A custom-built cedar or Douglas-fir pavilion in Kansas City — shingled roof, tongue-and-groove ceiling, posts on frost-depth piers — runs about $24,500–$39,500 at 12×16, $37,000–$59,000 at 16×20 and $53,000–$84,000 at 20×24 in our planning model, before electrical, stone columns or site work. Our published pricing says the same thing in fewer words: pavilions start around $15,000, most builds land between $30,000 and $60,000, and premium builds reach about $90,000. A real one: a 16×20 cedar pavilion with a shingled roof, T&G ceiling, stone-wrapped piers, one ceiling fan, recessed lights and a TV rough-in, at $59,950. This page shows what is inside those numbers, why they look nothing like the internet's "$35 to $60 a square foot," and what moves a quote up or down.
Our published ranges and what they include
| Starting | Typical | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pavilions | about $15,000 | $30,000–$60,000 | up to about $90,000 |
Included in a typical custom quote: the free on-site design meeting; drawings and material specifications for HOA review; 8×8 cedar (or Douglas fir) posts on stone or poured concrete pier columns; 4×12 beams, 4×8 rafters and a 4×10 ridge; a shingled roof matched to your house over sheathing and underlayment; a tongue-and-groove ceiling; a 3-foot overhang; cleanup and haul-off. Priced as separate lines: lighting, ceiling fans, electrical hookups, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, hot tubs, and major site work. The price you sign for is the price you pay — no upcharges at the end.
Why the internet says $35–$60 a square foot
HomeGuide's pavilion guide (updated February 2026) puts a pavilion at "$35 – $60 cost per square foot installed" and a 20×30 at $21,000–$36,000 — on an existing foundation, with materials at $30–$40 and labor at $5–$20 per square foot (HomeGuide, pavilion cost, accessed 2026-09-30). Pennsylvania Amish builders publish installed charts like $7,500 for a 12×16 and $10,500 for a 16×20 — for pine or vinyl pavilions built within a 40-mile radius of Lancaster County, with electrical, standing seam, stain and fireplaces excluded. Those numbers are real; they describe a different product in a different place.
What a Kansas City quote contains that those do not:
| Item | Why it is in a KC quote |
|---|---|
| Frost-depth piers | Footings must reach 36 inches below grade in every metro city that publishes a frost line |
| Roof over sheathing and underlayment | Shingles need a deck; Olathe requires an ice-barrier underlayment |
| Tongue-and-groove ceiling | Standard on our builds; a $4–$10-per-square-foot item nationally |
| Cedar posts and beams in 8×8 and 4×12 | Not treated pine 4×4s |
| Drawings and HOA packet | Most metro subdivisions require architectural review |
| Haul-off, cleanup, one crew on site 1–2 weeks | Local labor at local rates |
Put the 16×20 example against that list and $59,950 stops looking like a mystery: about $187 per square foot, of which roughly $8,000–$15,000 is stone-wrapped columns, fan, lights and TV rough-in that the $35–$60 figure never included.
Line items and what moves them
Each row is a planning range, labeled by where the number comes from: KC = our published pricing; national = HomeGuide/Angi directory estimates (2025–2026); kit = a kit list price; estimate = our assembled assumption where nothing is published.
| Line | Planning range | Basis | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom structure (cedar/fir, shingles, T&G, standard piers) | $5,000–$8,000 fixed + $90–$135 per sq ft | KC-anchored model | Size; cedar vs fir vs treated (treated −10–20%); overhang |
| Timber-frame kit, shipped | $10,600–$24,100 (12×12) to $29,900–$55,300 (20×24) | kit | Series/tier; freight ($0–$1,500); roofing often excluded |
| Big-box cedar/steel-roof kit | $2,499 (12×10) to $5,499 (20×20) | kit | Model; sale pricing; assembly not included |
| Kit assembly labor | big-box $600–$2,000; timber kit $2,500–$8,000 | national / estimate | Size, timber weight, equipment |
| Pier footings (36 in) | $250–$450 each; 4–8 piers | national + KC frost | Depth, soil, access |
| New plain concrete slab | $6–$13 per sq ft | national | Thickness, finish, access |
| Building on an existing slab (cut/core and pour piers) | $1,500–$4,000 for four piers; $350–$900 each additional | estimate | Slab thickness, whether it must come out |
| Demolish a failed slab | $3–$8 per sq ft | national | Thickness, haul |
| Standing-seam roof upgrade | +$5–$10 per sq ft of roof | national | Panel, color, trim |
| Exposed-fastener metal | $0–$6 per sq ft of roof vs shingles | national | Not recommended over an open ceiling — noise and condensation |
| Electrical: run power to the pavilion | $500–$1,250 (<50 ft) to $2,000–$5,000 (150 ft+) | national | Distance to the panel, trenching, conduit |
| Ceiling fan, new wiring | $400–$1,000 each | national | Outdoor rating, height |
| Lighting and outlets | $200–$1,000 | national | Fixture count |
| Electrical permit | $25–$200 | national | City |
| Building permit | Overland Park $30 / $50 / 0.5% of value; Clay County $250–$300 flat; Platte County $50 + $0.05/sq ft over 500; most others valuation-based, roughly $100–$800 | city / national | Jurisdiction and valuation |
| Drawings / engineering (when required) | $500–$1,500 | national | Olathe, Shawnee post-frame, Parkville, timber kits |
| Stain and seal | $2–$4 per sq ft of surface | national | Product, coats |
| Stone-wrapped columns | ask — we price per column | KC | Stone, height, count |
| Gas line for a fire feature | $260–$820 typical | national | Distance |
| Outdoor fireplace | prefab $1,500–$9,000; masonry $6,000–$20,000 | national | Type, chimney |
| Outdoor kitchen | $6,300–$27,100 (average about $16,500) | national | Length, appliances, utilities |
| Contingency | 10–15% of the priced scope | rule of thumb | Slab surprises, electrical distance |
Three worked examples
1. A 12×16 cedar pavilion in Olathe, new piers on the lawn, no electrical. Structure: $22,300–$33,900 (fixed $5,000–$8,000 plus 192 sq ft × $90–$135). Footings, shingle roof and ceiling are included. No building permit under Olathe's 200-square-foot exemption (zoning applies). Contingency $2,200–$5,100. Planning range $24,500–$39,500.
2. A 16×20 cedar pavilion in Overland Park on an existing patio slab, basic electrical 50–100 feet from the panel, four stone-wrapped columns. Structure: $33,800–$51,200. Cutting six pier locations through the slab and pouring piers: $2,200–$5,800. Power run $1,000–$2,500, one fan $400–$1,000, lighting $200–$1,000, electrical permit $25–$200. Building permit at 0.5 percent of valuation: about $170–$260. Stone columns priced separately. Contingency $3,800–$9,300. Priced planning range $41,500–$71,500, plus the four stone columns. Our published 16×20 with stone piers, fan, lights and TV rough-in, $59,950, sits inside it.
3. A 14×12 big-box cedar kit on a sound existing slab, assembled by a handyman, in Kansas City, Missouri. Kit $3,299 (list). Assembly $600–$2,000. Anchors $50–$150. No building permit under 200 square feet; zoning applies — including KCMO's 10-foot accessory height cap. Contingency $400–$800. Planning range $4,000–$6,500.
The arithmetic behind these and a fourth example (a shipped timber kit built locally in Lee's Summit, $32,500–$50,000) is what the Instant Estimate runs for your own size, site and options.
Kit paths, landed in Kansas City
A kit's price is the beginning of its cost. A big-box cedar-and-steel kit at $2,500–$5,500 needs a level concrete surface or post pads, assembly, anchors, and a permit if it is over your city's threshold — roughly $4,000–$9,500 built. A shipped timber-frame or Amish kit at $11,000–$39,000 arrives by freight, often without roofing, needs 36-inch piers, a local contractor to assemble it, sometimes engineering, and a permit — roughly $18,000–$50,000 built at 12×16 to 16×20. Details, brands and the failure modes people report are in pavilion kits vs custom-built.
What is usually excluded from a pavilion quote
Read the exclusions before the total. Common ones, including ours: lighting, fans and electrical hookups; fireplaces and outdoor kitchens; hot tubs; major site work (grading, drainage, tree removal); patio surfacing beyond a plain slab; landscaping repair; furniture. Some builders also exclude permits, drawings, haul-off, stain and gutters — ask, and use the quote-comparison worksheet to line three bids up item by item.
Using the Instant Estimate — and what it can't tell you
The Instant Estimate applies the table above to your size, path, foundation situation, roof, electrical and city, and prints a summary you can bring to a design meeting. It cannot see your slab, your soil, your panel or your HOA's opinion, and it does not size beams or approve anything. Wide ranges are honest ranges; the design meeting narrows them.
Frequently asked questions
Is per-square-foot pricing meaningful for a pavilion? Only within one path and one spec. A 12×16 custom pavilion costs more per square foot than a 20×24 because the design, mobilization, drawings and footings do not shrink with the footprint.
Does a permit add a lot to the cost? The fee itself is small — Overland Park's is $30 to a few hundred dollars. Drawings or engineering, when a city requires them, are the real line: $500–$1,500.
How do payments work? A deposit at signing, a progress payment when materials are delivered, and the balance at completion is the usual structure. Financing is available through LightStream by Truist, up to $100,000, with fixed rates and no fees.
Is cedar much more than treated pine? Material-only, cedar can run 40–60 percent more than treated lumber on a lumberyard invoice; on a finished pavilion the difference is smaller because labor, footings and roof are the same. Our model discounts a treated-lumber structure 10–20 percent.
Why is my quote wider than the calculator's range? Usually an existing slab of unknown thickness, a long electrical run, stone columns, or site access that needs equipment. Ask the builder to itemize; a good quote can.
Last updated: September 30, 2026. Ranges from our cost model v0.1 and our published pricing; national figures from HomeGuide and Angi cost guides dated 2025–2026, linked where cited.