Decks
A new deck is a frame, a surface and a way on and off. We design the frame for your soil and your slope, choose the surface with you and build the stairs and guard to the code your city enforces.
Gas lines, electrical circuits and hot-tub pads are run by licensed trades and are listed separately in the scope.
What is included
Drawings and a written scope
Footings, framing and a flashed ledger where it meets the house
Decking in the material you chose
Stairs and guards
The permit and the inspections
The price
What changes the cost
We print no average, because yards differ. These are the things that move the number.
Size and height
A larger deck costs more, and so does one that stands high off the ground, with more posts, more bracing and longer stairs.
Surface material
Wood, composite and capped composite sit at different prices, and the maker's trim and fastener systems add their own.
Soil and slope
A foothill lot with a grade or a hard layer of clay changes the footings.
Where it meets the house
A ledger on old siding or brick takes more careful flashing than a freestanding deck does.
Access
A deck behind a fence or up a steep side yard takes longer to supply.
Permits
Fees and inspection steps differ by city and county.
The work
The work, in order
- 01
Step 1: Yard visit and drawings
We measure, mark the sun and write a scope with drawings you can mark up.
- 02
Step 2: Permit and materials
Nolan files the plans and orders the boards, which often take the longest.
- 03
Step 3: Footings and framing
Holes are dug to the depth your building department sets, and the frame goes up on them.
- 04
Step 4: Decking, stairs and guards
The surface and the guard go on, with the inspection before the last boards close the frame.
- 05
Step 5: The final evening
We return at dusk to check the lights and the shadows, and take the photos.
Permits and rules
Attached decks, decks more than 30 inches above the ground and anything with a roof generally need a permit. We file it, and the inspector looks at the footings, the framing and the guard.
Your city or county building department decides the rules for your lot. We read them before we price, and the scope says what we found.
Questions about this work
How long does a deck take?
Most are a week or two on site once materials arrive. The wait before that is the permit and the board order.
Can you build over an existing slab?
Sometimes. We check the slab first, and we say so in the scope if a frame over it will not work.
Do you build freestanding decks?
Yes. They still need footings, and they may not need a ledger or a permit; we check the rule for your address.
Who maintains it afterward?
You do, with our care sheet. It says what to wash, what to seal and when.
Start with the yard
Tell us about the yard and the hour you would use it. We write back about a visit.