Gas is the constraint that most often reshapes a plan. A built-in grill needs a dedicated line from the meter, and the cost depends on the house — distance, what's in the way, where the meter sits. Our gas contractor handles the run, and it's one of the few parts of a project we can't price until we've seen the property. When the run is long enough to be impractical, propane with a concealed tank cabinet works well, and we'll tell you if that's the better call.
Water is simpler than people expect and less useful than they expect. A sink needs supply and drain, and in this climate you shut the water off before the first hard freeze. Plenty of our clients skip the sink after thinking it through; a beverage fridge and a good prep counter cover most of what people actually use.
Power gets designed in at the drawing stage — outlets, task lighting over the prep surface, and a dedicated circuit for refrigeration — and run by an electrician we've worked with for years, during framing rather than after it.
Sometimes. A built-in grill and stone counter need additional posts and beams, and the existing structure has to be sound — Whitmer Decks finds rot in the rim joist on 30 to 50 percent of the older decks it opens up. The structure is inspected before any design work.
It varies more than any other project Whitmer Decks builds, largely because the gas run depends on the house. Whitmer Decks designs to your budget during a consultation at the property rather than publishing ranges.
Usually, yes. Structural work, gas, electrical, and plumbing each trigger permit requirements. Whitmer Decks files permits in Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, Alexandria, Vienna, Herndon, and Leesburg.
Not necessarily. A sink needs supply, drain, and a shutoff before winter, and many homeowners find a beverage fridge and a good prep counter cover what they actually use.
Yes, and it's often the simpler option. The slab carries the weight without structural work, and utilities can be trenched. Whitmer Decks frequently builds kitchens on a patio beside a deck, designed as one space.
Yes. Whitmer Decks builds pavilion extensions and installs Pergolux pergolas and StruXure Cabana X louvered systems over outdoor kitchens.
Yes. Whitmer Decks builds year-round.
