Small lots, careful work
The Lettered Streets is one of Bellingham's oldest neighborhoods, full of homes pushing a century old on small, tightly-packed lots. The yards are tiny, the fences are often original and falling over, and there isn't much room to work. What fits here is a cedar privacy fence to replace the leaning one and a small back deck scaled to the yard, not the oversized builds you'd put on an acre out in Ferndale.
We're comfortable working tight. We replace old, leaning fences with new cedar privacy, posts set in concrete with gravel drainage so the new run actually stays straight, and we build small back decks that fit the lot and suit a century-old home. On homes this old the deck ledger is often nailed to original siding with no flashing, so a rebuild gets that connection done right. Property lines are close here, so we confirm them before we set anything.
What we build in Lettered Streets.
Common projects
Cedar privacy fence to replace old leaning runs, small back decks scaled to tiny yards, deck rebuilds with proper ledger flashing on century-old homes, and gate work.
Permits and inspection
Decks over 30 inches off the ground or attached to the house need a City of Bellingham building permit and inspection. We pull the permit, handle the drawings, and meet the inspector.
Climate considerations
Old fences on small wet lots lean fast, and original deck ledgers were rarely flashed. We set posts in drained concrete and flash every ledger on a rebuild.