Deck Contractors in East Dundee, IL

Our deck contractors in East Dundee mostly work on compact projects: a deck that fits a narrow back yard, a set of stairs that finally feels solid, a railing that meets today's code, or a refinish that makes an old wood deck look cared for again. East Dundee is a small village, with 3,152 residents and 1,502 housing units in the 2020 census, and when a yard is tight, good design matters more because every square foot counts.

Designing for a tight lot

On a small lot, the deck has to share space with the garage, the garden and the path to the alley or driveway. A few ideas we use often:

• Wrap or L-shaped decks that follow the house and leave the center of the yard open.
• Built-in benches along one edge instead of a full railing, where height and code allow, so the deck seats more people without loose furniture.
• Stairs off the side rather than the middle, so they do not cut the yard in half.
• Privacy screens on one or two sides where neighbors are close.

We also check setbacks early. On narrow lots, the required distance from the property line can decide the deck's width before anything else does.

Stairs and railings first

If you are not ready for a full new deck, stairs and railings are where money does the most good. Cracked stringers, loose treads and wobbly posts are common safety problems on aging decks. We can replace stairs with new stringers, add landings where the run is long, swap old railings for wood, composite or aluminum systems and bring baluster spacing and rail height up to current code. The rest of the deck can wait for a later year.

Refinishing a wood deck

A weathered but solid wood deck can often be restored for much less than replacement. We wash the wood at low pressure, replace the few boards that are cracked or soft, reset popped fasteners, sand where needed and apply a penetrating stain. In this climate, plan on recoating horizontal surfaces every two to three years; O'Hare averages around 38 inches of precipitation a year, and humid summers keep wood from drying out quickly.

Near the river and the trail

East Dundee's commercial core is a historic district along the Fox River, and the Fox River Trail runs along the east side of the river through town on a former railroad bed. The Dundee Township Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1975, also reaches into the village. If your home is in or near the historic area, we ask the village about any review before design is final and keep railings and skirting simple. Low-lying yards near the river can stay wet, so we keep framing off the ground and leave room for airflow.

Kane County with a sliver of Cook

Most of East Dundee is in Kane County, with a small section in Cook County. Either way, building permits for homes inside the village go through the Village of East Dundee at Village Hall, 120 Barrington Avenue. Footings are dug below the frost depth the permit requires, and we schedule the inspections it calls for.

Free estimates

Call (847) 380-8109 or send photos of your yard and current deck. We will visit, measure, and give you a written estimate. If the full project is more than you want to take on at once, we can split it into stages, such as stairs and railings now and new decking later.

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