Deck Builders in Sandy, UT

Deck Builders in Sandy get a lot of questions about decks that have simply aged out. Sandy counted 6,438 residents in 1970 and 52,210 in 1980, and it kept adding thousands of people through the 1990s. A house from those decades may still carry its original wood deck, or a second one that is now tired too. We build new composite and wood decks, replace worn ones, and add railings, stairs, covers and fresh stain to decks that are worth keeping.

From the valley floor to the east bench

Western Sandy sits on the flat valley floor, while the eastern neighborhoods climb the lower slopes of the Wasatch Range. That split shows up in deck design. A valley lot usually gets a low platform off the kitchen with a step or two down to the lawn. A bench lot often has a walkout basement and a steep grade, which means taller posts, longer stair runs, diagonal bracing and a careful look at where footings can sit without undercutting the slope. On those lots we lay out the stairs first, because the run has to land on ground that is reasonably level and safe to walk.

Repair, resurface or rebuild?

Not every old deck has to come down. Before we quote, we walk the structure and check:

• The ledger board and its flashing, where the deck is fastened to the house
• Posts and beams for rot at the base and deep checking along the grain
• Joists, especially under old planters or where a hot tub once sat
• Guard posts for wobble, a common weak point on decks of this age
• Stair stringers, treads and landings

If the frame is sound, new decking and railings over the existing structure can cost far less than a full rebuild. If the ledger or footings are failing, we say so plainly and write the estimate as a replacement.

Sun at altitude, cold in January

Sandy's average daily high in July is about 95°F and the average January low is about 22°F, with recorded extremes of 111°F and minus 17°F. Boards on a south- or west-facing deck bake through long summer afternoons, then freeze and thaw all winter. Lighter composite colors stay more comfortable underfoot than dark ones. Wood holds up best with a UV-blocking stain renewed on a regular schedule. We lay out both paths, with upkeep and cost side by side, before you choose.

Built with the Wasatch Fault in mind

The Salt Lake Valley sits along the Wasatch Fault, and each segment of the fault can independently produce an earthquake as strong as about magnitude 7.5. The valley was reminded of this by the magnitude 5.7 Magna earthquake on March 18, 2020. For an attached deck, the connection to the house matters most: a ledger fastened with proper bolts or lags, lateral load hardware where the design calls for it, and posts tied to their footings instead of resting on them. These details add little to the cost during construction and are hard to retrofit later.

Permits through Sandy City

Sandy's Building and Safety Division handles residential building permits, and applications go through the city's paperless permit process. We prepare the site plan, framing layout and footing details a deck permit usually calls for, and we confirm the current snow load and frost depth criteria with the city before we size anything. Utah ground snow loads are looked up by location using a Utah State University map that factors in elevation, so a home high on the bench can carry a different number than one near the Jordan River.

Start with a free estimate

Call (385) 506-4516 or send a few photos of the yard and the back of the house. We measure, check grade and access, and hand you a written estimate listing materials, railing style, stairs and any tear-out of the old deck.

Get a Free Estimate