Deck Installation & Building in Marin County

A new deck is one of the higher-value projects a Marin property owner takes on, and getting the material and structure right up front matters more here than in most places, hillside lots around Mill Valley and Tiburon put real load and grading demands on a deck that a flat lot in Novato never will. We build new decks in both pressure-treated wood and composite, sized and engineered for the specific property, and permitted to Marin County code from the start. If your current deck just needs work rather than a full rebuild, our deck repair page covers that, and a new deck project is often paired with new fence installation when both are part of the same backyard plan.

Wood or Composite: What Actually Fits Your Property

Pressure-treated wood costs less upfront and is the more straightforward material to repair down the line if a board ever needs replacing. Composite costs more to install but needs essentially no staining or sealing over its life, which is worth factoring in on properties in heavier fog exposure where wood finishes wear faster. Neither option is universally "better," it comes down to upfront budget versus long-term upkeep.

Building for Hillside Lots

A meaningful share of Marin properties sit on graded or hillside lots, which changes the engineering of a deck substantially, footings often need to go deeper, and support structure has to account for slope and drainage in a way a flat-lot deck doesn't. We factor that into the design and permit submission from the start rather than treating every deck as the same standard build.

Permits, Handled

Marin County requires a building permit for most new deck construction, and pulling that permit is standard practice for a licensed contractor, not an extra step homeowners are expected to manage themselves. If a contractor asks you to pull the permit yourself, that's worth treating as a red flag rather than normal practice. We handle the permit submission and inspection scheduling as part of the build.

Our Build Process

We start with a site walk to assess grading, drainage, and material fit, then a straight quote and permit submission before any construction begins. Most standard decks are complete within one to two weeks of permit approval depending on size and site access, and we walk you through the finished structure before calling the job done.