Every job below is one we do ourselves across National City.
We build new decks from the footings up, whether that's a simple ground-level platform or a raised deck off a second-story slider. Footings get sized to your soil and the deck's load, not just poured to whatever depth looks right. We frame on code-minimum spacing or tighter, depending on the decking material you pick.
Some decks need more than a rectangle against the back of the house. We'll lay out multi-level decks, built-in bench seating, or a layout that wraps around a tree or pool equipment. We walk the design with you before any lumber gets ordered, so changes happen on paper instead of after the joists are cut.
Loose railings, bouncy frames, and boards that have gone soft are the calls we get most. We check the ledger board first, since that's the connection point most likely to be rotting out of sight behind the siding. A repair that doesn't address the ledger just delays the same problem.
Wood decks in San Diego sun take a beating from UV before they ever see rain damage. We strip old finish, let the wood dry fully, then apply a stain and sealer rated for high UV exposure. Skip this every couple years and the boards start to check and split along the grain.
Composite boards don't need staining, but they still need correct joist spacing underneath, usually 12 or 16 inches depending on the brand's span rating. We install hidden fastener systems so you don't see a screw head anywhere on the surface. It costs more upfront than pressure-treated lumber but saves you a weekend with a sprayer every couple years.
Guardrails have to hold real lateral load at the top rail under code, and baluster spacing can't let a 4-inch sphere pass through. We build railings to that standard whether it's wood, cable, or metal baluster. A wobbly railing almost always means the posts weren't bolted to the framing correctly in the first place.
If a deck feels bouncy or one corner has started to sag, the problem is usually in the joists, the beam, or the post footings, not the surface boards. We get under the deck and check for rot, undersized framing, or footings that have shifted. Sometimes the fix is sistering a joist, sometimes the whole substructure needs to come out.
When the frame underneath is still solid but the decking itself is worn out, cracked, or splintering, we'll pull the old boards and replace just the decking. It's a faster, cheaper job than a full rebuild, and it's a good time to switch from wood to composite if you're tired of staining.
A pergola or a solid cover changes how much you actually use a deck in the middle of summer. We attach them to the existing deck frame or build separate footings, depending on what the structure underneath can handle. We'll tell you straight if your current frame isn't built to carry the extra load.
Old decks with rotted framing sometimes aren't worth saving, and tearing out and starting over costs less than you'd think once you add up patch repairs. We haul away the old lumber and hardware so the site is clear for the new build. If you're not rebuilding right away, we'll leave the area graded and safe.
Four steps, and no surprises in any of them.
You tell us what you want doing, we look at what is actually there, and we ask the awkward questions early.
In writing, itemised, free. If something might add cost later we flag it now rather than at the end.
Same crew throughout. We cover your floors, keep the dust down and tidy up before we leave each day.
You point out anything you are not happy with and we fix it before the invoice, not after.
We send crews out to all of these towns for both new builds and repairs.
Questions that come up once a project is actually underway.
Describe the problem and we will tell you what it probably is. No obligation.