Deck Building in South Portland, Maine

A new deck in South Portland usually means one of two lot types: a smaller in-town yard in Knightville, Ferry Village or Willard, where setbacks and neighbors shape the design, or a larger suburban lot where a deck can wrap the back of a ranch or step down from a split-level. Near the shore, a deck built for a harbor or bay view is often raised to see over fences and rooftops.

New decks need a building permit from Code Enforcement, and the city works from the 2021 International Residential Code through the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, which covers footings, ledgers, guards, stairs and landings. Footings must reach below frost depth so the deck does not heave, and a ledger attached to the house needs proper fasteners and flashing, or the deck can stand on its own. Waterfront lots along the harbor, Fore River and bay can also fall under shoreland zoning. Cardinal builds new decks in composite, PVC, pressure-treated lumber and cedar, with railings, stairs and landings, and an owner measures the site before writing a fixed-price proposal.

South Portland has about 12,800 housing units, and the American Community Survey estimates a median year built of 1968, two decades newer than Portland across the harbor. About 25 percent of homes predate 1940 and about 45 percent predate 1960. Roughly 16 percent went up between 1960 and 1979, and close to 19 percent date from 2000 or later, a larger share of newer construction than on the peninsula. Owners occupy about 58 percent of occupied homes, and single-family detached houses make up a little over half the stock, with apartments, condominiums and two-family houses filling out the rest. Seasonal homes are rare, only about 100 units. The older waterfront villages hold the city's early wood-frame houses, while the neighborhoods farther inland are largely post-war and later.

Building permits in South Portland come from Code Enforcement, part of the Department of Planning and Development, which issues permits and conducts inspections for building, electrical and plumbing work. Applications can go through the city's online portal or by email. The city enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, based on the 2021 International Residential Code, and a permitted project must make a substantial start within 180 days. Since 2019, a building permit for exterior work on a designated historic property or any structure built in 1940 or earlier may be delayed up to 90 days. Shoreland zoning applies along the harbor and bay.

South Portland faces Portland Harbor and the Fore River on its north side and Casco Bay to the east, so houses in Ferry Village, Willard and the streets near Spring Point take salt air and onshore wind, while western neighborhoods near the Maine Mall are more sheltered. The city shares its weather with the Portland International Jetport, whose main runway lies inside South Portland, and the Portland area averages about 69 inches of snow a year, with some winters far lighter or heavier. Nor'easters drive rain and snow sideways against exposed walls, and repeated freeze and thaw loosens caulk, paint and shingles. Near the water, salt speeds corrosion of flashing and fasteners.

A new deck starts below ground. Footings have to reach below the frost line so the deck does not heave, the ledger that ties the deck to the house has to be flashed so it never rots the rim, and the framing has to carry snow as well as people. On top of that structure goes the part you see: composite and PVC boards, pressure-treated lumber or cedar, with railings, stairs and landings. Cardinal Exteriors builds new decks and full replacements only; it does not take on deck repairs or staining.

• An owner visits, looks at the yard and the house, and talks through size, layout, stairs and material.
• Permits are pulled where the town requires them.
• Footings are dug or set below frost; posts, beams and joists are framed to span and load.
• The ledger is flashed and fastened with structural fasteners, or the deck is built freestanding.
• Decking, railings, stairs and landings go on, with hidden or face fasteners to suit the boards.

• You want outdoor living space where there is none
• An existing deck is too small or poorly laid out for how you use it
• A new door, addition or view calls for a deck to reach it

• Deck size, height and shape
• Decking material: composite, PVC, pressure-treated or cedar
• Railing style and stair runs
• Footing type and site conditions: ledge, slope, access
• Permits and any shoreland or setback requirements

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 new deck building overview.

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