Square first: the 3-4-5 check
Before a single post goes in, the layout gets checked for square. Measure 3 feet along one side from the corner and 4 feet along the other. If the corner is a true right angle, the diagonal between those two marks is exactly 5 feet. On bigger frames, 6-8-10 or 9-12-15 works the same way.
A deck that's out of square shows it everywhere: decking boards that taper, railings that don't line up, a gap at the house. It's cheap to get right at the start and expensive to fix later.
What a deck or balcony build involves
- Lay out and check square with string lines and the 3-4-5 check.
- Footings dug and set to what local code requires.
- Posts, beams and joists, with hangers and fasteners rated for treated lumber.
- Ledger flashing where a deck or balcony attaches to the house, so water doesn't get behind the siding.
- Decking, railings and stairs.
Car porches and garages
A car porch is an open roof on posts that keeps sun and rain off your car. It goes up as posts, beams and rafters under a roof. A garage adds a slab or foundation, wall framing, sheathing, siding, a roof and doors. JL has built a double-height garage from the ground up.
Fence repair
Most fences don't need replacing all at once. Repairs usually mean resetting or replacing leaning posts, swapping rotten boards, and rehanging the gate so it swings and latches again.
What affects the cost of decks, carports and fences
| Size and height | A second-floor balcony needs far more structure than a deck a foot off the ground. |
|---|---|
| Lumber | Pressure-treated pine, cedar and composite decking are three very different prices. |
| Railings and stairs | Every set of steps and every run of railing is slow, careful work. |
| The ground | Slopes, tree roots and rock make footings harder to dig. |
| Old structure | Tearing out and hauling off an old deck, carport or fence. |
| Roof (carports and garages) | Metal, shingle or wood roofing on a carport, and the doors, siding and slab on a garage. |
[PLACEHOLDER: typical price ranges, e.g. a ground-level deck per square foot, a single car porch, a fence repair].
How long outdoor builds take
[PLACEHOLDER: typical timelines, e.g. a small deck, a car porch, a fence repair]. Footings and concrete need dry weather and time to set.
Outdoor jobs we've done
