The Importance of Establishing and Sharing Your Outdoor Living Space Budget

At Deck Plus we aim to please each and every potential client that calls us, messages us, or walks through our door. Part of our communicative process with each party is to discuss at length the type of project you have in mind. We will ask you how you plan to use the new space (outdoor dining, entertaining, relaxing), what types of materials you like (wood, hardscapes, composites, etc), and the outdoor living space budget you have in place for your project. These are all questions that help us plan and design the best outdoor space to meet your needs and desires. Many times, when we are consulting with a client, the line of communication is flowing freely until we reach the question about their budget.

We understand that when it comes down to the investment details, this is sometimes a sticky subject. First, many homeowners have not considered a budget. This may be because they just don’t realize what they have in mind will actually cost and haven’t a clue where to “set” their budget. Second, there is a misconception that us knowing your budget upfront may affect the process in a negative way. However, this actually couldn’t be farther from the truth. When it comes to establishing and sharing your outdoor living space budget with your contractor, transparency is key to a successful project.

Why Establishing A Budget Is Important

Just like any home renovation project, having a budget in place for your new deck, porch or patio is a vital part of the planning process. Deck Plus asks what your budget is during our initial correspondence. This is so we can help access the scale and feasibility of what you have in mind. It is easy to imagine your ideal outdoor living space loaded with all the bells and whistles, but making this ideal a reality because of all the amenities involved may be unrealistic with the budget you have in mind.

There are many factors that encompass the cost of a project — these include size, materials, design features and even the complexity of the project itself. One of our goals here at Deck Plus is to help you get as many of the design features you crave as are possible within your budget. In our many years of experience as an outdoor living space design and build firm, we have learned that typically everything a customer wants to build and what they want to spend is 9 times out of 10 different. With this in mind, we will likely discuss two designs. These are the design that fits the budget you have in place and the design that includes everything you want. In our experience customers typically arrive somewhere in the middle.

Why Sharing Your Budget Is Important

Once you have established a budget, it is understandable not wanting to share it. We get it. Many customers believe if they tell us they have a $25,000 budget we might give them a $25,000 price even if the project should really only cost $20,000. Unfortunately, one bad apple can spoil the bunch and there are, regretfully, some contractors who do this. However, Deck Plus is not that type of contractor, and we would never do business this way. A typical response I hear from customers on the budget question worded a different way is if I give you my budget that is the price you are going to give me. The issue here is miscommunication. The customer is trying to say they don’t want to spend the whole budget. The best way a homeowner can share their budget is by saying $25,000 is my max budget but I would feel more comfortable spending $20,000.

The budget question is simply a way for us to guide you in the right direction on material and design choices. We understand most people do not design outdoor living projects on a regular basis and don’t know how much it will cost. Even if you remember the exact size and cost of your last project prices increase on a frequent basis. Deck Plus is here to help and share similar projects at your price point and their costs.

When planning for your new outdoor living space, the budget is an important component of your plan. If you are not sure of the specific budget needs for the project you desire, we would be happy to meet with you and show you our completed project portfolios to give you some ideas. It may surprise you what elements drive up costs or simplify them. As part of the design process, we will help you unify your list of priorities and budget to create the space that is right for you.  Contact us today to get started!