Custom Decks · Vancouver
Small lots, tight side yards, and 1,200mm of rain a year. Vancouver decks have to be planned around access and drainage before anything gets built.
Custom Decks in Vancouver
Deck building in Vancouver proper is a different job than it is out in the valley. Lots are narrow, side-yard access is often under a metre wide, and there is frequently a lane, a garage, or a neighbouring wall a few feet from where the deck needs to go. Material has to be carried by hand more often than not. And with the city's rainfall, whatever gets built sits wet for months at a time — so drainage detailing and the space under the deck matter as much as the surface you walk on.
Vancouver's rainfall — roughly 1,200mm a year, concentrated in the months you're least likely to be outside — drives most of the material decisions we make here. Cedar is beautiful and still the classic choice, but in this climate it needs sealing on a real schedule or it greys and checks quickly. Composite costs more up front and is what we recommend for anything heavily exposed. The second factor is what's underneath: on the small lots common through Riley Park, Renfrew and Marpole, a deck often covers most of the remaining yard, so we plan drainage and under-deck ventilation deliberately rather than trapping moisture against the house. Character homes add a third wrinkle, since ledger attachment into century-old framing has to be verified rather than assumed.
Character homes on narrow lots, Vancouver Specials with rear yards, duplexes, and homes with laneway houses limiting yard space
The City of Vancouver requires a building permit for a deck that is attached to the house, sits more than 600mm above grade at any point, exceeds roughly 10 square metres, or is covered. Applications need a site plan, framing details and footing specs, and elevated decks generally need an engineer's letter confirming beam and post sizing. Straightforward residential deck permits commonly take a few weeks to process. We prepare the drawings and handle the application.
What We Offer
Western red cedar, the traditional BC choice. Warm, natural, and well suited to character homes — sealed properly on delivery and with a realistic maintenance schedule explained up front rather than glossed over.
Capped composite (TimberTech, Trex, Fiberon) for decks that take the full brunt of Vancouver winters. No annual sealing, no splitting, and manufacturer warranties measured in decades.
Solid roofs and polycarbonate covers that make a deck usable through a Vancouver October. Covered structures need a permit and proper drainage integration with the existing roofline.
Decks on lots where everything is carried in by hand through a metre-wide side yard. We plan staging, material sizing and demolition removal around the access you actually have.
Glass, aluminum or cedar railings to code height, plus stair systems and under-deck drainage so the space below stays usable and the framing stays dry.
Vancouver deck costs typically run $8,000–$30,000+ depending on size, material and access. Cedar runs roughly $40–$70 per square foot installed, composite $60–$95. Difficult access, elevated builds needing engineered footings, and covered structures each add meaningfully to the base cost — we identify those on the site visit rather than after starting.
Get Your Free QuoteScope: 320 sq ft composite deck, engineered footings, cedar privacy screen, integrated under-deck drainage, glass railing to preserve sightlines
Duration: 2.5 weeks (6 weeks including permit)
A standard 33-foot Vancouver lot with a laneway house taking up the back third, leaving a narrow strip of yard and side access just under a metre wide. Every board was carried in by hand. We built a composite deck spanning the remaining yard with engineered footings clear of the existing drainage, added a cedar privacy screen on the neighbouring side, and installed under-deck drainage so the space below stays dry and usable for storage.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Most Vancouver decks run $8,000–$30,000+. Cedar is roughly $40–$70 per square foot installed and composite $60–$95. On Vancouver's narrower lots, restricted access adds labour because material gets carried rather than driven in — we account for that in the quote after seeing the site.
You need a building permit if the deck is attached to the house, more than 600mm above grade at any point, larger than about 10 square metres, or covered. Elevated decks generally need an engineer's letter for beam and post sizing. We prepare the drawings and handle the application.
Both work. Cedar costs less up front and looks superb on a character home, but it needs sealing on a genuine schedule in this climate or it greys and checks. Composite costs more initially and needs essentially no maintenance. For a deck with full exposure and no cover, we usually recommend composite.
Yes — it's normal here. We've built decks where everything came through a side yard under a metre wide. It affects material choices, staging and labour hours, so we plan it during the site visit and price it honestly instead of discovering it on day one.
Construction is usually 1–3 weeks depending on size and complexity. The permit is the longer part of the timeline — commonly a few weeks for a straightforward residential deck. We start drawings early so the permit runs while materials are being ordered.
Get a free, no-obligation quote from a team with over 30 years of experience serving Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.