Skilled Deck Building in Toledo

The 2025 Cost vs. Value report prices a deck with a bench, planter, and three steps at $18,090 in wood and $23,918 in composite for the East North Central states, a group that includes Ohio and Michigan. A deck planned with a kitchen remodeling project is still priced on its own size and materials.

It depends on the deck and the state. Ohio's state home building code exempts a deck from a permit only if it is 200 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above the ground, not attached to the house, and not serving the exit door. A deck that fails any one of those tests needs a permit, and permits are issued locally. Ask your local building department before work starts.

Size and height come first, then the decking material you choose. Footings and railings both add materials and labor. The concrete footings under the posts must reach below the frost line, the depth to which soil freezes, which Lucas County's code sets at 36 inches and Michigan's state table sets at 42 inches. Open sides more than 30 inches above the ground also need railings at least 36 inches high.

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A plain concrete patio usually costs less than a deck. A deck can still add value, since the Cost vs. Value 2025 report found a wood deck recouped about 95 percent of its cost in resale value nationally.

Wet soil heaves as it freezes and thaws over and over, which is why deck footings must reach below the frost line, as the 36-inch and 42-inch footing depths above show. Solid wood also swells and shrinks with moisture, causing warping, cracks along the grain, and splitting, while wood-plastic composites hold their dimensions better when wet. Outdoor tile around a deck goes through the same freeze-thaw cycles.

The timeline depends on the size of the deck, the materials you choose, and the permits your town requires. A deck is sometimes built together with a fence or home remodeling project.

We provide deck building to homeowners across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. That includes Adrian, Ann Arbor, Blissfield, Bowling Green, Clinton, Dexter, Dundee, Lambertville, Manchester, Maumee, Milan, Monroe, Northwood, Oregon, Ottawa Hills, Perrysburg, Rossford, Saline, Sylvania, Tecumseh, Temperance, Toledo, Waterville, and Whitehouse.

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