The best to deal with a slope is more decking that connects the 2 decks.

Thank you Patricia, We considered that but the little concrete landings at the bottom of both decks are at different levels so I guess we would need 2 separate decks and I was hoping to incorporate some rock or stone and some landscaping plants somewhere.

Good question lhutch13 :) I guess I should have been more specific. I would prefer not to spend over $5000

so what does the side deck look like?

If you're looking to DIY, your budget is probably pretty reasonable. If you're trying to level up sloping and unlevel ground, and you want a good sized patio that I assume isn't concrete (since you said natural looking) - I think you could be tight. Might be worth a chat with a local pro.

Yes, we are planning to do the work.. at least hoping to do most of it. I am adding pictures of the steps coming off the side deck ( 4x6 ) and side yard between the house and garage. I added the deck behind the garage last week and adding picture of it also. The side yard is "V" shaped being narrower at the front.

since I'm procrastinating and hiding from writing the proposals I need to write this afternoon, here are a few random thoughts:

- the final design & layout is going to come down to your tastes, your budget, and your installation skills and capacity.

- doing one big space that connects the two deck landings will be your most flexible in terms of function, and the easiest to lay out.

- one big space will also be the more expensive way to go, as you'll need to address all of the sloping and unevenness between points A and B. If you're doing pavers or natural stone, suddenly you're probably adding walls to the mix.

- alternately, you could break what looks like a pretty good-sized space into 2 or 3 outdoor rooms, based on function. That would mean a smaller grill patio next to the kitchen steps (usually these are enough to accommodate a grill, a couple chairs, and a table); a larger patio off the back steps; and potentially one more for a firepit, if desired,

- if you break it up into multiple rooms, suddenly grade is less of an issue. each one can be set at the appropriate grade, and you can fudge any differences in finished grade within the connecting pathways.

- it's hard to tell off a photo, but it looks like on the rear patio you can save yourself some fill material if you slide the patio 5-6' away from the house, so you miss that sharp slope. Besides, we never do patios right smack against a house for a # of reasons.

We do the multiple room thing a lot. For one thing, it can simplify construction as mentioned above. It can also just cut down on hardscape. Most of my clients aren't hosting wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs every weekend, so the smaller scale just works.

What materials are you looking at?

We had an unsightly back area, very uneven and very wet. We covered it with gravel. Cheap and easy.

You have a slope there, perhaps with a little grading and a border of bricks, it could work.

Revolutionary Gardens, breaking it up into a couple different areas "levels" will probably work best. I'm not sure on what materials would be best. I like the stone look best, but could use some wood decking ( don't want concrete ). Since I already have the three wood decks was looking for a way to add patio and walkways out of something different.

Aunthelma, the gravel looks good. I hadn't considered that. Thanks!

Randy - I grew up working with stone in New England, so that's sort of my default. That said, my patio "complex" in my backyard is gravel because it was super inexpensive, and installation was quick and easy. For less than $200 I was able to rent a mini skid steer and I dug out probably 30 yards of soil and installed 40 tons of gravel in a weekend. The key is just to be really thoughtful and deliberate in the design, otherwise a gravel patio ends up looking like a driveway.

I actually walk you through how to properly install a gravel path (or patio) here: http://www.revolutionarygardens.com/build-gravel-path-right-way/

the cool thing for you is that stone plays well w/ stone, so you could do a mix of stone and gravel spaces and it'll look killer.

That is good information. I like it!

I expect pics!

Why not remove stairs and just have the deck wrap around the corner to meet the other deck?

Frankfort, IL Exterior · More Info

@Judy - OP wants a firepit, so a deck would be my last possible choice.

Besides, from a space planning and function perspective, deck vs patio is like comparing apples and washing machines. A deck separates you from the yard and the surroundings, especially when it's high up like this would be. Bringing you down to grade makes you a part of the yard, integrates you with the surroundings, and generally makes your outdoor space feel bigger. Reading between the lines of what Randy's after, plus looking at the pics? Wraparound deck doesn't get him what he wants. I know a lot of interior designers think landscape design must be easy, but it's not that simple.