Composite & Wood Decking

A deck at 6,000 feet lives a harder life than the same deck at sea level. Snow sits on it for months, freeze-thaw cycles work every fastener, and high-altitude UV is brutal on anything not built to resist it. We've been building decks in Truckee and the greater Lake Tahoe area since 2003, and every material recommendation we make starts with those conditions — not with whatever's on sale at the lumberyard.

Modern composite decking shrugs off the two things that are hardest on a Tahoe deck: moisture and sun. There's no annual staining, no splintering underfoot, and the color you pick is the color you keep. The trade-offs are real, though — composite costs more per square foot than wood up front, and it has to be installed on framing spaced to the manufacturer's spec for the warranty to hold. We build to that spec, and we'll tell you straight when composite is worth the premium and when it isn't.

Nothing matches the look and feel of real wood. Redwood and cedar both carry natural resistance to rot and insects, cost less up front than composite, and can be refinished instead of replaced. The honest trade: in snow country they ask for maintenance — a wash and re-seal on a regular schedule — and a neglected wood deck ages fast at altitude. For covered decks, or for owners who don't mind the upkeep, wood is still a beautiful choice.

Whatever surface you choose, the structure underneath matters more. We size beams, joists, and footings for real Sierra snow loads, flash the ledger so meltwater can't get at the house, and use hardware rated for decades of freeze-thaw. Deck projects around the lake typically need a permit, and we handle that as part of the job. You can see how our work holds up in the portfolio, and if you have questions about your site, get in touch — we're happy to talk through options before you commit to anything.

Every project is priced as a guaranteed bid contract: the number on the estimate is the number on the final invoice. Run your deck through the online configurator and get a real ballpark in about two minutes.