Gresham, OR
Deck Builder Gresham, OR - Replacing the Original 1980s Deck
If the boards are shot but the frame underneath is sound, you may only need a resurface. We pull a few boards, check the joists and the ledger, and tell you free.
- 5/5 from 30+ verified Google reviews
- Licensed WA & OR · bonded · insured
- Free written estimate
No trip charge, and no pressure to buy more than your house needs.
Deck building in Gresham at a glance
Quality Master builds decks across Gresham, OR, and most of them replace an original that went on with the house in the 1980s or 90s. Those decks were typically pressure-treated, built to the standards of the day, and are now at the end of a long service life. The framing is where we look first, because a sound frame can be resurfaced in composite for far less than a full rebuild. Split-level homes here often need a raised deck off the main floor, which puts the load on the ledger and the posts.
- Neighborhoods: Powell Valley, Rockwood, Centennial, Kelly Creek, Hogan Cedars
- Most jobs replace an original 1980s-90s pressure-treated deck
- Framing inspection first - a sound frame can be resurfaced
- Split-level homes need raised decks off the main floor
- Materials: composite (Trex, TimberTech), cedar, pressure-treated framing
Manufacturer-certified, and licensed where you live
Licensed & verifiable
WA QUALIML786JF · OR CCB 243945. Check us at Washington L&I.
Permits in Gresham
Gresham issues its own building permits through the City rather than through Multnomah County, and its requirements are not the same as Portland's despite both sitting in the same county.
Owner on every job
Victor Santiago walks each project before we call it finished.
Decks in Gresham
Decks Gresham, OR: what is under the boards decides the price.
A Gresham deck job usually starts with a deck that already exists. The house went up in the 1980s boom, a pressure-treated deck went on with it or shortly after, and it has now spent forty Oregon winters doing its job. The boards are grey, splitting, and soft in places, and the homeowner assumes the whole thing is finished.
Sometimes it is and sometimes it is not, and the difference is worth several thousand pounds of scope. Pressure-treated framing kept off the ground and reasonably drained can outlast the decking on top of it by a wide margin. So the first thing we do is pull a few boards and look: the joists, the ledger connection into the house, the post bases where they meet concrete, and any point where the frame is in contact with soil. If that structure checks out, resurfacing in composite over the existing frame gives you a deck that will outlast the original for a fraction of a rebuild.
If it does not check out, we say so plainly, and the usual culprits are the post bases and the ledger. Ledger detailing in 1980s residential construction was frequently just lag bolts and optimism, without the flashing that keeps water out of the rim joist behind. That is the connection that fails dangerously, so it is not somewhere to be generous with the benefit of the doubt.
Split-levels, which Gresham has in quantity, add one wrinkle: the main living floor is up half a story, so the deck is raised rather than at grade. That puts real load on the ledger and the posts and it usually clears the height threshold where permitting applies. Gresham permits through the City rather than Multnomah County. Material trade-offs are on the deck building page, and covers tie into the roof, which our Gresham roofing crew flashes on the same job.
Before you hire anyone
What Gresham homeowners ask us before signing.
Do I need a permit, and who deals with it?
Anything above 30 inches off grade generally does, plus most covers. We confirm what your specific design needs with the right office, pull it, and coordinate the inspections. You are not the one on the phone to the building department.
Is the attachment to my house going to be safe?
The ledger is the connection that hurts people when it fails, so we inspect the framing behind it rather than assuming, flash it properly, and use the right hardware. Where the existing framing is not sound we build freestanding instead and tell you why.
What happens to my yard while you build?
Footings mean digging and we are honest about that. We protect what we can, keep the material staged in one place rather than spread across the lawn, and put the ground back. Anything that cannot be protected we point out before we start.
Are you licensed here?
Washington QUALIML786JF and Oregon CCB 243945, bonded and insured. Both are public record. Structural work outdoors is exactly where an unlicensed contractor costs you the most, so check.
Gresham decks FAQ
Deck builder Gresham, OR questions, answered.
My boards are shot but the frame looks fine. Can you just resurface?
Very possibly, and it is a much cheaper outcome. Pressure-treated framing kept off the ground and reasonably drained often outlasts the decking on top of it. We pull a few boards and inspect the joists, the ledger, the post bases, and any soil contact before saying either way. If it checks out, composite over the existing frame is excellent value.
What usually fails on an original Gresham deck?
Post bases and the ledger. Post bases fail where they meet concrete or soil and stay wet. The ledger fails because 1980s residential detailing was often lag bolts with no flashing, so water gets into the rim joist behind and rots it from the inside. The ledger is also the connection that fails dangerously, so we are deliberately conservative about it.
Why does a split-level deck cost more?
Because it is raised. The main living floor on a split-level sits up half a story, so the deck is elevated rather than at grade: taller posts, more load on the ledger, proper guardrail throughout, and usually a permit because it clears the height threshold. It is a structurally more demanding build than a platform on the lawn.
Do I need a permit for a deck in Gresham?
Usually yes for a raised deck, and Gresham issues its own permits through the City rather than through Multnomah County. Because it turns on height and structure we confirm the requirement for your specific design rather than quoting a rule of thumb, and we pull it.
Composite or cedar for the replacement?
Composite is the common choice for a second deck, and the reasoning is usually experience: whoever owned the original spent decades sealing it. Western red cedar needs treatment every two to three years to survive this climate. Cedar remains the right answer if you want the material and will keep up with it.
Can you add a cover while you are at it?
Yes, and it is worth considering at design stage even if you build it later, because framing for a future cover costs very little now and retrofitting is awkward. A cover ties into the existing roof and has to be flashed properly, which we handle with our own roofing crew rather than subcontracting the join.
More from Quality Master in Gresham.
Roofing in Gresham, OR
Roof replacement, repair, and storm damage across Gresham, plus every other trade we run here.
Siding in Gresham, WA
Swelling along the bottom edge and soft spots around the hose bib is T1-11 doing exactly what it does at forty years old. Free inspection and a straight answer on repair versus replace.
Windows in Gresham, WA
Water on the sills every winter morning is usually the aluminum frame conducting cold, not a leak - and no glass upgrade fixes a frame. We assess free and tell you which problem you have.
Decks materials, methods and warranties
The full decks breakdown for Vancouver, WA and the whole service area.
Decks elsewhere in Clark County, WA
Decks elsewhere in Portland metro, OR
Deck Builder Gresham, OR - free written estimate.
Gresham, OR homeowners: call us or send a quick form, and we'll have someone out to measure and quote within a couple of days.