Welcome to Deck Masters — What to Expect When You Work With Us

In the video above, Jordan walks through what to expect when you work with Deck Masters—timeline, process, portfolio, foundations, and permits. Skim the outline below if you want the bullet points without the play bar.

Who we are

• Deck Masters has been building decks for 15+ years and has refined a system focused on smooth process, clear timelines, and meeting your expectations.
• We aim to shorten the path from “idea” to “built right” and deliver a result you are happy with, on time.

Timeline and project management

• Many contractors struggle with schedules and materials; we’ve made that a strength.
• We project schedules and manage materials so your project stays on track.
• You can see this reflected in our reviews—homeowners mention communication and follow-through as often as the finished deck.

Our portfolio and scope of work

• On our gallery you’ll see custom decks, projects with integrated lighting, built-in benches, and a wide range of styles and sizes.
• We’ve built close to 1,000 decks in Alaska (92 in the last year alone)—and we’re not slapping them together. We build quality decks built to last 30–50 years.
• Our decks are built without seams where two boards meet; we aim for a finish you won’t need to touch for decades.
• Projects include grand entrance stairs, practical stairs, builds around trees, lighting, and more—all with design and engineering in mind.

Client reviews and transparency

• Our reviews are from real clients on Google—you can look them up. We have 46+ reviews (I said 46 in the video—now it’s 158 reviews and counting!) and a 4.9-star average.
• We’re not perfect. We had a one-star review from Matthew; we’ve refunded him, taken responsibility, and tried to make it right. When we make a mistake, we own it.
• We operate with high integrity, honesty, and transparency. When you hire us, you’re hiring a specialty contractor who cares—and you can trust the team at your home.

Choosing the right contractor

• Do your research. If you don’t choose Deck Masters, still make sure your contractor is:
  • Licensed and knows how to build.
  • Backed by engineers for design.
  • Able to pull permits and hold a municipal license where required.
  • Staffed with skilled, competent crew members.
• We’re not for everyone. Small or DIY-style projects might be better for a handyman or a weekend build. We focus on specialty deck projects: we take what you want and raise the bar—better product, better fit for your needs, at a reasonable price.

Where we build

• Roughly 65–70% of our portfolio is in Anchorage, where we pull permits and manage the full project.
• A large portion of our dock work is in the Valley—Big Lake, Nancy Lake, Long Lake, and similar areas.
• If you want photos or ideas, reach out—we’re happy to share and point you to projects that match what you’re thinking.

Foundations: steel piles and helical piles

• We don’t guess on foundations. We use engineered systems—mainly two options:
  1. Driven steel piles (e.g. with a subcontractor like Subsurface Construction): driven with a hammer 20–60 feet into the ground. We’ve installed thousands of these; they’re warranted, and if one were to move (we’ve seen one fail after the 2018 earthquake), it gets fixed at no cost to you.
  2. Helical piles (e.g. Techno Metal Alaska): 7–20 feet down, engineered and guaranteed. Their equipment can fit through a standard gate and can even be flown to remote or cabin sites.
• For lighter decks (e.g. no hot tubs), other foundation options are sometimes used. We’ll recommend what’s right for your site and design.

Simpson fasteners and engineering

• We use Simpson hangers and fasteners—hot-dip galvanized so they don’t rust and are built to handle the elements and events like earthquakes.
• Hardware-store fasteners often aren’t the right fit or durability. Our decks are built with engineered, code-appropriate connections to prolong the life of the structure.

Permits in the Municipality of Anchorage

• In Anchorage, decks 30 inches or more off the ground (as of spring 2023) require a permit. Lower decks often don’t—when you call us, we can tell you what applies to your project.
• Many contractors claim they can pull permits; in reality, only a few do it competently and confidently. About 90–95% of our Anchorage decks are permitted.
• The permit process gives you extra protection and accountability. Every permitted deck goes through:
  • Engineering and design approval (including steel piles, framing, decking, railing).
  • Zoning and a look at your plot plan so the deck is allowed on your property and doesn’t conflict with neighbors or utility easements.
• Your part is simple: get us an ADB (Assessed Value Document); we handle the rest. If you don’t know what that is, we’ll walk you through it.

Design: decking and railing options

• Trex (decking, railing, lighting) is very common in Alaska and a great resource for ideas—worth a look on their site.
• TimberTech is another strong option: wider, thicker boards and more hidden fasteners; it just hasn’t been marketed here as much as Trex.
• Railing: We use Trex railings and also modify and build our own—aluminum and wood—with a lot of options. We also work with Relic Rail FX (interior and exterior, often more cost-effective) and Feeny (tend to be higher-end). A quick “deck railings” search will show you how many directions you can go.
• We keep thousands of square feet of decking and railing in our Anchorage warehouse, so we’re rarely stuck waiting on standard materials; special orders can still have lead times.

Next steps

• We’re here to inform you, teach you, and give you ideas and options so you can make the best decision for your project.
• The more you know, the better that decision—and we want you to end up glad you hired Deck Masters to build your deck.

Get a free quote or browse our gallery and reviews. Thanks for watching—and for considering Deck Masters.