Your deck’s telling you something. Soft spots near the house. A railing post that wiggles when you lean on it. Stain that flaked off last summer and never came back right. Maybe a stair tread that bounced last time you carried groceries up. These are not cosmetic issues. They’re the deck asking for help, and most of the time the surface isn’t where the real problem lives.
We’re CertainTeed ShingleMaster certified (top 3 percent of US roofers) and family-owned in Plano, see all credentials. We’ve been repairing DFW decks since 2022, and the family runs every job personally, more on our story.
Most of the deck repair calls we get start with “can you just replace these boards.” About 60 percent of the time, the answer is no, because the framing underneath is wet, the ledger is leaking into the house, or the posts are rotted at the footing. We tell you what we find. Then you decide.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free deck inspection.
the 6 most common dfw deck failures we repair.
After a few hundred deck inspections across Plano, Frisco, Dallas, and Allen, the same six failures keep showing up. The DFW climate is brutal on decks. We get 100-plus degree summers, freeze-thaw cycles in January, and 40-plus inches of rain a year. Wood moves, fasteners corrode, and water finds every gap.
| failure | typical cost to fix | risk if ignored | when full rebuild is cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| surface board rot or warp | $40 to $100 per board | trip hazard, water reaches joists | over 40 percent of boards affected |
| ledger flashing failure | $1,200 to $3,500 | band joist + sill plate rot inside wall | ledger framing is rotted through |
| joist sag or rot | $1,500 to $4,000 | collapse risk under load | more than 30 percent of joists affected |
| railing post wobble | $200 to $500 per post | code violation, fall hazard | every post is loose and rotted |
| stair tread or stringer failure | $800 to $2,400 | injury, code violation | stringers are split or rotted |
| stain or seal failure | $800 to $2,000 to refinish | accelerated wood rot, UV damage | wood is already too far gone |
The matrix isn’t theoretical. We track every repair we quote against what the customer chose and how it held up. Surface board rot on a deck with sound framing is a clean fix. Ledger failure on a 15-year-old deck with no flashing is usually the start of a rebuild conversation.
ledger flashing failure: the silent code violation.
The ledger is the board bolted to your house that the deck framing hangs off. If it’s not flashed correctly, every rainstorm tracks water behind the siding, into the band joist, and down to the sill plate. By the time you see the deck sagging at the house, you’ve already got rot inside the wall.
The IRC adopted ledger flashing as a hard requirement in 2009, but DFW builders were slow to catch up. Most decks built before 2015 in Plano, Richardson, and Garland have either no flashing at all or a strip of felt paper that’s now disintegrated. We test every ledger on every inspection. We pull a board near the house, look at the flashing, probe the band joist with an awl, and check the inside wall for staining.
If the ledger is bad, we rebuild it with continuous Z-flashing tucked behind the housewrap, butyl tape over the ledger bolts, and a drip cap above. We use 1/2 inch through-bolts, not lag screws, and we space them per the IRC R507.9 table. This is the single most important repair on most older DFW decks, and most contractors skip it.
Call (214) 326-3106 to get your ledger tested.
repair vs rebuild decision in 5 questions.
We don’t push rebuilds when a repair makes sense. We also don’t band-aid a deck that’s structurally done. Here’s the tree we walk with you on the inspection.
- How old is the deck? Under 10 years and the bones are usually fine. Over 20 years and we’re looking hard at the framing.
- Is the ledger flashed correctly? If not, and there’s interior wall damage, we’re rebuilding the ledger no matter what. That’s often the breakpoint.
- What’s the joist condition? We probe every joist with an awl. More than 30 percent showing soft wood and we’re past the repair line.
- What percent of the surface boards are affected? Under 25 percent and surface replacement makes sense. Over 50 percent and you’re paying labor twice if you don’t rebuild.
- Does the structure meet current code? Old decks often have undersized footings, ledger bolts in the wrong pattern, or railing posts that don’t meet 200 lb lateral load. If we’re opening it up anyway, code-compliant rebuild is usually within 20 percent of the repair cost.
If 3 or more answers come back bad, we’ll quote both options side by side so you can see the math. Sometimes repair still wins on cash flow. Sometimes the rebuild is the obvious move. We don’t make that call for you.
surface board only vs framing repair vs full rebuild.
Three tiers of deck repair, three different price points, three different lifespans.
Tier 1, surface boards only. $$ range. We pull and replace rotted or warped deck boards on top of sound framing. New stain and seal. Same railings, same stairs, same joists. Runs $8 to $14 per square foot installed depending on board material. Buys you 10 to 15 years if the framing stays dry.
Tier 2, framing repair plus surface. $$$ range. We sister rotted joists, rebuild the ledger if needed, replace stair stringers, and re-anchor railing posts. New decking and stain on top. Runs $25 to $45 per square foot. Buys you 15 to 20 years and brings the structure to current code.
Tier 3, full rebuild. $$$$ range. New everything from the footings up. Pressure-treated framing, composite or cedar surface, code-compliant railings, new stairs. Runs $40 to $80 per square foot for treated pine surface, $55 to $110 for composite. Buys you 25 to 30 years on composite, 15 to 20 on treated pine.
We walk you through which tier fits during the inspection. Once we open up framing, if we find more rot than the scope covered, we stop and call you. No surprise invoices.
the rapid roof response process.
Same process we run for every job. Built so you know what’s happening at every step.
1. free on-site inspection. Mahmoud or our lead carpenter walks the deck with you. We probe every board, test the ledger, check joist hangers, and shake every railing post. You get photos and a written scope. Takes 45 minutes to an hour.
2. scope and fixed-price quote. Within 24 hours you get an emailed line-item quote separating cosmetic work, framing repair, and code work. You see exactly what each line costs. No bundled “deck repair, $14,000” quotes.
3. permit pull when required. Ledger rebuilds and structural framing changes require a Plano or Dallas permit. We handle the application, drawings, and city inspection scheduling. You don’t chase city hall.
4. build with daily photo updates. Mahmoud or Sara texts you photos every workday. You see the ledger flashing before boards cover it. You see joist hangers before decking goes back down. You see what you paid for.
5. final walk and warranty. We walk the finished deck with you, run a hose at the ledger to prove the flashing works, and hand you a written 5-year workmanship warranty.
Call (214) 326-3106 to schedule your free inspection.
what deck repair costs in dallas.
Real numbers from jobs we’ve quoted and built across DFW in the last 18 months. Your deck will price differently based on access, height, material choice, and how much rot we find once we open it up.
- Single board replacement. $40 to $100 per board installed, depending on board length, material, and whether we’re matching a hard-to-find profile. Cedar runs higher than treated pine. Composite runs highest.
- Stair rebuild. $800 to $2,400 for a typical 3 to 6 step run. Includes new stringers, treads, risers, and code-compliant handrail. Wider stairs and curved layouts add to the high end.
- Ledger flashing rebuild. $1,200 to $3,500. Includes pulling boards back, replacing flashing with Z-flashing and butyl tape, replacing rotted band joist if needed, and reinstalling decking. The wide range reflects how much wall damage we find behind the ledger.
- Joist sister-up. $1,500 to $4,000 depending on how many joists are affected and access underneath. Crawl-access decks under 24 inches off grade cost more in labor than walk-under decks.
- Railing post re-anchor. $200 to $500 per post. Through-bolt hardware, not lag screws. Code requires 200 lb lateral resistance.
- Full deck restain and reseal. $800 to $2,000 for a typical 250 to 400 sq ft deck. Includes power wash, sand, and 2 coats of penetrating stain.
We give you fixed-price quotes, not time and materials. If we open framing and find more damage, we call you first. No surprise change orders.
composite swap: when to retrofit composite over treated framing.
If your framing is sound but the surface boards are shot, retrofitting composite decking over the existing joists is often the smart move. Trex Transcend, TimberTech AZEK, and Fiberon Concordia all work as surface retrofits on pressure-treated 2x8 or 2x10 framing at 16 inch on-center spacing.
The math: composite surface retrofit runs $22 to $38 per square foot installed. Cedar surface replacement runs $14 to $22. Composite costs 50 to 70 percent more up front, but you skip stain reapplication every 2 to 3 years (call it $1,200 to $2,000 per cycle on a 350 sq ft deck) and the surface lasts 25 to 30 years instead of 12 to 15. On a 10-year hold, composite roughly breaks even. On a 15-year hold, composite wins by a wide margin.
One catch. Composite needs tighter framing than wood. If your joists are 24 inch on-center, we sister in additional joists to get to 16 inch on-center before laying composite. That adds $4 to $7 per square foot.
stain + seal vs paint: what holds up in dfw sun.
Don’t paint a deck surface in Dallas. Paint forms a film on top of the wood. DFW UV cooks the film, it cracks, water gets under it, and the wood rots faster than it would have raw. We’ve replaced more rotted painted decks than rotted stained ones.
Penetrating oil-based stain soaks into the wood and blocks UV without forming a film. Reapply every 2 to 3 years on a south-facing deck, every 3 to 4 on a shaded one. We use Penofin (cedar and exotic hardwoods), Armstrong-Clark (treated pine and oak), or TWP 1500 (treated pine, lower price point).
Railings and vertical surfaces can take paint if you really want a color. Just keep paint off the walking surface and stair treads.
Call (214) 326-3106 to get your deck inspected.
the texas 25 percent rule, what carriers actually require.
If your deck damage came from a storm and you’re filing an insurance claim, know this. Texas 28 TAC 21.1006 requires carriers to pay for matching materials when the damaged portion exceeds 25 percent of a continuous surface. Practically, if a hail or wind event damaged more than a quarter of your deck boards and the rest can’t be matched in current production, the carrier owes you full replacement of the matching surface.
This rule comes up most often when a storm damages railings or stair treads on an older deck where the original cedar profile is no longer milled. We document the damage, photograph the percentages, and meet your adjuster on site to walk the scope. We do not negotiate the claim. Texas Insurance Code 4102.163 bars roofers from acting as public adjusters. We document, you and the adjuster decide.
dfw weather and the storm timeline carriers honor.
Most DFW deck storm damage claims trace back to one of these events. Carriers honor the dates, and we still see active claim work tied to them.
- May 28, 2023. Plano and Allen hailstorm, baseball-sized hail.
- April 9, 2024. Dallas and Mesquite, EF-1 tornado track with debris damage along the corridor.
- May 23, 2024. Northeast Tarrant, large hail and 70 mph winds, lots of deck railing and pergola damage.
- June 17, 2024. McKinney and Frisco, severe hail with widespread cosmetic damage to deck surfaces.
If your deck took damage in one of these events and you haven’t filed yet, the statute of limitations on a Texas property claim is generally 2 years from the date of loss under Texas Insurance Code 541.162. Don’t wait.
payment plans.
A typical ledger rebuild plus framing plus surface replacement on a 300 sq ft deck runs about $12,000. We offer an in-house zero interest payment plan on qualifying projects: a larger upfront deposit gets the work started, and the balance is split over flexible terms depending on the size of the project. Cash jobs are always welcome, and the details are on our payment plans page.
anti-storm-chaser warning.
After every hailstorm in DFW, out-of-state crews show up in trucks with magnetic signs and offer “free deck inspections” door to door. Some are legit. Most aren’t. The pattern: they quote a deck rebuild at half the local rate, ask for a deposit, and either disappear or do the work with uninsured labor and no workers’ comp coverage. When the deck fails in 2 years, the LLC is dissolved and you have no recourse.
Before you sign with anyone after a storm, ask three questions. How long have you been at this Texas address. Show me your general liability and workers’ comp certificates. Can I see 3 deck jobs in my zip code from the last 12 months. If they hesitate on any of the three, walk.
dfw neighborhoods we serve.
We’ve rebuilt decks across the DFW metro, including:
- Plano (Willow Bend, Deerfield, Bent Tree), Frisco (Stonebriar, Starwood, Phillips Creek Ranch), Dallas (Lakewood, Lake Highlands, Preston Hollow, Bishop Arts, M Streets), Highland Park, Allen (Twin Creeks, Watters Creek)
- McKinney (Stonebridge Ranch, Adriatica), Richardson (Canyon Creek), Wylie, Garland, Mesquite, Irving (Las Colinas)
- Carrollton, Coppell, Lewisville (Castle Hills), Flower Mound (Bridlewood), Grapevine, Keller
- Southlake (Timarron), Fort Worth (TCU area, Tanglewood), Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Prosper (Whitley Place, Windsong Ranch)
Most repair calls come out of Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, and Dallas, and we cover the lake-side decks in Rockwall and Heath as well, where Lake Ray Hubbard humidity is rough on ledgers and railings.
Call (214) 326-3106 for your free deck inspection.
Roof Raiders & Co. is family-owned, rated 5.0 stars on Google, a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Preferred Vendor, and based on Legacy Drive in Plano. Mahmoud Abu Saad and Sara Bannat answer the phone. If we’re on a roof, we’ll call you back the same day.
Schedule Free Inspection or see our work.
What's included
- Full structural inspection of ledger, joists, posts, beams, and footings
- Ledger flashing test and rebuild to current IRC R507 code
- Surface board replacement, treated pine, cedar, or composite
- Joist sister-up and beam reinforcement for sagging framing
- Railing post re-anchor with through-bolt hardware, not lag screws
- Stair tread and stringer rebuild with code-compliant 7/11 rise and run
- Penetrating oil-based stain and seal on cleaned, sanded wood
- Hidden fastener systems for composite retrofits
- Permit pull and final inspection coordination when scope requires it
- Written 5-year workmanship warranty on framing repairs
How it works
- free on-site inspection. We walk the deck with you, probe every board with an awl, test the ledger flashing, check joist hangers, and shake every railing post. You get photos and a written scope, not a verbal guess.
- scope and fixed-price quote. We email a line-item quote separating cosmetic, framing, and code work. No upsells mid-job. If we open up framing and find more rot, we stop and call you before billing a penny extra.
- permit pull when required. Ledger rebuilds and structural framing changes require a Dallas or Plano permit. We handle the application, drawings, and inspection scheduling. You don't chase city hall.
- build with daily photo updates. Mahmoud or Sara texts you progress photos every workday. You see the ledger flashing before the boards cover it. You see the joist hangers before the decking goes back down.
- final walk and warranty handoff. We walk the finished deck with you, run water at the ledger, and hand you a written 5-year workmanship warranty plus stain reapplication reminders for years 2 and 4.
