We build custom cedar, Douglas-fir and timber-frame backyard pavilions across the Kansas City metro — real shingled roofs, tongue-and-groove ceilings, posts on frost-depth piers — and we install the kit you buy on the base it actually needs. Installed by our family-owned Kansas City crew: one crew, no subcontractors. And we plan in the open: the only Kansas City pavilion builder that publishes what your city requires, whether your existing patio can carry a pavilion, and how the price is built.
Get a quote · Get an instant estimate
What our pavilions include
Every custom pavilion we build: 8×8 cedar or Douglas-fir posts on stone or poured concrete pier columns · 4×12 beams, 4×8 rafters, 4×10 ridge · tongue-and-groove ceiling · 3-foot overhang · architectural shingles matched to your house (standing seam as an upgrade) · cleanup and haul-off. Ceiling fans, recessed lighting, drop-down screens, mounted-TV and heater rough-ins, stone fireplaces and outdoor kitchens are priced as separate lines so you can see them. What we build →
What a pavilion costs in Kansas City
Our pavilions start around $15,000. Most builds land between $30,000 and $60,000 depending on size, ceiling finish and stone pier work; premium builds reach about $90,000. A real one: a 16×20 cedar pavilion with shingled roof, T&G ceiling, stone-wrapped piers, one ceiling fan, recessed lights and a TV rough-in — $59,950. If you have read the national guides' "$35–$60 a square foot," the cost guide explains the gap line by line: footings below the frost line, a real roof deck, a finished ceiling, cedar, and Kansas City labor. The Instant Estimate gives you a planning range for your size, site and options before you talk to anyone.
| Starting | Most builds | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom pavilion | about $15,000 | $30,000–$60,000 | up to about $90,000 |
| Shipped timber kit, built by us | roughly $18,000 at 12×16 | $32,500–$50,000 at 16×20 | by series |
| Big-box kit, installed by us | about $4,000 | $5,000–$9,500 | — |
Planning ranges from our cost model, not quotes. Prices dated September 30, 2026.
Do you need a permit here?
Kansas City, Missouri, Jackson County, Overland Park, Olathe and unincorporated Johnson County exempt detached accessory structures under 200 square feet from a building permit; Lee's Summit, Parkville, Lenexa and Shawnee draw the line at 120; Liberty and the counties publish no exemption. Setbacks and height caps apply everywhere whether or not a permit is needed — Kansas City, Missouri caps accessory structures at 10 feet tall, Lee's Summit at 15 — and electrical is always its own permit. We provide the drawings your HOA's architectural committee and the city ask for, and we have been through those reviews many times. Permits by city →
Detached-accessory permit thresholds
Schematic tile map · not geographic · 14 jurisdictions · source dates 2026-09-30
- 120 sq ft camp
- 200 sq ft camp
- No exemption published
- Not verified
200 sq ft camp
120 sq ft camp
No exemption published
120 sq ft camp
200 sq ft camp
No exemption published
No exemption published
200 sq ft camp
200 sq ft camp
Not verified
120 sq ft camp
120 sq ft camp
200 sq ft camp
Not verified
Threshold camps do not mean identical exemptions. Zoning still applies. Olathe’s 200 sq ft wording needs confirmation after the June 2026 repeal; Johnson County’s row also says all roofs and new structures require a permit.
Text alternative: exact threshold wording for all 14 jurisdictions
- Kansas City MO: <200 sq ft exempt; zoning applies; accessory building >200 sq ft needs BZA variance. Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Lee's Summit: >120 sq ft (Ch. 7). Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Liberty: no exemption published; permits for all construction. Source confidence: partial; checked 2026-09-30.
- Parkville: >120 sq ft. Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Jackson County (unincorporated): <=200 sq ft exempt. Source confidence: partial; checked 2026-09-30.
- Clay County (unincorporated): none published; Type I / Type II accessory permits. Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Platte County (unincorporated): none published (sheds need permit). Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Overland Park: >200 sq ft; gazebos <=200 sq ft named exempt; open pergola exempt only if >=50% open, members <=2 in, cannot hold snow. Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Olathe: >200 sq ft (confirm after June 2026 repeal of 15.04.080). Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Leawood: not published online. Source confidence: unverified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Lenexa: >120 sq ft; anything attached always. Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Shawnee: >120 sq ft; one accessory building per lot. Source confidence: verified; checked 2026-09-30.
- Johnson County (unincorporated): >=200 sq ft; 'all decks, roofs and new structures require a permit' - ask. Source confidence: partial; checked 2026-09-30.
- Wyandotte County / KCK: not retrieved. Source confidence: partial; checked 2026-09-30.
Read the permit matrix and sources · Download the source CSV
Can we build on the patio you already have?
Usually only with new footings. A 4-inch patio slab was not poured to carry concentrated post loads or resist a roof's wind uplift, and it has no depth below the 36-inch frost line that Kansas City–area cities require. Light steel-roof kits can anchor to a sound slab; a timber pavilion needs piers cut through it, set beside it, or a new slab. We assess which at the design meeting. How we decide →
Pavilion, pergola, gazebo or covered patio?
| You want | Build |
|---|---|
| Rain and sun protection, freestanding | Pavilion — what we build |
| Dappled shade and the look, no rain protection | Pergola |
| Shelter attached to the house, off the back door | Attached cover or porch — a different trade, and the house's setbacks apply |
| An octagonal, railed version of a pavilion | Gazebo — same rules as a pavilion |
The full comparison, with Kansas City weather and permit rules →
How it works
- Free 30-minute on-site design meeting. We measure, look at the slab and the access, and talk through size, roof and features.
- Written design and fixed price. The price you sign for is the price you pay.
- HOA and permit. We provide the drawings and material specs.
- Build. One to two weeks on site; six to ten weeks from signing to finished.
HOA
Permit
Footings / inspection
Frame
Roof / ceiling
Electrical
Final
Stain
Read in numbered order. Electrical planning begins before concrete; required inspections and scheduling depend on the project and jurisdiction.
Text alternative: HOA → permit → footings/inspection → frame → roof/ceiling → electrical → final → stain.
Where we build
Both sides of the state line. Kansas: Leawood, Overland Park, Mission Hills, Prairie Village, Fairway, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa, Mission, Roeland Park, Merriam, Westwood and Kansas City, Kansas. Missouri: Parkville, Weatherby Lake, Lee's Summit, Liberty, Kearney, Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs, Raytown, Grandview, Belton, Raymore, Gladstone, North Kansas City, Riverside and Smithville. Permit pages so far: Overland Park · Olathe · Lenexa · Shawnee · Lee's Summit · Kansas City, MO.
Three ways to get a pavilion
- Custom cedar and Douglas-fir pavilions — designed for your yard, built by our crew.
- Timber-frame pavilions — heavy timber, custom or from a kit we install.
- Pavilion kit installation — we install the kit you buy, footed, anchored and permitted properly.
Family-owned Kansas City crew · One crew, no subcontractors · Fixed-price contracts · Free on-site design meeting · Serving 29 metro cities
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy a kit or have one built? A big-box cedar kit built properly runs $4,000–$9,500; a custom cedar pavilion with a real roof and ceiling starts around $15,000 and most land at $30,000–$60,000. They are different products; the comparison shows what each costs standing in a Kansas City yard.
My pavilion is under 200 square feet — do I still need anything? Zoning setbacks and height caps, an electrical permit if you wire it, and your HOA's approval. Lee's Summit, Parkville, Lenexa and Shawnee require a building permit above 120 square feet.
How long does it take? Six to ten weeks from signing to finished, one to two of them on site. Spring fills first; book before spring for an early-summer build.
Is financing available? Yes — LightStream by Truist, with fixed rates, no fees or prepayment penalties, and funding up to $100,000.