How much does it cost to build a deck in Bellingham?
Most new decks in Bellingham run $14,000 to $45,000. Size, height, and material drive the number. A simple ground-level pressure-treated deck lands at the low end. An elevated or multi-level composite deck with railings and stairs runs higher. A fence is priced by the foot, usually $35 to $75 per linear foot installed for cedar privacy. We'll walk the project with you and hand you a line-item quote with no surprises.
Composite or wood, which is right for our weather?
Both work here if they're built right. Composite (Trex, TimberTech, PVC) costs more up front but shrugs off Whatcom rain with almost no upkeep and no splinters. Cedar is the classic Bellingham look and costs less to install, but it needs a finish plan and resealing every few years to fight rot. Pressure-treated is the budget framing and surface option. We'll give you the honest tradeoffs for your yard and budget, with no upsell.
Is my old deck safe, or does it need a full rebuild?
We do a free safety check before we quote anything. We probe the ledger (where the deck meets the house), the posts, and the footings. Surface board rot is usually a repair. Soft framing, a ledger with no flashing, or footings that have heaved usually mean a rebuild. We'll tell you straight which one it is. A failing ledger is the number one cause of deck collapses, so it's the first thing we check.
Will it rot or lean in a few years like the last one?
Not the way we build. The wet soil here is hard on decks and fences, so we set deck footings below frost depth, flash the ledger properly, and use ground-contact-rated lumber and hidden fasteners. On fences, post setting is everything: we set posts in concrete with gravel drainage at the base so they don't lean after the first wet winter. That's the whole job, and it's why our work outlasts the cheap quote.
Do I need a permit, and will you handle it?
Decks over 30 inches off the ground, or attached to the house, need a City of Bellingham or Whatcom County building permit and inspection. Most fences under a certain height don't, but property-line setbacks still apply. We handle the whole permit process, the drawings, the filing, and the inspection, so you don't have to chase it.
How long does a deck or fence take to build?
A straightforward fence run is usually 1 to 3 days. A deck repair runs a few days to a week depending on how much is structural. A new deck typically takes 3 to 10 days on-site once the permit is in hand, longer for elevated or multi-level builds. We'll give you a specific timeline at the estimate, and we time the work for our dry stretches when we can.
Are you actually licensed and insured?
Yes. Bellingham Deck Co. is operated by Apex Builderz LLC, a licensed, bonded, and insured Washington general contractor (WA Contractor Reg. APEXBBL749B1). We carry general liability and workers' comp, and we're happy to show you the paperwork. Just ask.
Do you offer a warranty on your work?
Yes. We back every build with a written workmanship warranty. On top of that, composite makers like Trex and TimberTech carry their own long material warranties (often 25 years or more), and those transfer if you sell the home. The details are written into your project quote so there's no guessing.
