Custom Decks
Wood decks built to your house, your yard, and local code.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you want built and which town you're in. We'll call to set up a free on-site quote.
A custom deck is built to fit your house, your yard, and how you'll use it. Pressure-treated pine is the usual wood for the frame and often for the boards too. In this climate, the details that keep wood sound matter. Lumber that touches soil has to be rated for ground contact, posts get their cut ends treated on site, and the hardware has to hold up to moisture and salt. In the City of Charleston, the standard deck details also call for hurricane clips at the joists and lateral ties or bracing on decks more than 30 inches up.
What's included
- On-site look, measurements, and a written quote with a drawing
- Permit drawings and the permit
- Concrete footings on solid ground, at least 12 inches deep
- Pressure-treated framing, rated for ground contact where it touches soil
- Galvanized or stainless steel hardware and fasteners, as code requires
- Hurricane clips, lateral ties or bracing, and guard post hold-downs where code calls for them
- Decking, railings, and stairs with handrails
The process
- Look and quote. We measure, check how the deck will meet the house, and note height, flood zone, and trees. You get a written quote with a drawing.
- Permit. We submit the drawings. In a historic district, we check whether the Board of Architectural Review needs to see it.
- Footings. We dig the footings, and the inspector checks the ground before any concrete goes in.
- Frame. Posts, beams, a flashed and bolted ledger, joists, and hardware.
- Deck and finish. Boards, railings, and stairs, then the final inspection.
What affects the price
- Size. Square footage sets most of the price.
- Height. A second-story deck costs far more per square foot than one near the ground.
- Boards. Pressure-treated pine costs less than composite or PVC.
- Railings and stairs. Long stair runs and lots of railing add up.
- Site. Slope, trees, flood zone, and access to the backyard.
Questions homeowners ask
- Do I need a permit for a deck?
- In the City of Charleston, yes. The city requires a permit from Building Inspections for any work. Other towns and the county set their own rules, and we check yours before we draw. In a historic district, work you can see from the street may also need Board of Architectural Review approval.
- How high off the ground before I need a railing?
- Under the City of Charleston's deck details, you need a guard once the deck surface is more than 30 inches above the ground, measured 36 inches out from the edge. The guard has to be at least 36 inches tall. The openings have to be small enough that a 4-inch ball can't pass through. Stairs with four or more risers need a handrail.
- Will termites get into a wood deck?
- They can. Clemson Extension reports Formosan termites established in many parts of Charleston County. In a Charleston study, about 95% of the termites that got into buildings came up from colonies in the ground. That's why lumber that touches soil has to be rated for ground contact. Keeping wood up off the dirt and checking the posts now and then costs little.
- Can I put a hot tub on my deck?
- Not under the City of Charleston's standard deck details. They rule out hot tubs, along with built-in benches, planters, and privacy screens. A deck that holds a hot tub needs its own design. Tell us at the quote and we'll price it that way.
Ready to build a deck? Call (854) 777-0103 or send the form for a free quote.