Decks framed to outlast the lumber warranty
Every deck failure you've read about started in the parts you can't see: footings that are too shallow, a ledger board bolted wrong, joists spaced for the wrong decking. We build decks from the dirt up so those parts are boring — which is exactly what you want.
The frame is the deck
Deck boards are replaceable. The structure isn't — not without redoing the whole thing. So that's where the money and attention go:
- Footings poured below the frost line and sized for the actual load, not just "a bag of concrete in a hole."
- The ledger connection — where the deck meets your house — through-bolted and flashed. This is the joint that fails in every deck-collapse story, and it's the one we're pickiest about.
- Joists crowned, spaced for your decking material (composite needs tighter spacing than wood), and hung with the right hangers and fasteners, not deck screws through the end grain.
- Hardware rated for treated lumber — modern treatment chemicals eat cheap galvanized fasteners.
Surface and railing options
On top of that frame, your choices are mostly about looks and maintenance:
- Pressure-treated pine — the affordable classic. Wants a season to dry, then stain or seal.
- Composite decking — no sanding, no staining, color throughout. Costs more up front, saves weekends forever.
- Railings — wood pickets, metal balusters, or cable rail, all built to take a 200-pound lean, because the code number is there for a reason.
- Stairs, landings, benches, planters — framed into the structure, not screwed on as an afterthought.
What drives the price
Size and height, first. A ground-level 12x16 is a very different job than a second-story deck with a stair run. Then surface material — composite roughly doubles the board cost over treated pine — and finally features like railings, built-ins, and angles. We itemize every line in the quote so you can trade features against budget with real numbers.
Decks that work with the rest of the yard
A deck rarely stands alone. We regularly pair them with a pergola for shade, a covered porch tie-in at the house, or a custom shed that matches the deck's stain and trim. If the bigger picture includes any of those, tell us up front — building them together is cheaper than building them in sequence.