Correct, I'm letting a contractor do it.. I'm slightly handy, but I
dont feel like taking on a big heavy deck 10' off the ground.. I could
handle the planks and probably the rails and steps, but I have no idea
how I'd get the posts positioned correctly, and besides, I value the
small amount of free time I have more than the contractor's charges.
Im pretty sure I'll go with the ipe..

Especially since I have the contractor's estimates in front of me for
cedar and ipe, and the price difference is much smaller than I
expected. His estimate has 6x6 posts, 16"OC joists, and the stairs are
4' wide with a landing on top. The framework is PT and the decking is
ipe, I think the rails he spec'ed out in cedar. The contractor is a
licensed 2-person LLC, he says he will get the required permits and has
lots of photos of projects they did, so they seem legit.. I don't know
if they have a building, but they have a company truck.

Nothing sounds funny about any of that, right? Is there some way to
verify them, any red flags to watch for, or any inspection process that
should be done afterward?