules likely applyThe city makes the final call
Finding builders and comparing what they offerPlanning and management, from $149
Keeping schedules, purchasing and approved changes in order during the buildPlanning and management, from $149
ContractorsThe building
Footings, framing, pavers, concrete, roofing and meshUnder their own proposals, which you approve. RKS isn’t the general contractor
Qualified prosAnything regulated
Drawings or structural calculations that need a professionalAn architect or engineer
Wiring, lights, outlets and water linesA qualified electrician or plumber, with their own permits

What it costs to plan a patio, catio or shed

Each piece is priced on its own, so you only pay for the part you want us on.

Contractor and materials charges are identified separately. Extra work needs your approval first.

All our prices on one page

Planning and management

Consultation & briefGoals, constraints and next steps, in writing
$149
Detailed planningScope, materials, budget and sequence
from $349
Complete managed projectOur planning and management at one price; contractors work under their own proposals
Fixed quote

Every request runs through one private link

It works the same way for a phone bill and a shed plan.

  1. Tell us what’s going on

    Pick one or more services and share what you know so far. If you’d rather talk, call (971) 757-0248 and we’ll fill in the request with you. Seniors can start a bill review this way too.

  2. Read your private link

    We email you a private link with what we found, the price and any questions. You don’t need an account, though you can make one.

  3. Say yes to the scope and price

    Nothing starts until you approve the scope and the price. If the plan doesn’t suit you, you can stop there.

  4. Keep everything in one place

    Files, answers, results and payments stay in that same link. Raw bills you upload are deleted 90 days after the job is done.

Questions people ask about planning a shed or patio

Back yard, example sketchNot to scale
Example plan sketch of a back yard. The house runs along the top with a back door. A low deck sits off the door, under 30 inches high and 3 feet from the property line. A downspout drains to gravel, a puddle forms in November, and a shed of 200 square feet or less sits in the back corner with its setbacks still to check.PROPERTY LINEHOUSELOW DECKunder 30 in3 FTdownspoutto gravelNov puddleNSHED200 sq ftor lesssetbacks?
Does RKS perform construction?

We plan and coordinate; qualified contractors do the building under their own proposals, which you approve. RKS isn’t the general contractor.

Are architectural or engineering plans included?

No. Architectural and engineering work requires separate qualified professionals.

Can I purchase planning alone?

Yes. Start with the $149 consultation and brief, then choose whether to add detailed planning or a complete managed project.

A phone photo of the spot is enough to start

Stand on the back step and take one picture that shows the corner you mean. Add rough measurements and a budget range. That’s enough for us to write back with our questions and whether the $149 brief can be done from photos or needs a visit.

Start a request with a photo of your yardCall or message(971) 757-0248
CallContactStart a request

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