Ssahw, sorry for this hijack, and back to your deck in a moment. *** Designshare, I have been saying nothing in response to several of your posts, but this time you posted twice and you did not listen to what the OP said. The OP clearly rejected your input, yet you made yet another bizarre and irrelevant picture. I would suggest you try to improve your work to encompass both reality and the question that the OP is asking, so it doesn't require anyone to be advised to ignore it. And by the way, if you see anyone giving advice that you think is a waste of time or otherwise bad, you are free to say so here. Just be sure to give reasons why you think it is bad. Given that freedom that you have, I would suggest that you try learning what "dictatorship" means before you use that word again. It continues to beggar my understanding that you are from China, which is a dictatorship where corruption and oppression abound, and yet you cannot tell the difference between a dictatorship and simple peer response. Far from seeking to oppress your contribution, I have frequently offered you suggestions on how to improve it. Your contributions in words are sometimes very good, and if you could simply stop with the pictures, you would be much more welcome by me. In particular, I have suggested that you not be the first to post to any thread, because it is very off-putting to a new OP when a "cartoon" (as your drawings were referred to by someone else) is the first response. That, of course, is only my opinion. I don't seek to speak on anyone else's behalf, and everyone else is free to tell you, and the rest of the world by posting it in a thread, if they feel differently about your pictures. *** So, back to the deck. I agree a deck would be easier to build, but maybe not so good for a firepit. I wonder though whether the firepit and pool seasons do not somewhat overlap. Perhaps it would be better to consider the two functions separately. Alternatively, based on the measurements you've given, that's some slope. Could you move the patio further from the deck to flatter ground? And/or extend the deck at its present level until you reach flat ground? Fill below the deck to bring the ground level up?? The concurrent thread I've linked below may give you, in monetary terms, some idea of the magnitude of putting the patio right where you want it. KarinL Here is a link that might be useful: concurrent thread

I would start with the patio. You may find that you won't want a deck at all. Plus, a deck would block natural light on the first floor. I think that your patio has a lot of potential.

I hope that isn't a eucalyptus tree in front. Do you know the species? Succulents will be a good choice as accents but they won't hold a slope. Rosemary, Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans), Rockrose (Cistus), or Lantana will do the job. Agaves, too, but careful of the dagger-like tips. It is best to use more than one species and plant as you would in any bed, with taller plants toward the back. An excellent low growing ground cover in dry areas is Dymondia margaret or silver carpet. It's very tough and looks good all year, maybe even at its best in winter. I like your entry mock-up in the last photo of your first post. Nice modern, clean look.

In all cases, whether there is a patio, or not, the grade must be pitched to drain away from the house ... the standard, ideal minimum distance is for 10' (though this is not always honored on account of of obstructions or spatial limitations.) Once water is 10' away, it is either picked up by the general overall flow and carried farther away, or it must be further guided by drainage appurtenances such as swales, flumes, or catch basins and pipes. If possible, it is less trouble to keep water at the surface on its way off of the property. (It looks like this would be a good time to make sure drainage all around the house meets the minimum ideal standard. And it looks like there might be sufficient space in the yard to accomplish it.) Do you have a plan which shows the patio relative to the house? It seems that you are trying to connect two doors to the patio, which means that there must be a stoop and some steps ... all of which take room. By the time these things are built, the usable portion of the patio is going to shrink considerably relative to what is suggested by the string and stakes. In figuring how to make the patio drain, one needs to have knowledge of the overall drainage and how water will find its way from the patio, to it. It will be easier to accomplish if the patio elevation can be made higher to start with, which looks possible based on the finish floor elevation, though there might be some complications to this. (We are looking at a very small, inadequate portion of the surroundings.) That's where I'd start in looking for a drainage solution, as it could have the dual effect of lessening the number of steps required between patio and house finish floor. What doesn't affect you now but will when the patio is used, are the AC condensers. It seems like you'd want to get the patio a little farther away from them so you have the ability to screen them with a solid, noise-reducing panel. (You won't be able to place such a panel too close to them on account of it restricting air flow. If their sound isn't somewhat deflected, it could make using the patio an annoyance if conversation must come to a stop every time they turn on. Please post a plan if you have one. If you don't have one, you should make one before going any further on this project. Plans are where problems are discovered and can be resolved before they must be faced in real life.