Every job below is one we do ourselves across Bradenton.
We frame new decks on poured concrete footings set below grade, not on pavers that shift with the sandy soil out here. Posts, beams, and joists get sized to span tables for Florida wind loads, not just whatever looks sturdy. You'll get a deck that's inspected and permitted, not one that shows up as unpermitted work when you sell the house.
Soft spots in the decking, wobbly railings, and popped screws usually mean rot's gotten into the joists underneath. We pull the bad boards, check the framing with a screwdriver and our own eyes, and replace only what's actually failed. Sometimes that's three boards. Sometimes it's the whole ledger board where it meets the house.
Florida sun breaks down wood fiber fast, and an unsealed deck can gray and crack within a single summer. We pressure wash first, let the wood dry out fully, then apply a penetrating sealer rated for UV and standing water. Most decks down here require this every one to two years, not the five-year cycle you'd see up north.
Some decks just need to hold a grill and a couple chairs, others wrap around a pool or step down to a dock. We'll draw up the layout, figure the board direction and railing style, and tell you honestly what your lot and budget can support. Multi-level decks with built-in benches or pergolas cost more in framing than most people expect.
Composite boards like Trex or TimberTech don't rot, splinter, or require restaining, which matters a lot in this humidity. The tradeoff is upfront cost and the fact that dark colors get hot underfoot in July sun. We'll walk you through the board options and hidden fastener systems before you commit to a color.
When the framing underneath is too far gone to patch, a full rebuild usually costs less than piecing in repairs every other year. We tear the old structure down to the posts, check those for rot at the base, and build back up with new joists and decking. Sometimes the posts are fine and only the ledger connection to the house has failed, that's a different job entirely.
Pool decks take a beating from chlorine, standing water, and bare feet, so fastener choice matters more here than almost anywhere else on the house. We run hidden fastener systems and stainless hardware to keep corrosion from staining the boards. Composite or capped boards hold up better around a pool than untreated lumber, and we'll say so even when lumber's the cheaper quote.
Railing height and baluster spacing are both code items, four inches is the maximum gap an inspector will pass. We install wood, aluminum, and cable railing systems, and we'll tell you which one actually fits your deck's style instead of upselling the most expensive option. A loose railing post is one of the most common calls we get, and it's almost always a footing problem, not a railing problem.
Old decks come down board by board so we can check the ledger flashing and framing before anything new goes up. We haul off every scrap of lumber and nail debris the same day. This is usually step one of a rebuild, but we'll do standalone removal if you're just clearing the yard.
A screened enclosure over a deck keeps the no-see-ums and afternoon rain off without losing the outdoor feel. We tie the roof structure into the house framing and run the screen panels into an aluminum frame built to hold up in coastal wind. This is a bigger permit job than a standalone deck, so we handle that paperwork as part of the build.
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.
Deck crews on the road most days across these Gulf Coast communities.
Questions that come up once a deck project is actually underway.
Describe the problem and we will tell you what it probably is. No obligation.
