Backyards built for the family
Roosevelt is a family neighborhood of 1950s-to-1970s ranches and split-levels, and the call we get most here is a fence: a backyard fenced in for kids and dogs. Sometimes that's a tall cedar privacy fence for the back, sometimes a friendlier picket along the front, and often a mix. The yards are a good size and the homes are solid, so it's straightforward work, as long as the posts go in right.
That's the part that matters in Bellingham's soft, wet soil. A fence that's supposed to keep a dog in is no good if it leans over in two winters, so we set every post in concrete with gravel drainage at the base. We build cedar privacy, picket, and ranch rail, hang gates that latch true and stay shut, and lay out the run along your property line. A lot of these homes also want a deck off the back, and we build those too with below-frost footings and a flashed ledger.
What we build in Roosevelt.
Common projects
Cedar privacy and picket fence for fenced backyards, gates that latch and stay shut, family decks off the back of ranches and split-levels, and fence repair.
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
Soft, wet Roosevelt soil leans a poorly-set fence within a couple winters. We set every post in concrete with gravel drainage so the run holds for the long haul.