Composite & PVC Decks in Yarmouth, Maine

The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimates about 3,600 homes in Yarmouth, with a median year built of 1973. Roughly 17 percent predate 1940 and about 27 percent predate 1960, while the biggest share, about 39 percent, went up between 1960 and 1979; only about 11 percent date from 2000 or later. About 80 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied and about 76 percent are single-family detached, with roughly 120 units held for seasonal use. The town's 2024 comprehensive plan describes the village core as mostly mid-19th-century wood-frame single-family homes, Greek Revival first and Italianate second. After the 1955 causeway to Cousins and Littlejohn islands and the 1961 arrival of I-295, conventional subdivisions spread along North Road, East Elm Street, Bayview Street, Princes Point Road and Granite Street, with condominium clusters following in the 1980s.

Building permits go through the Yarmouth Code Enforcement Office at Town Hall, 200 Main Street. Chapter 301 requires a permit before any building or structure is erected, remodeled, demolished or relocated, and work started without one pays double the fee. The town notes that applications take about 30 days on average to review, and building permits must be mailed or dropped off rather than emailed. Inside the Upper Village, Lower Village and Royal River Manufacturing historic districts, all exterior changes go to the Historic Preservation Committee, whose review is mandatory but advisory. Shoreland permits apply near Casco Bay and the Royal River.

Yarmouth's building code writes its design conditions straight into the ordinance: a ground snow load of 60 pounds per square foot, a design wind speed of 115 mph, weathering rated severe, a 48-inch frost line, a winter design temperature of minus 5 degrees and ice shield underlayment required. The town fronts Casco Bay along White's Cove and Broad Cove, so houses on Cousins Island, Littlejohn Island, Princes Point and the points along the shore take salt spray and open-water wind during nor'easters. Portland, the nearest long-term weather record, averages about 69 inches of snow a year. The comprehensive plan flags sea level rise along the shoreline, including stretches of the Talbot Road connector on the islands, and the town publishes flood and coastal bluff maps.

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.

For a deeper walkthrough of materials, code details and photos, see our full Composite & PVC Decks: What Changes From Pressure-Treated Lumber guide.

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