This is the first question almost everyone asks, and the answer has changed in the last few years. Three materials are worth considering. Pine is covered at the end, briefly.
Composite and PVC. We're a TimberTech Pro Platinum contractor and a TrexPro Gold contractor, and we install a lot of both. Against stained wood, most composite lines pay for themselves in year one or two; a few take up to five, depending on the line and the stain you'd otherwise be buying. Maintenance is a wash-down.
What we tell people before they sign: it gets hot in full afternoon sun, it scratches, and a scratch can't be sanded out the way wood can. If a board ever needs replacing, there's no guarantee the manufacturer is still making that color. And it is not as pretty as real wood. We say that even though we install it every week.
Tropical hardwood. Tigerwood, garapa, red balau, massaranduba, and teak. The surprise for most homeowners is the price — hardwood runs in line with mid-range composite and under most premium composite lines. It's harder than any composite, it ages to silver if you let it or holds its color with an annual oil, and it looks like what it is. We've built four hardwood decks in the last few months and have two more under contract. We steer away from ipe; the species above perform comparably and are sourced more responsibly.
Moso bamboo. Tongue-and-groove bamboo decking — dense, dimensionally stable, and one of the most sustainable deck surfaces available. We have a direct relationship with Moso and pricing on their tongue-and-groove boards that nobody else in the area can offer. One built recently, another under contract, and more homeowners asking about it every month.
Pressure-treated pine. We'll build it if you want it, and we'll tell you first that it doesn't last, it needs constant maintenance, and it ends up costing more over its life than composite or hardwood. We steer people away from pine decking and pine railing both.
Railing and decking are the two most expensive line items on a deck. Framing, which is what homeowners usually expect to be the big number, is a smaller share than people think.
So railing is worth deciding carefully. Composite railing matches the decking and can sag noticeably within a few years; we recommend aluminum wherever possible — thin, dark, strong, and it disappears visually. Cable and glass open up a view and cost accordingly.
On the stairs, we install Paragon spiral staircases where a conventional stair would eat the yard. We also install walkable glass deck panels for decks over a lower-level living space that needs light.
Every deck we build uses Camo hidden fasteners and structural screws — no face-screwed boards.
There is no honest single answer. A 16-by-14 porch can cost $40,000 or $120,000 depending on roofline, materials, railing, and the site. Whitmer Decks designs to your budget during a consultation at the house rather than publishing ranges that would be wrong for most projects. Railing and decking are the biggest cost drivers; framing is a smaller share than most people expect.
Usually, yes. Most composite lines pay for themselves against stained wood within one to two years; some take up to five. Whitmer Decks is a TimberTech Pro Platinum and TrexPro Gold contractor, which extends the labor coverage on both brands' warranties.
No. Hardwoods such as tigerwood, garapa, red balau, massaranduba, and teak price in line with mid-range composite and below most premium composite lines. Whitmer Decks builds in hardwood regularly and also installs Moso bamboo decking.
Almost always. Whitmer Decks files permits in Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, Alexandria, Vienna, Herndon, and Leesburg. Review time ranges from about three days for a simple deck in Fairfax to two or three months in Loudoun or Alexandria. HOA approval is separate; Whitmer Decks prepares the documentation package for the homeowner to submit.
Sometimes. Whitmer Decks finds rot in the rim joist on roughly 30 to 50 percent of existing decks it inspects, and will not resurface a deck that is not structurally sound. If the structure is good, re-decking is a real option. Wood-framed decks generally last 20 to 25 years.
At least two weeks on site for a deck, typically four to six for a screened porch, and up to three months for a full backyard remodel. Whitmer Decks builds year-round, including winter.
Only if it's framed for one. A full hot tub weighs roughly as much as a Ford F-350 and requires additional posts and beams. Tell Whitmer Decks at the design stage and the framing is built in.
Usually, yes — unless the site needs retaining walls or significant grading. Most homeowners assume the opposite.
Yes. Whitmer Decks builds year-round.
Call (703) 425-DECK or request a consultation through the website. A Whitmer Decks designer visits the property, talks through how you plan to use the space, and designs to your budget.
