People often assume that the first thing I do when I arrive for an estimate is grab my tape measure.
Actually, it’s one of the last things I do.
Before I measure anything, I spend time looking.
I look at the architecture of the home.
I look at how the roof lines come together.
I look at the windows and the doors.
I look at where the sunlight falls during different parts of the day.
I look at the backyard from inside the house because that’s where the homeowner will spend most of their time looking at the finished project.
Then I ask questions.
How do you use this space?
Do you entertain?
Do you barbecue every weekend?
Do your grandchildren play in the backyard?
Would you like more light or more shade?
Is there a view you don’t want to lose?
Those answers are far more important than the dimensions of the patio.
Over the years I’ve learned that every backyard has strengths that should be highlighted and weaknesses that can often be improved.
Sometimes the solution is to raise the structure so it opens the view from the family room.
Sometimes moving a single post a few feet makes the entire patio feel larger.
Sometimes changing the beam proportions gives the structure a more architectural appearance.
Sometimes a simple two-tone color combination transforms an ordinary patio cover into something that looks custom designed for the home.
These aren’t upgrades for the sake of spending more money.
They’re design decisions.
Good design isn’t measured only in inches.
It’s measured by how a space feels when you walk into it.
I’ve always believed that my responsibility is to leave a property better than I found it.
Not simply because I built a patio cover.
But because I helped the homeowner see possibilities they didn’t know existed.
That’s why the tape measure isn’t the first tool I use.
The first tool I use is experience.
After more than forty years, I’ve learned that the best designs begin long before the measurements ever do.