Turning our deck into a gazebo


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Old 05-22-12, 04:39 PM
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Turning our deck into a gazebo

Hello-

I live in a townhouse community with a HOA. We have a deck, and want to turn it into a gazebo. A gazebo was an option when our community initially was built, so some other townhouses currently have gazebos. All of the gazebos are identical.

We went to our HOA to ask for permission to turn the deck into a gazebo, and they said that we have to submit plans for the gazebo and that it has to match all the others. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but our builder went bankrupt during the housing bust and we don't know how to find the plans.

So.....here is the question, particularly for you contractors. These gazebos aren't particularly complex. They have 5 sides, an asphalt roof, decking, and screens. Could we just call contractors for quotes and say, "make it look like that one" and point to an existing gazebo and have a reasonable expectation that a contractor could take measurements and make it look like the existing gazebos (assuming the HOA is OK with it)? Or is that not something a contractor would normally do?

Further, how would we go about creating plans for a "matching" gazebo if we don't have access to the old builder's plans anymore? I wouldn't even know who to contact for something like this. An architect? A contractor?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Old 05-23-12, 07:02 AM
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So.....here is the question, particularly for you contractors. These gazebos aren't particularly complex. They have 5 sides, an asphalt roof, decking, and screens. Could we just call contractors for quotes and say, "make it look like that one" and point to an existing gazebo and have a reasonable expectation that a contractor could take measurements and make it look like the existing gazebos (assuming the HOA is OK with it)? Or is that not something a contractor would normally do?
Yes, contractors can do that.
 
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Old 05-23-12, 07:39 AM
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Absolutely - get a few out so you can compare their bids.
 
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Old 05-23-12, 03:57 PM
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Mitch17 and tldoug.........thanks!
 
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Old 05-25-12, 08:59 PM
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Another option if you have trouble finding a willing (or hungry-enough) contractor to work up some plans--get a neighbor's permission to measure up their gazebo (including all member sizes and dimensions) and put together adequate bid package construction plans yourself.
 
 

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