Deck Replacement in Harpswell, Maine

Older decks in Harpswell often reach the end of their life faster than inland ones. Pressure-treated framing and steel fasteners corrode in salt air, ledgers attached without flashing rot the house framing behind them, and footings set on shallow blocks or ledge without pins shift with frost. Railings on older decks may also fall short of current height and spacing rules, which matters on decks that sit well above sloping waterfront ground.

Cardinal replaces decks from the footings up; it does not repair, patch or stain existing ones. The old structure is removed, the house wall is inspected where the ledger was attached, and the new deck is built with proper flashing, corrosion-resistant connectors and footings below frost. The town requires a permit for replacements, including decks, and the rebuilt deck must fit within the building envelope, which in shoreland zones means 75 feet from the highest astronomical tide. An older deck built closer than that may have limits on how it can be rebuilt, so it is worth talking to the Harpswell Code Enforcement Office before settling on a design.

Census estimates count about 4,300 housing units in Harpswell with a median year built around 1979. Roughly one in five units predates 1940, about 29 percent predates 1960, around 22 percent was built between 1960 and 1979, and about 19 percent dates from 2000 or later. More than 91 percent of units are single-family detached houses, and about 83 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, both far above most Cumberland County towns. The most distinctive number is seasonal use: around 1,440 units, about a third of the housing stock, are held for seasonal or recreational use. That means cottages and camps that sit closed for months, next to year-round capes, farmhouses and larger newer homes on the water, often clad in cedar shingles or clapboard.

The Harpswell Code Enforcement Office requires a building permit to alter, repair, renovate or replace any existing structure. Its permit guide specifically lists decks, even when built off-site, and window and exterior door replacement. The permit must be posted before work starts, review takes about 14 business days, and an accurate plot plan is expected. Structures must stay within the building envelope: in shoreland zones, 75 feet from the highest astronomical tide and 25 feet from boundary lines. Permits run one year, or up to five with a substantial start, and inspections include a final.

Few towns in Cumberland County are as exposed. Harpswell's land area is about 24 square miles against more than 100 square miles of water, so much of the town sits close to the bay and the wind has a long open run to reach them. Salt spray settles on siding, glass and roof metal, fog keeps surfaces damp for days, and nor'easters push rain sideways into east- and north-facing walls. Snowfall at the Portland Jetport, the closest long-record National Weather Service station, averaged about 69 inches a year over the 1991 to 2020 normals, and wet coastal snow loads roofs and decks quickly. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles still split paint, loosen shingles and heave shallow footings.

When an old deck is soft, wobbly or pulling away from the house, a full replacement is treated as a new build: the old deck comes off, the footings and framing are built new, and the new surface, railings and stairs go on. That is the only way to deal with hidden rot at the ledger and frost-heaved footings, and it is how Cardinal Exteriors approaches it. It lets you change the size, shape and material at the same time.

• The existing deck is removed and disposed of, and the house wall behind the ledger is inspected.
• Rotted rim or sheathing behind the old ledger is repaired and the wall is flashed.
• New footings go below frost; new posts, beams and joists are framed.
• New decking, railings, stairs and landings are installed in the material you choose.
• Permits are pulled where required and the site is cleaned up.

• Soft or spongy boards and joists
• A ledger pulling away from the house or rust-streaked fasteners
• Posts that have heaved, leaned or rotted at the base
• Railings that wobble or are lower than today's code expects

• Removal and disposal of the old deck
• Repairs to the house wall behind the ledger
• New size, height and shape
• Decking and railing materials
• Footing type and site access

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our deck building page, and the details of this service are on the deck replacement overview.

Back to the Harpswell exterior services overview, or see every town on our Cumberland County service areas page.