Deck Building in Duluth, MN & Superior, WI

At least 5 feet in the Minnesota counties around Duluth and at least 48 inches in Wisconsin. Minnesota sets the 5-foot frost footing depth in Minn. R. 1303.1600, and Wisconsin requires footings at least 48 inches deep or below the frost line, whichever is deeper (Wis. Admin. Code SPS 321.16). Shallower footings get pushed up a little by frost heave each winter, which is how stairs pull loose and decks start to lean. We set deck footings below frost depth and size them for the load they carry.

Yes. A slope changes how a deck is built more than how it looks: downhill posts get taller and need bracing, every footing still has to reach frost depth below the ground around it, open sides high above the yard need guards, and the stairs get longer. In Duluth, a deck more than 30 inches above grade needs a building permit even if it's freestanding, and on a steep slope the low side usually ends up above that. If the hillside itself is shifting or washing out, deal with that first; our retaining wall page covers terracing and walls.

Often the better answer is a freestanding deck. Stone and old block foundations are a poor place to anchor a ledger board, so a freestanding deck gets its own beam and footings right beside the house and carries its load without hanging on the wall. If your house has a sound wood rim joist above the foundation, a bolted and flashed ledger can work. Many homes in Duluth's older neighborhoods have stone or block foundations, so we check which you have before designing the deck.

Yes, if the hot tub is part of the plan from the start. A filled tub with people in it weighs far more than the furniture and foot traffic a typical deck is framed for, so the section under it needs its own joists, beams and footings sized for that load. The other option is setting the tub on a pad at ground level and building the deck around it. Send the tub's model or filled weight with your quote request, and see our hot tub page for the tub itself.

Yes. We tear off the old deck, check what's underneath, and build the new one to current code on the same footprint or a new one. Old footings stay only if they're deep enough and sound; older decks sometimes sit on shallow piers or blocks, and those get replaced with footings below frost depth. A replacement follows the same permit rules as a new deck. If the old frame is still solid, deck repair or resurfacing may be all you need.

Our planning range for a new deck is $45–$90 per square foot, installed with materials included: footings below the frost line, framing, decking, railing and stairs, from our cost guide. Size, height, decking material, stairs and the site move the total, and every deck gets a flat written quote you approve before work starts.

Mostly because of what you can't see. Deck footings here have to go below frost (Minnesota code puts the minimum at five feet in the counties around Duluth, and Wisconsin's is at least 48 inches), and the framing, hardware rated for treated lumber, ledger flashing, railings and stairs add up to more than the boards on top. Cutting those corners is why decks start heaving or pulling away from the house after a few winters.

In Duluth, MN, yes for most decks. A deck needs a permit if it is attached to the house, more than 30 inches above grade, or part of an accessible route; only low, freestanding platforms are exempt (Minn. R. 1300.0120, subp. 4, as applied on the City of Duluth deck permit page). In Superior, WI, a new deck needs a building permit, but replacing deck boards and stair treads is on the city's list of work that needs no permit. We confirm what your address needs, and who pulls the permit, before we quote.

Late winter or early spring. The Northland building season is short and footings can't go in until the ground thaws, so early bookings get the earliest start dates. Repairs and staining fit into the season more flexibly, but a new build booked in midsummer may not start until late in the season.

Not automatically; the site decides. On flat ground a patio skips the footings, framing, stairs and railings a deck needs. On a slope a deck often comes out ahead, because a patio there needs excavation, fill and sometimes a retaining wall to make level ground. Price both for the same usable area and weigh the upkeep too. If the slope needs a wall before anything else, see retaining walls.

Often, yes. Minnesota requires a residential building contractor or remodeler license from the Department of Labor and Industry for anyone working in more than one special-skill area; single-skill specialists and contractors under the state's small-volume gross-receipts limit who hold a Certificate of Exemption are exempt. Ask any deck builder for their license status, certificate of insurance, and who pulls the permit. The full rules, and how Wisconsin differs, are in our Minnesota handyman license guide.

Big enough for the furniture you'll really use, plus room to walk around it. Set your table, chairs and grill on the lawn where the deck will go and mark the edges with stakes or a garden hose; if it feels tight on the grass, it will feel tighter with railings around it. Leave clear space outside the door and at the top of the stairs. Since our planning range is priced per square foot, size for use rather than for the biggest footprint the yard allows.