The Ranking
Our top 5 deck builders in Edmonton
Edmonton winters are long and cold, and a deck spends half the year under snow and the other half in strong prairie sun. Spring and fall bring repeated freeze and thaw, which works water into wood grain, loosens fasteners and lifts footings that were not set deep enough. That is why many Edmonton homeowners ask for composite or PVC boards, a waterproof vinyl membrane on decks that sit over a garage or a room, or aluminum decking that will not rot. Pressure treated lumber and cedar still cost less to build, but they need stain or sealer every few years. Railing choice matters here too: welded aluminum and glass hold up to snow and road dust better than painted wood.
What holds a deck up matters more than the boards. Footings have to sit below the frost line so the ground cannot heave them, and around Edmonton that means deep piles, often screw piles or poured concrete piles, so ask your builder to put the footing type and depth on the drawings. A deck fastened to the house hangs off a ledger board, which should be bolted through to the rim joist and flashed so water does not rot the wall. Under the Alberta Building Code a guard is required once the walking surface is more than 600 mm above the ground, and the required guard height rises for decks higher than 1.8 m, so the railing height belongs on the plan as well.
The City of Edmonton's rules are specific. A building permit is not needed only when the deck is 0.6 metres or less above the ground at every point, serves a single home, has no roof or walls and carries no heavy loads such as a gazebo or masonry. A development permit is not needed only when the deck sits entirely in the back or interior side yard, is not in the flanking side yard of a corner lot, is no more than 1.2 metres above the ground at any point, has no roof or walls, and is outside the river valley and ravine protection overlay. Most decks need both, and the City combines them in a Home Improvement Permit. A roofed deck or pergola attached to the house is treated as a home addition, and a freestanding pergola or gazebo on the deck must be included in the permit.
Before anyone digs pile holes, request a locate through Utility Safety Partners, the Alberta service behind Click Before You Dig, which is free. Many newer Edmonton neighbourhoods also have architectural guidelines, and condo boards often control decks and railings, so check those rules before you sign.
Alberta has no provincial licence for deck builders. A contractor that takes a deposit before the work is done must hold a prepaid contractor licence from Service Alberta, and you can ask for a Workers' Compensation Board clearance letter and a certificate of liability insurance. Get the warranty, the decking and railing products, the footing depth and who applies for the permit written into the contract.
