Composite & PVC Decks in Naples, Maine

Composite and PVC decking fits the way many Naples properties are used. A seasonal cottage that is open from late spring to early fall leaves little time for sanding and staining, and capped composite boards need only an occasional wash. On shaded lots under pines, where needles and damp keep wood surfaces wet for days after rain, capped boards resist the mildew, rot and splintering that shorten the life of unprotected wood and make bare feet coming up from the beach less of a gamble.

Freeze-thaw cycles are hard on fasteners and board ends, and composite boards expand and contract with temperature more than wood does, so gapping and hidden fastener systems must follow the manufacturer's instructions for a place that swings from summer heat to deep cold. Lighter colors stay cooler underfoot on sun-facing lakefront decks in July. PVC boards, which contain no wood fiber, suit decks close to the water or low to the ground where they rarely dry out. The framing underneath still does the structural work, so pressure-treated joists and beams should be protected with joist tape along the top edge, spaced for the board chosen, and set on footings built to the same code as any other deck.

Census estimates count about 3,360 housing units in Naples, with a median year built of 1988, which makes the stock younger than much of Cumberland County. Only about 4 percent predate 1940 and roughly 15 percent predate 1960. About 20 percent went up between 1960 and 1979, about a third between 1980 and 1999, and about 32 percent in 2000 or later. That matches the town's own history: population grew 91 percent between 1970 and 1980 as Naples became a bedroom community for Greater Portland, and new home approvals climbed again from 2021 to 2023. Roughly 81 percent of units are single-family detached, and about 88 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. Around 1,280 units are held for seasonal use, many of them along Long Lake, Brandy Pond and the Sebago shore. A few Federal-period farmhouses, such as the 1796 Manor House on Route 302, survive among them.

Permits go through the Naples Planning, Code Enforcement and Building Inspections office at 15 Village Green Lane, open Monday through Thursday, with a minimum fee of $50 per permit. The town requires permits for new buildings and structural alterations, and says its list is not exhaustive, so plan on a permit for any new or replacement deck and check with the office before re-siding or re-roofing. Land within 250 feet of a great pond or river falls under Maine shoreland zoning, and Naples uses a separate Shoreland Zoning building permit application. There is no local historic district; the 2026 comprehensive plan recommends drafting design guidelines for the Village District.

Naples is lake country about 30 miles inland, so the weather that wears on houses is snow, cold and wind off open water rather than salt. The National Weather Service station in nearby Gray records about 84 inches of snow in a normal year, with roughly 20 inches in each of January and February, and January nights there average about 14 degrees. Snow that sits on roofs through repeated thaws is what feeds ice dams. Houses facing Long Lake, Brandy Pond or the north end of Sebago take wind that builds across the water, and Sebago itself freezes over completely only every few winters, so that exposure stays open late. Wooded lots back from the shore stay shaded and damp, which slows drying on north walls and deck boards.

Composite and PVC decking do not need staining, do not splinter, and resist rot, which is why they have become the default for new decks in Maine. Composite boards blend wood fiber and plastic under a protective cap; PVC boards are all synthetic and lighter. The North Deering farmhouse on this site got a rebuilt deck with AZEK composite decking. The framing underneath is still wood, so it is built to last as long as the boards on top.

• Layout, size and board color are chosen with the owner at the estimate visit.
• Footings and framing are built to code, with joist spacing that suits the board manufacturer's span rules.
• Joist tape or flashing protects the tops of joists and the ledger.
• Boards go down with hidden fasteners or color-matched screws and the expansion gaps the product requires.
• Matching railings, stair treads, fascia and landings finish the deck.

• You are done staining and sealing a wood deck every year or two
• The deck is in shade or near water where wood stays damp
• You want a deck that stays barefoot-friendly with no splinters

• Composite versus PVC, and the product line
• Deck size, height and shape
• Railing system and stairs
• Hidden-fastener versus face-screw installation
• Footing and framing conditions

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 composite and PVC decks overview.

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