Decks

What Is a Deck?

A deck is an elevated outdoor platform framed and attached to the house. It extends usable space when grade makes a patio impractical or when direct access from the home is needed.

Because it’s tied into the structure of the house and supported on footings, it carries structural implications beyond appearance. It’s architecture-level framing — just outside.

Design Considerations

Deck height and connection to the house come first. Door thresholds, stair placement, and grade below influence layout decisions early. Stair location is influenced by what it's leading to. Do you want to get to the yard quickly or accommodate a patio? If you're wanting a patio underneath, under-deck drainage systems will make the deck feel like a roof.

Decks are considered permeable in case you're hitting your properties impermeable square footage limit. Decks are also a useful solution around sensitive trees because they avoid excavation and soil compaction under the drip line.

Material selection — composite versus wood — affects heat retention, maintenance, and long-term appearance. Decks also need to integrate with patios or walkways below, especially when the yard transitions from elevated to grade-level hardscape. We almost exclusively install composite decks because they last longer and take less to maintain.

How It’s Built

Decks begin at the house connection. The ledger board is attached directly to the home’s framing using properly spaced lag screws, transferring load into the structure of the house. Flashing is installed carefully at this connection point to prevent moisture intrusion. Water behind a ledger doesn’t cause problems immediately — it causes problems years later — so that detail matters.

Piers are dug, formed and poured below the frost line — typically 30–34 inches in our region — to prevent seasonal movement. Concrete piers are sized appropriately for load and soil conditions. Posts are anchored with post bases that include a standoff plate, keeping wood separated from concrete and moisture.

Joist spacing is determined by the decking material requirements and span conditions. These are joists — not generic framing members — and they’re connected to both the ledger and the header, with support provided by a beam that rests on notched posts. That load path matters. The beam carries weight down into the posts and into the footings below.

Stair assemblies are tied structurally into the deck. The bottom of the stair requires a proper landing — either the patio below or a dedicated concrete landing — in accordance with building code. Stairs don’t simply rest on grade.

Decks carry live load, snow load, and connection load back into the house. When ledger attachment, flashing, joist layout, beam support, and footing depth are handled correctly, the deck feels solid underfoot and remains stable over time rather than loosening or settling.

Pricing Factors

Most composite deck projects begin around $45,000–$60,000 for a properly footed structure with standard stairs and mid-tier composite decking.

Mid-sized decks with larger footprints, upgraded railing systems, picture framing details, or multiple stair runs typically range from $60,000–$95,000 depending on height and layout.

Larger or elevated decks with switchback stairs, landings, under-deck drainage systems, or complex framing often fall between $95,000–$130,000+ depending on structural requirements and elevation.

Primary cost drivers include deck height, stair configuration, railing type, framing complexity, and whether under-deck drainage or usable space below is incorporated.