Deck building and repair in Lititz, PA
A new deck in Lititz is quoted as a project after a walk-through — a written estimate you sign online, not an hourly rate.
New decks and porches, old ones rebuilt or repaired: framing, decking, railings, stairs, and the boards and posts that have given up.
What it costs
Quoted as a project. We set up a walk-through, and you get a written estimate with the work broken out by piece, which you sign online. Nothing starts before that, and if something changes you get a change order with a price before it happens.
Hourly handyman work is on the rate sheet; this isn't that.
What's included
- A walk-through to see the yard, the house wall it ties into, and what's underneath, then a written estimate you sign online
- Footings, framing, ledger, decking, stairs and railings — done right, done to code, and often better
- Your choice of wood or composite, with the numbers for both so you can decide
- Repairs on an existing deck: rotten boards, a wobbly railing, a soft stair, a post that's sunk
What's not
- Skipping the permit. A deck is attached to your house; it gets permitted and built so it stays attached
What to have ready
- Roughly how big, and what it's for: grilling, a table for eight, a hot tub. A hot tub changes the framing
- Wood or composite, if you already know. If not, I'll walk you through it
Where I do this work
Lititz, PA and anywhere within about an hour of it — Lancaster County and the towns around it.
Lititz, Manheim, Ephrata, Lancaster, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, Denver, Akron.
Questions people ask
- Wood or composite?
- Wood is cheaper up front and needs staining every couple of years. Composite costs more and you mostly forget about it. I'll price both and you pick.
- My deck is wobbly. Does it need replacing?
- Not always. A lot of wobbly decks need a few new posts, proper bracing and a railing rebuilt. If the framing is rotten, I'll tell you, and show you.
- Do you need a permit for a deck?
- Almost always, yes. We handle it as part of the job.
- How long does a deck take?
- A typical deck is about a week once materials are on site, plus the permit wait. I'll give you dates with the estimate.
How the job goes
A deck is a fast project compared to a remodel, and one of the easier things to build badly. The walk-through is the house wall it’s going to hang from, what the ground is doing, and what’s left of the old one if there is one.
The estimate prices wood and composite side by side, and once you’ve signed it the permit goes in. The build is footings, framing, a ledger flashed to the house, decking, stairs and railings. Repairs work the same way at a smaller scale: I’ll tell you whether your deck needs a few boards and a railing or a rebuild, and show you why.