Cedar Deck Building

Service

What Does a Cedar Deck Build Include?

A cedar deck build is a full new-construction build with western red cedar decking — covering site staking and footing layout, concrete pier or helical pier footings, framing in pressure-treated (standard) or full cedar (upgrade option), through-bolted Z-flashed ledger on attached builds per IRC R507.9.1.3, western red cedar 5/4 by 6-inch decking install with stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized deck screws sized for cedar, cedar 2x4 cap-rail and railing system (or aluminum baluster upgrade), cedar fascia at the rim joist, low-voltage stair lighting, the first coat of stain-and-sealer (or left raw for natural weathering at the homeowner's request), and final cleanup. Handis covers cedar builds from $18,000 for a standard 200 to 300-square-foot build up to $40,000 for a larger build with full cedar framing, cedar railing, cap rail, fascia, and stair detailing.

Western Red Cedar Decking — 5/4 by 6-Inch Standard

We install western red cedar 5/4 by 6-inch (full 1-inch by 5.5-inch dimensional) decking as the standard. Cedar 2x6 (full 1.5-inch by 5.5-inch dimensional) is an upgrade option for builds where the homeowner wants the heavier, more substantial board profile. Decking goes on with stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized deck screws set flush — top-driven on cedar (cedar's softer grain hides screw heads better than the harder composites that benefit from hidden fasteners). 1/4-inch gap between boards for drainage and expansion.

Framing — PT Standard, Full Cedar Upgrade

Standard cedar builds use pressure-treated southern yellow pine framing — joists, beams, posts — which is the right structural choice for ground-contact and wet-exposure framing under cedar decking. Full-cedar framing is an upgrade option for premium builds where the homeowner wants the all-cedar aesthetic visible from below (a common request on elevated decks where the framing shows). Full-cedar framing adds approximately $4,000 to $8,000 to the build cost depending on size and runs slightly shorter life on the framing side than PT (cedar framing is not pressure-treated and is more vulnerable to ground-contact rot).

Hot-Dipped Galvanized or Stainless Fasteners — The Cedar-Specific Detail

Cedar contains natural acids (tannins) that corrode certain fastener grades faster than the equivalent fasteners would corrode in untreated wood. We use hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel fasteners on every cedar build — never electroplated zinc. Stainless is the upgrade for premium builds. Standard galvanized fasteners stain cedar around the screw head (the dark rings every aging cedar deck shows around its non-stainless screws) and corrode faster against cedar's tannins than the harder framing screws designed for PT.

Cedar Railing and Cap Rail

Cedar 2x4 capped railing system on every cedar build — vertical cedar balusters (1.5-inch on-center at the 4-inch sphere rule), cedar 2x4 top rail capped with a cedar cap. The aluminum baluster upgrade replaces the vertical cedar balusters with powder-coated aluminum for a thinner-baluster modern look at $3,000 to $5,000 added cost. The cap rail on every cedar build gets routed and sanded smooth for hand contact.

Stain-and-Seal First Coat Included

Every Handis cedar build includes the first coat of stain-and-sealer applied after install (or left raw at the homeowner's request for natural weathering to silver-gray). We use semi-transparent oil-based stains from the major Pacific Northwest brands (Cabot, Penofin, Sikkens, or Defy) — the right product for cedar's pore structure, allowing the wood grain to read through while protecting against UV and moisture. The homeowner re-stains every 18 to 24 months on the standard maintenance cycle to keep the color; cedar left unstained weathers to silver in 12 to 18 months and stays that color through the deck's life.