Sketch A · keep the stairs
Mark the door swing, stair opening and railing posts first. Draw the table lengthwise, then rotate it a quarter turn. Use the full table size you need for company. Trace a route with a chair pulled out at each end.
Grandwood Park · residential decks
Will the deck still work when every chair is occupied?
Before adding square footage, try serving dinner on paper. Draw the trip from the kitchen to the farthest chair and on to the yard. If the line runs through a seated guest, the position of the table or steps deserves another look.
Discuss your deck planA layout lesson from Lake Park
At the park district’s Lake Park, a picnic shelter and tables give visitors a place to eat while paths lead to other activities. At home, the same separation is useful on a much smaller scale. Put one chair at the head of your table and have someone carry an empty tray past it. The pinch point is often invisible when all the chairs are pushed in.
Grandwood Park Park District’s Lake Park guideMake two sketches with the same furniture
Sketch B · keep the dining spot
Fix the table where you want to eat and mark the natural route to the lawn. Try the stairs at the edge of this route. Look at where the bottom step would land, what happens when the gate opens and how someone tending the grill would reach the house.
Bring both drawings to the estimate. An awkward turn might need only a furniture change. Moving a stair opening or adding new deck area can involve framing, foundations and a different scope of work. Ask for those options to be priced separately.
Bring the property details along with the sketch
Record the address, any parcel number you have, and whether you intend to keep the existing structure. Use Lake County’s zoning maps to start the jurisdiction check. Confirm the review process with the responsible office once you know the site and proposed work. A mailing city alone is an unreliable guide.
MRBCC serves Grandwood Park from Gurnee. Explore custom deck design if you want a new layout, or deck resurfacing and rebuilding if you want to assess what can stay.
Questions to settle before the estimate
What should I measure before asking for a deck quote?
Measure your table with its leaves extended, the swing of the exterior door and the distance to the existing stair opening. Note which way people usually carry dishes. Leave decisions about structural dimensions and required clearances to the site review.
Can moving the steps help me keep the same deck size?
Sometimes. A different stair position can free up a seating corner, but the landing needs a usable connection to the yard. Ask the builder to compare a stair change with a larger footprint and to explain the framing and approval implications of each.
Does a Gurnee mailing address settle which permits I need?
Use the property address or parcel identification number to check the jurisdiction. Ask the reviewing office about your particular design before ordering materials. The park district mailing address alone cannot answer that question for a home.
Plan a site visit
What gets in the way at your table?
Tell MRBCC how your household uses the deck and which part feels cramped. Include the address and whether you want to keep the steps where they are.
(224) 227-9323