Every job below is one we do ourselves across Phoenix.
We set footings past the caliche layer so the deck doesn't shift when the ground moves, then frame with 16-inch on-center joists rated for Arizona sun. Ledger boards get flashed and bolted to the house framing, not just nailed on, because that's where most decks fail first.
Board cupping, soft spots, and rusted fasteners are the usual calls we get. We sister rotted joists instead of replacing the whole frame when the wood underneath is still sound, and we check the ledger connection every time since that's the joint that separates a deck from the house in a bad windstorm.
Phoenix sun bakes a deck faster than most climates, so we use a penetrating oil finish that soaks into the grain instead of forming a film that peels. Plan on resealing every 12 to 18 months out here, not the 2 to 3 years you'd get in a milder climate.
We draw the deck around how you actually use the yard, whether that's a grill station, a shaded seating area, or stairs down to a pool. We size the beams and posts for the load before a single board goes down, so the design holds up once furniture and people are standing on it.
Composite boards don't rot but they still expand and contract with the heat, so we leave the gap the manufacturer specs instead of guessing. Hidden fastener systems keep the surface clean and keep screw heads from becoming a hot spot underfoot in July.
A wobbly rail post almost always means the connection to the rim joist has worked loose or rotted out, not just a loose screw. We rebuild the post attachment first, then square up baluster spacing to the 4-inch code gap before anything gets painted or stained.
If the frame underneath is still solid, we don't tear the whole deck out just to update the surface. We pull the old decking, check every joist while it's exposed, and lay new boards on the structure that's already there.
Old decks come down board by board so we can check the footings underneath before deciding what gets reused. We haul the lumber and fasteners off site the same day, so you're not left staring at a pile of scrap wood.
A pergola attached to the house needs the same ledger flashing a deck does, or water finds its way into the wall. We anchor posts for monsoon wind loads, not just calm-day loads, because that's when a shade structure actually gets tested.
Post rot at grade level and settled footings are the two structural problems we see most in older decks. We jack, support, and replace the failed member section by section, so the deck stays standing while the repair happens instead of coming down entirely.
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 installation and repair covers Phoenix and the towns within about an hour's drive.
Questions that come up once an actual deck project gets underway.
Describe the problem and we will tell you what it probably is. No obligation.
