Deck Builders in Chicago
A new back deck from drawings to final inspection, built by deck builders Chicago bungalows and two-flats already call. Requests are open 24/7 and the estimate is in writing before we start.
What's Included in a New Deck
A new single-level back deck in a Chicago rear yard starts on paper, with architect drawings, a building permit and an inspector who looks into the post holes before any concrete goes in. As deck builders Chicago bungalows and two-flats rely on, we handle the drawings and the permit application, then the framing and the boards, and the same carpentry team also takes porch builders Chicago work on the rear of the house. Our carpentry services in Chicago page lists the rest of that team’s work.
We bring the materials and fasteners, plus the drawings and the permit application. You bring yard access and a decision on the decking. We build single-level decks only, so a roof deck belongs to somebody else.
Drawings and Permit
Chicago wants architect or licensed structural engineer drawings before it looks at a structural deck permit, which is why the job starts at a drafting table instead of a post hole. The application describes the work in a line like rebuild wood deck in rear yard, the city’s own Standard Plan Review example, and we write it, file it and book the inspection. By the time the shovel comes out, the paper has already done its worrying.
Footings and Framing
Footings come first on site, below the frost line, on undisturbed soil, with a pier and a post base under every 6×6 post. The beam and joists go up after that, edged by a rim joist and joist hangers. The inspector gets a look at the holes before concrete, so the crew leaves them open and waits, which is the one time a crew stands around on purpose.
Decking Boards and Railings
The boards go down after the framing, composite decking or wood, and then comes the guard, because any deck higher than 30 inches above the ground needs one. The deck railing gets its balusters the same week, and every screw in pressure-treated wood is a hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel fastener, since plain steel eats itself in treated wood.
Stairs and Old Deck Removal
Deck stairs start with a stair stringer cut to the rise, and a tread per step and a landing at the bottom follow, all rated for the same 100 psf as the deck above. An old deck in the way leaves first, hauled off once you confirm that the new one keeps its footprint.
Deck Building Prices in Chicago
Three deck contractors Chicago homeowners phone will quote three different numbers, and the yard is the reason: area and height above the ground, post count and decking material, then the stairs and the old deck that has to leave, so the estimate follows a visit with a tape measure. The only fixed line below is the $250 emergency fee. Ask every builder for the post count in writing, and use our handyman price list for everything that isn’t a deck.
| Type of Work | Cost in Chicago |
|---|---|
| New wood deck, single level | By request |
| New composite deck, single level | By request |
| Deck stairs and railing | By request |
| Old deck removal and haul-away | By request |
| Emergency service | +$250 fee |
The quote is the invoice.
Get My Flat PriceIn April, typing deck builders near me into a phone starts a clock that the inspector’s calendar controls. Send the yard dimensions on a Monday and a written estimate lands before the first shovel. The 90-day workmanship warranty starts on the day the final inspection is signed, and the form is open at 3am too.
Which Chicago Deck Projects Need a Permit
Chicago’s Department of Buildings keeps a Work Not Requiring a Building Permit page, and the deck section takes about ten seconds to read: boards, steps and balusters swapped for the same, or a whole deck or stair replaced with the same at 6 feet or lower and 50 square feet or less. A new deck isn’t there. Anything structural needs drawings from an architect or a structural engineer licensed in Illinois, and the Chicago contractor license lookup is the place to check a builder before signing. Inspection day tests the whole structure at 100 psf.
| Project | Permit | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Replace deck boards, steps or balusters with the same | Not required unless a violation is open | Deck repair |
| Replace a whole deck or stair with the same, up to 6 ft high and 50 sq ft | Not required | Deck repair |
| New deck, or a larger one | Permit with architect drawings | This page |
Footings Below the Chicago Frost Line
Winters here do a lot of work on a post, which is the point of the frost depth Chicago footings have to beat. The American Wood Council deck construction guide asks for footings at least 12 inches into undisturbed soil or below the frost line, whichever is deeper, and the Chicago Building Code says 42 inches below grade, a figure we confirm with the inspector every time. A shallow post rides the ice up in January and comes back crooked in March. Posts within 5 feet of the house drop to the depth of its footing.
Brick Bungalows and Two-Flats: When a Deck Stands on Its Own Posts
Stand in a Chicago alley behind a brick bungalow and you’re looking at the housing stock in CMAP’s numbers: 38.8% built before 1940, a median year of 1953, and 27.4% in buildings of two to four units. A deck behind one of those can’t lean on the wall, since a ledger board never gets fastened to brick veneer, stone or hollow masonry, per the American Wood Council. So it stands on its own posts beside the brick, a freestanding deck, a non-ledger deck. Which one the wall is, veneer or solid masonry, is the engineer’s call from the drawing, and flashing keeps water off whichever it turns out to be.
Pressure-Treated, Cedar or Composite for a Chicago Deck
At a June cookout, pressure-treated pine is the board somebody should have sealed last summer, western red cedar is the cedar deck guests compliment before it goes silver, and composite boards are the ones nobody thinks about, which settles the composite vs wood deck argument faster than a spec sheet. Pressure-treated pine takes hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel fasteners, plus a coat from our deck staining crew after its first summer, and when the boards are down, our fence repair crew can reset any gate the build leaves crooked.
| Material | Snow and thaw | Care | Fasteners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | Swells and dries with each freeze and thaw | Seal after the first summer | Hot-dip galvanized or stainless |
| Western red cedar | Weathers to gray in a winter or two | Stain or let it silver | Stainless steel |
| Composite | Barely moves with the weather | Wash only | The maker’s own clips or stainless |
Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs We Serve
We're a handyman in Chicago with an office at 5412 N Clark St in Andersonville. On the North Side we work in Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Lincoln Square, Lakeview and Lincoln Park. We also cover Logan Square, Avondale and Hyde Park, and the suburbs of Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Des Plaines. HandyBandi is insured and sends a certificate of insurance (COI) to your condo association before the visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicago bookings for deck builders start with the same six questions, so they get short answers here.
+− Do I need a permit to build a deck in Chicago?
Going by the city’s own no-permit list, only same-for-same swaps skip the permit, so a new deck goes in with architect or structural engineer drawings and an inspector’s visit at the holes.
+− What affects the cost of building a deck in Chicago?
Walk the yard with a tape measure and you’ve done half the estimate, since area, height, post count, boards, stairs and an old deck’s removal each move the number.
+− How deep do deck footings need to be in Chicago?
The American Wood Council guide says 12 inches into undisturbed soil at least, or below the frost line if that’s deeper, and the Chicago Building Code figure of 42 inches is the one we confirm before the inspector arrives.
+− Can a deck be attached to a brick house?
If the wall is brick veneer, stone or hollow masonry, the deck stands on its own posts beside it, because a ledger board stays off those walls, and an engineer reads the drawing to tell veneer from solid masonry.
+− Is composite or wood better for a deck in Chicago?
Composite takes washing and nothing else, western red cedar takes a stain, and the real question is how many weekends you’ll give the deck, with fasteners following whichever board wins.
+− Can you replace an old back deck with one the same size?
A same-for-same replacement stays permit-free at 6 feet high and 50 square feet or less, and anything bigger gets drawings, with the old deck coming out once you’ve confirmed the new footprint.