The deck is officially finished. I actually wrapped it up on Friday and spent the next few days hoping the inspection would go smoothly—I didn’t want to celebrate until it was officially up to code. The inspection happened yesterday afternoon, and we passed. Relief washed over me after all the sweat and hard work (note to self: build decks in spring or fall). Here she is in all her wood-covered, county-approved glory:
It’s a huge improvement over the small, rotting balcony we started with. We wanted it finished in time for Sherry’s mom’s visit from New York, so I focused hard, pushed through the heat, and got the last leg of this deck-building marathon done.
In hindsight it was more of a marathon than I expected. We thought the project would take three or four weeks of on-and-off work, but between heat, thunderstorms, inspections, equipment rentals, material deliveries, summer travel (we were gone for more than half the weekends) and the learning curve of building a deck for the first time as essentially a one-man show, it took ten weeks. That said, the end result made every hour worth it.
I actually enjoyed having an excuse to go outside and tinker during Clara’s naps or on Saturday mornings. It was oddly peaceful to ignore emails and chores for a few hours and just saw and measure and build. My dad’s help with the auger when digging post holes was invaluable—nothing beats a father-son project for a serotonin boost.
If you’re wondering how long a deck can take: an experienced team could likely finish something like this in a week, though you’ll need a few days for inspections. If you’re a first-timer working evenings and alternate weekends like I was, expect a month or two depending on weather and inspection schedules. One thing I can promise: sinking that last screw is incredibly satisfying.
After all the decking was in place, I cut and attached the remaining four posts. Installing the railing posts early helped me plan the stair stringers—the diagonal boards that support the steps. You can buy pre-cut stringers, but I cut my own to match the lumber we received. Calculating the rise and run felt intimidating until I used an online stair calculator to do most of the math for me.
To mark the cuts on a 2 x 12, I clamped a straightedge to a framing square to transfer the measured rise and run. That setup created a reliable guide for tracing the triangular cuts. I cut along the lines with a circular saw and finished the deep corners with a reciprocating saw to get clean, complete cuts.
Once one stringer fit correctly, I used it as a template to mark and cut two more—three stringers were needed for the 48″ width of the steps. One stringer had a knot that caused a small break at the step tip; rather than buy another board I patched it with a short screwed-in piece of wood after confirming it met code.
I attached the stringers to the deck with angled hangers and checked that each step was level as I went. I installed blocking between the stringers to maintain consistent step width; the blocks are hidden but ensure the steps don’t get narrower or wider down the run.
Next I set the posts to support the midpoint and bottom of the staircase into footings I’d dug earlier. I anchored them in wet concrete and let the concrete cure before setting the posts and ensuring they were plumb. With posts temporarily in place, I cut and fitted the step boards—two 2 x 6 boards for each tread to match the decking and a 2 x 8 for the riser/back of each step. Bolting the posts to the stringers was done the same way I bolted the railings to the deck end.
Screwing all of the step boards in place took more time and fasteners than I expected. With the stair treads complete, I turned to the guardrail. The first parts were the top and bottom rails—2 x 4 boards spanning between posts. Our county requires no more than a 4″ gap between deck and rail, so I used a 4 x 4 post as a spacer to keep the rail height consistent.
Attaching the stair rail required extra attention to meet code for bottom gap and rail height relative to each tread nose. Cutting angles and fitting pieces while keeping everything aligned was fiddly, but it came together. I replaced the original deck posts when I realized they were a bit short for the stair railing height; lessons learned meant I cut final post heights in place so there wouldn’t be surprises.
For the balusters—the vertical spindles—I chose a traditional look to match the patio railing visible from the living room. The balusters were easy to space using the posts as guides. The rail cap, cut from a 5/4 x 6 decking board, finishes the top and required careful notching around the posts.
For the stair balusters I temporarily removed the rail cap, screwed balusters in with extra length, then trimmed them flush with a reciprocating saw before reinstalling the cap. I also added a handrail required for stairs with more than three steps and installed decorative post caps for a finished appearance.
With the balusters, cap, and handrail in place, the railings—and therefore the stairs and the entire deck—were complete. Passing inspection made it official. We still need to seal the deck and pick furnishings, and once we seal it we’ll share the final budget breakdown. For now you’ll find me sitting on the new deck, no furniture yet, enjoying a cold soda and promising myself I won’t build another deck for at least ten years. It was a massive, satisfying undertaking and I couldn’t be happier with the result.
Want the full story of the whole project from vision to finished deck? We documented the planning, demolition, material selection, foundational work, joists, decking, and more as we went along, and we’ll share final details once the deck is sealed.