New Decks in San Marcos, Built for the Yard You Have

Start With How You Will Use It

A deck is an outdoor room. So the first question is not the boards. It is what you want to do out there. A grill and four chairs need one size. A table for eight and a path to the yard need another.

We walk the yard with you and look at sun, shade and slope. We look at where the doors open and where water runs when it rains. Then we draw a deck that fits that spot, not one from a catalog.

Wood or Composite

Pressure treated pine costs the least up front. It takes stain well and is easy to repair one board at a time. It needs a fresh coat every few years in the Texas sun.

Cedar looks warm and smells great. It costs more than pine and still needs care.

Composite costs more on day one. It does not need stain, and it will not splinter under bare feet. Under it, the frame is still wood, so the frame still matters most.

We price the deck both ways when you ask, so you can see the real gap for your size.

River Lots, Slopes and Hill Country Edges

San Marcos has flat lots in town, low lots near the river and steep lots on the west side where the Hill Country starts. Each one builds a little differently.

On a slope, one side of the deck may sit a few feet higher than the other. That means taller posts, more bracing and real stairs. On a low lot, we ask about flood zones before we set a single post. Outside city limits, Hays County requires a permit for any kind of development to stay in the National Flood Insurance Program.

What Holds It Up

The part of a deck you never see does the most work. Posts sit on footings in the ground. Beams sit on the posts. Joists sit on the beams. Boards come last.

Our soil can dry out and crack in a long hot spell, then swell when the rain comes back. We plan footings for that, and we call the one call center before any hole goes in, as Texas law asks.

How a New Deck Job Runs

1. Free visit and measurements.
2. A written scope and price.
3. A permit check with the city or county.
4. Utility locate before digging.
5. Footings, frame, boards, stairs and rails.
6. A walk through with you at the end.