# Deck Installation Santa Maria | Santa Maria Deck Builders > New decks from bare ground in Santa Maria: footings, frame, boards, stairs and railings in wood or composite. Typical prices posted. Free estimates. URL: https://santamariadeckbuilders.com/deck-building/ # We handle deck installation in Santa Maria, from the footings to the railing. Santa Maria Deck Builders [/ →](/) builds new decks from bare ground for homes in Santa Maria and the towns around it. The work covers the footings, the frame, the boards, the stairs and the railings, in wood or composite. We also put new railings and new stairs on decks that are already there. - Free Estimates - Over 10 Years in Business - Licensed - Insured ![New pressure-treated wood deck with railing and steps down to a green lawn behind a single-story stucco home](/images/misc/new-pressure-treated-wood-deck-off-the-back-of-a-s.webp) ## Get Your FREE Estimate Tell us your town and the deck work you have in mind. Estimates are free. Thanks, we got your request. We'll be in touch about your estimate. ![New deck frame with posts, beams and joists set on concrete footings in a sunny backyard](/images/misc/freshly-built-deck-frame-with-wood-posts-beams-and.webp) ## What a new deck from us covers Every new deck starts at the ground and works up. Here's the work, part by part. - Footings and the frame: posts, beams and joists - Deck boards in wood or composite - Stairs down to the yard - Railings in wood or composite, on new decks or decks already there - Shade overhead, if you want it, from our patio covers and pergolas work Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate-form →](#estimate-form) See the typical prices [#prices →](#prices) ## How we build a new deck, from the ground up A new deck starts below the surface. The footings go in first, then the posts stand on the footings, the beams run across the posts, and the joists run across the beams. That frame is what the boards sit on, so most of the real building happens before the first board goes down. Then the deck boards go on, in pressure-treated lumber, redwood, cedar or composite boards. The stairs come next, with stair stringers carrying the treads down to the yard. Last comes the railing around the edge: railing posts, a top rail and balusters. Before anyone digs a hole for a footing, there’s one rule that applies everywhere: call 811 before digging. ![Wide wood stairs with stringers and treads running down from a new deck to a green lawn](/images/misc/wide-wood-deck-stairs-with-stringers-and-treads-ru.webp) ## Railings and stairs, on new decks and old ones There’s no separate railings page on this site, because railings and stairs are part of building a deck. Every new deck we build comes with its stairs and its railing, and the price ranges for a new deck already include the railing. We also put new railing and new stairs on decks that are already there. Maybe the old railing doesn’t suit the deck anymore, or the stairs down to the yard have seen better days and you’d rather start them fresh. A new wood railing for a typical deck runs $1,700 to $3,000, and a composite railing runs $4,500 to $10,000. Metal, cable and glass railings cost more than wood. If the railing or stairs only need fixing, not replacing, that’s the kind of job our deck repair [/deck-repair/ →](/deck-repair/) work handles. ![New wood deck railing with balusters and a top rail, farm fields in the distance](/images/misc/close-view-of-new-wood-deck-railing-with-evenly-sp.webp) ## Wood or composite boards Of the three woods we build with, pressure-treated lumber costs the least. Redwood costs more than pressure-treated lumber, and cedar costs a little more than pressure-treated and less than redwood. Composite costs more than wood. The typical ranges for a new wood deck and a new composite deck are in the price section below. Composite boards are made from a blend of wood fiber and plastic instead of solid lumber. If you’re leaning that way, our composite decks [/composite-decks/ →](/composite-decks/) page goes into it. If you’d rather have real wood underfoot, see redwood and wood decks [/redwood-and-wood-decks/ →](/redwood-and-wood-decks/) . We can price the same deck both ways so you can see the difference. ## Things we sort out on a new deck ### Getting from the door down to the yard A deck off the back of the house usually sits a few steps above the yard. We work out where the stairs land, how wide they should be and which side of the deck they come off, so the deck fits the way you actually walk out to the lawn. ### Wood that touches the soil Termites are common across most of California, and drywood termites, found along most of the coast, can get into decks. Wood that touches the soil should be treated or naturally resistant. We keep that in mind from the footings up. ### Shade over the deck If you want shade overhead, a wood pergola or a solid patio cover can go over the deck. A pergola set on a deck may need engineering or bigger footings, so it helps to tell us about it before the footings go in. Our patio covers and pergolas [/patio-covers-and-pergolas/ →](/patio-covers-and-pergolas/) page has more on both. ### Permits and fire hazard zones Deck permit rules differ from one town to the next, and we check what applies to yours. Where California’s wildfire building rules apply, which depends on the lot’s fire hazard zone, a new home’s deck needs fire-rated boards; we check what applies to a deck on yours. ## What a new deck costs A typical deck is about 16 by 20 feet off the back of the house, with a few steps down to the yard and railing around it. Bigger, higher or covered decks run above these ranges. ### New pressure-treated wood deck, typical $10,000 to $22,000 Footings, frame, boards, stairs and railing on a typical deck. ### New composite deck, typical $15,000 to $30,000 The same typical deck with composite boards and railing. ### Wood railing for a typical deck $1,700 to $3,000 New wood railing on a deck that's already there, or replacing the old railing. ### Composite railing for a typical deck $4,500 to $10,000 New composite railing on a deck that's already there, or replacing the old railing. The new-deck ranges already include railing, so the railing ranges are only for a deck that's already built. Metal, cable and glass railings cost more than wood. New stairs on their own don't have a set range; we price them once we've seen the deck. Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate-form →](#estimate-form) ## Wind, damp air and where a new deck sits A few things about this valley are worth knowing before a new deck goes in. ### Afternoon wind up the valley The Santa Maria Valley is shaped like a funnel opening west to the ocean, and the ocean wind and fog come straight up it. The wind comes from the west and northwest; mornings tend to be calm, and it picks up in the afternoon. If the afternoon is when you'll be out there, keep that in mind when you pick a spot for the deck, and think about whether you want a pergola or patio cover [/patio-covers-and-pergolas/ →](/patio-covers-and-pergolas/) over it. ### Damp air on flat boards Low cloud and fog come in at night and usually burn off by midday, and the air stays damp most of the year. A deck lies flat under sun and weather, and flat wood is often the hardest hit. On a wood deck, plan on a fresh coat of penetrating stain every few years. That's the work our deck staining and sealing [/deck-staining-and-sealing/ →](/deck-staining-and-sealing/) page covers. ![Backyard wood deck with railing looking out over golden hills dotted with oaks under a clear blue sky](/images/misc/backyard-wood-deck-with-railing-looking-out-over-r.webp) ![Tape measure and pencil resting on a fresh deck board beside a partly built wood deck](/images/misc/tape-measure-and-carpenter-pencil-resting-on-a-fre.webp) ## How a new deck goes from bare ground to railing 1. 1 ### Send the estimate form Tell us your town, the work you want and anything you know about the deck. 2. 2 ### We look at the deck or the yard We look at the frame, the footings and the space, and check what permit rules apply. 3. 3 ### You get a free estimate A clear price for the work, in wood or composite where that's a choice. 4. 4 ### We do the work Footings, frame, boards, stairs, railing, stain or cover, whatever the job is. ## A question about deck building ### What is the most expensive part of a deck? Labor is usually the biggest part of a new deck's cost. The boards you pick matter too, since composite costs more than wood. And size and height move the price: a bigger deck or a higher one costs more. ## Related deck work ![Gray composite deck with matching railing behind a single-story stucco home, golden hills beyond](/images/misc/gray-composite-deck-with-matching-railing-behind-a.webp) ### Composite Decks Composite boards on a new or replaced deck. Composite Decks [/composite-decks/ →](/composite-decks/) ![Warm reddish-brown redwood deck with wood railing and steps to a lawn, oaks on the hills behind](/images/misc/warm-reddish-brown-redwood-deck-with-wood-railing-.webp) ### Redwood and Wood Decks Redwood, cedar and pressure-treated wood decks. Redwood and Wood Decks [/redwood-and-wood-decks/ →](/redwood-and-wood-decks/) ![Wood pergola over a backyard patio with outdoor chairs beside a single-story stucco home](/images/misc/wood-pergola-over-a-backyard-patio-with-outdoor-ch.webp) ### Patio Covers and Pergolas Pergolas and solid patio covers over a deck or patio. Patio Covers and Pergolas [/patio-covers-and-pergolas/ →](/patio-covers-and-pergolas/) ![New warm brown composite deck with railing and steps to a lawn behind a two-story wood-sided home](/images/misc/freshly-built-warm-brown-composite-deck-with-raili.webp) ### Deck Replacement The old deck comes off and a new one goes on, in wood or composite. Deck Replacement [/deck-replacement/ →](/deck-replacement/) ## Thinking about a new deck? Send the estimate form with your town and a rough idea of the size you want. We'll look at the yard and give you a free estimate. Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate-form →](#estimate-form)