Outside space that gets used, not just built
A deck that gets used is a deck with somewhere to sit in the shade, a stair run that feels safe in the dark, and a railing you can see through. A deck that does not get used is usually one that bakes from eleven until four, has steps that are slightly the wrong rise, or is boxed in by a solid balustrade that turns it into a pen. The difference is decided at the design stage and costs almost nothing to get right.
That is why so many of the decks we build end up with a roof over part of them and open railing around the rest. Cable and hog-wire railing keep the view; a gabled or shed roof over the door end makes the space usable in July and in a downpour. Around Dalton and Ringgold, where a lot of houses sit up off the ground on a slope, the stair run matters as much as the deck — it is the part people use every single day.
We build in pressure-treated pine and in composite, with cable, hog-wire, wood or black aluminum railing. We also build and stain fencing, including on the sloped and awkward yards that are normal on this terrain, where a fence line has to step properly rather than follow the ground and end up looking drunk.
- Footings sized to the load. Posts on properly dug footings, not on blocks sitting on topsoil.
- Stairs that feel right. Consistent rise and run the whole way down, with a graspable handrail. It is the part people notice with their feet.
- Railing you can see through. Cable, hog-wire and aluminum options that keep the view instead of walling it off.
- Roof tied in properly. Where a porch roof meets the house, it gets flashed into the existing roof rather than caulked against it.
- Fence lines that step. On a slope, panels step level rather than following the ground — the difference between a fence and a fence that looks wrong forever.
- Stained, not left to gray. We stain what should be stained, once the timber is dry enough to take it properly.
What we build
Deck Building
Pressure-treated and composite decks with full stair runs and the railing you choose.
Learn more ›Covered Porches
Gabled and shed-roof porches added to the front, side or back of an existing home.
Learn more ›Fencing
Privacy and picket fence, built to line and stained, including on sloped yards.
Learn more ›Pavilions
A freestanding version, away from the house, with stone columns and a metal roof.
Learn more ›Room Additions
When the outdoor space really wants to be an indoor one.
Learn more ›See Our Work
Photographs of finished decks, porches, stair runs and fence lines.
Learn more ›Why homeowners choose us
We build for the shade, not just the square footage
A big deck in full west sun gets used twice. Where the roof goes, which end the stairs land on and which way the seating faces are worth more than another two hundred square feet.
Sloped yards are normal here
Between Dalton, Ringgold and the ridges around Chattanooga, level ground is the exception. Elevated decks, long stair runs and stepped fence lines are routine for us rather than a complication.
The roof-to-house junction is done as roofing
We roof for a living, so where a new porch roof meets the existing one it gets flashed like a roof. That junction is where a badly built porch leaks, every time.
Fair price, kept to
One of our reviews is from a customer we built a covered patio for and then fenced the yard for. Getting the second job is the only review that really counts.
Common Questions
Pressure-treated pine costs considerably less up front and, stained every few years, lasts well. Composite costs more at the start and then asks almost nothing of you afterwards, which is the real argument for it. Our honest steer: if the deck is large, high up, or you know you will not get round to re-staining it, composite repays itself. If the budget is the binding constraint, treated pine built properly is not a compromise on structure.
A straightforward deck is usually several days to a week and a half of working time depending on size, height and how much stair run is involved. Adding a roof over part of it extends that, because the roof is a separate structure with its own framing and flashing. Footings sometimes need to cure before framing goes on top.
Yes — a good share of what we build is elevated, because that is what the ground here does. Height changes the footing design, the post sizing and the stair run, and it makes the railing a safety item rather than a style choice. It is normal work for us, but it does need pricing on the actual site rather than off a square-foot number.
Often, but it depends on what is underneath. A roof adds significant load, so the existing footings, posts and framing have to be able to take it. We will get under the deck and look before we say yes. If the structure cannot carry a roof, we will tell you what it would take rather than build on top of it and hope.
Yes. Staining and re-staining existing timber is worth doing at the right time — new pressure-treated wood needs to dry out first, and wood that has been left too long may need cleaning before it will take stain evenly. We will tell you which of those you are looking at.
The panels step. Each section is set level and the line drops in increments where the ground drops, so the top of the fence reads as a deliberate stepped line instead of a wave. It takes longer to set out and it is the single thing that separates a fence that looks built from one that looks improvised.