PVC Deck
PVC deck is the fully cellular synthetic decking path — AZEK, TimberTech AZEK, Wolf Serenity, or Deckorators Voyage boards on a pressure-treated 2x frame, with no wood flour in the cap (the way capped composite is built) and therefore nothing for mildew to colonize in the year-round shade typical of a Seattle north-facing yard. The boards are warm-grey-to-walnut in current grain runs, install on hidden fasteners (Cortex plugs at the perimeter and board ends, TigerClaw or manufacturer-matched clip in the field), and finish with color-matched PVC fascia and a one-piece stair nosing rather than the field-cut and exposed-fastener stair edge that ages a deck visually in two seasons. Four to six working weeks on a standard 300 to 450 square-foot single-level rebuild. From $32,000 for a 300 square-foot single-level build on existing footings to $70,000 for a 600+ square-foot multi-level PVC build with composite or cable railing, integrated low-voltage lighting, and a built-in bench. Handis pulls the building permit on any deck more than 30 inches above grade and coordinates structural engineering where the elevation, span, or hillside soil triggers it; both pass through as named line items, never as a surprise. Any line-voltage lighting or hot-tub circuit routes to a licensed Washington L&I electrician.
Service
What PVC Deck Construction Covers
A PVC deck build is the fully synthetic decking path — cellular PVC boards (AZEK, TimberTech AZEK, Wolf Serenity, Deckorators Voyage) on a pressure-treated joist frame, no organic content in the surface board at all, no rot risk in damp Pacific Northwest shade, and a 30 to 50-year manufacturer warranty depending on the line. The trade-off is upfront cost — PVC runs roughly 30 to 50 percent more per square foot than capped composite — and a softer surface that scratches with metal patio chair legs faster than hardwood. Handis owns the carpentry; the permit goes through us as general contractor; structural engineering subs to a licensed Washington PE when the deck elevation, span, or soil triggers it; any line-voltage circuit (low-voltage lighting transformer to a switched outlet, hot tub, in-deck heater) routes to a licensed Washington L&I electrician.
Pre-Build Site Assessment + Demo + Permit Pull
The first visit measures the existing footprint, photographs the ledger-to-house connection (the failure point on more than half of the failed decks we are called to demolish), checks the soil with a hand-auger probe for the footing zone, and confirms whether the new deck triggers Seattle DCI permit thresholds (over 30 inches above grade at any point, or attached to the house in a way that affects the building envelope). On a tear-down-and-rebuild project we demolish the existing deck, haul the debris, expose the foundation wall or rim joist for the new ledger, and confirm the soil condition at the new footing locations.
Footings, Ledger, and Frame in Pressure-Treated 2x
Footings go in as either concrete piers (4 to 6 feet deep, below frost line at most Seattle elevations) or helical piles (engineered for hillside or fill-soil lots) sized to the soil bearing capacity and the load schedule on the permit drawings. The ledger gets through-bolted to the rim joist or foundation with code-stamped ledger bolts (LedgerLOK, FastenMaster), and the back of the ledger gets a full continuous metal flashing tied into the house siding above and the deck membrane below — the single most common failure point in PNW residential decks because water tracking behind the ledger rots the rim joist out of sight. Joists are pressure-treated 2x in the size and spacing the engineer specifies (typically 2x10 at 16 inches on center for a 12-foot span, tighter at 12-inch on center for hidden-fastener composite/PVC because the boards span less reliably than dimensional lumber).
Cellular PVC Decking + Hidden Fastener System
Boards install with the manufacturer-matched hidden fastener system — TigerClaw or AZEK's matched clip in the field, Cortex color-matched plugs at the perimeter, board ends, and stair treads where face-fastening is unavoidable. Field clips set the gap automatically (typically 3/16 inch for thermal expansion). Picture-frame border (a contrasting or matching perimeter board mitered at the corners) goes on after the field; the picture frame is what makes a PVC deck read as a finished install rather than a cut-off rectangle of boards. End-cuts on the field boards are sealed where they cross the picture frame so the cellular core does not show.
Color-Matched Fascia, Stair Nosing, and Skirting
The perimeter and stair risers wrap in matching PVC fascia in 1/2-inch thickness — the small-but-visible detail that separates a Handis PVC deck from a deck where the joist ends and the underside of the boards are visible from the yard. Stair nosing is one-piece molded PVC (AZEK Bullnose, TimberTech AZEK Multi-Width) rather than a field-cut tread edge so the front of every step has a clean rounded face. Skirting (lattice or solid PVC panel) closes the perimeter from grade up to the joists where the deck height makes the underside visible.
Code-Compliant Railing + Optional Low-Voltage Lighting
Railings are required by Washington State Building Code on any deck surface more than 30 inches above grade — 36-inch minimum height, no spheres greater than 4 inches through the balusters, graspable handrail on every stair flight with more than three risers. Options range from PVC-and-aluminum (the cost-effective standard), to powder-coated aluminum panel rail (lower visual obstruction), to stainless cable rail (cleanest sight lines, ideal for view decks). Low-voltage post-cap lights and stair-riser lights run off a transformer that lives at a switched outlet — Handis runs the low-voltage wire and sets the fixtures, the licensed electrician adds or relocates the switched outlet circuit if a new one is needed.
How the PVC Deck Build Works
Six sequential phases from site assessment and permit pull to final walk-through — the actual working sequence we run on every PVC deck build, with structural engineering, permits, and the licensed electrician sequenced inside the timeline.
Site Assessment, Soil Probe, Permit Decision
Estimate visit measures the footprint, photographs the ledger zone, checks the soil with a hand-auger probe at the new footing locations, and tells you whether Seattle DCI will require a permit (yes on any deck more than 30 inches above grade, or attached in a way that affects the building envelope). We pull the permit as general contractor and route structural engineering to a licensed Washington PE if the elevation, span, or hillside soil triggers it. Engineering and permit fees pass through as named line items on the quote.
Tear-Down, Ledger Exposure, Footing Layout
On a rebuild we demolish the existing deck, haul the debris, expose the rim joist or foundation wall where the new ledger lands, and lay out the new footing positions per the engineer's drawings. Helical piles get installed by the helical contractor (Handis-coordinated, scheduled to the day); concrete piers get hand-dug or auger-bored to 4 to 6 feet below grade and poured with 3,000 PSI mix. Curing time is 7 days before the frame loads.
Ledger Through-Bolted with Continuous Flashing, Frame Up in PT 2x
Ledger bolts (LedgerLOK or FastenMaster code-stamped) every 16 inches into the rim joist or foundation, with full continuous metal flashing tied into the house siding above and a peel-and-stick membrane below. Pressure-treated 2x10 (or per engineer) joists at 12-inch on center for the hidden-fastener PVC span, beams sized per engineer, posts on engineered post-base hardware (Simpson PB66 or equivalent) bolted to the footings. Rim joists trimmed for picture-frame board layout.
PVC Decking on Hidden Fasteners + Picture Frame
Cellular PVC boards install on TigerClaw or manufacturer-matched clips in the field at the manufacturer-spec gap (typically 3/16 inch). Cortex color-matched plugs at the perimeter and board ends. Picture-frame border (mitered at corners) goes on last, with end-cuts on field boards sealed where they meet the frame so the cellular core does not show. One-piece molded PVC stair nosing on every tread.
Color-Matched Fascia, Stair Risers, Skirting
1/2-inch PVC fascia wraps the perimeter and stair risers in matching color so the joist ends and underside are not visible from the yard. Skirting (lattice or solid PVC) closes the perimeter from grade up to the joists where the deck height makes the underside visible. Stair stringers wrapped or capped to match. The detail layer that separates a Handis deck from a builder-grade install.
Railing, Low-Voltage Lighting, Final Walk + Permit Sign-Off
Code-compliant railing (PVC-and-aluminum, powder-coated aluminum panel, or stainless cable) installed at the spec'd 36-inch minimum height with no spheres greater than 4 inches through balusters. Low-voltage post-cap and stair-riser lights run from a transformer at a switched outlet (Handis carpentry; the licensed Washington L&I electrician handles any new line-voltage circuit). Final inspection by Seattle DCI scheduled by Handis as permit holder; we walk the deck with you and hand off the permit copy and the manufacturer warranty paperwork.
PVC Deck Pricing
Final pricing depends on deck square footage, elevation above grade (which triggers permit and engineering), board line selection (TimberTech AZEK Vintage vs Wolf Serenity vs Deckorators Voyage), railing system, and integrated lighting scope. Building permit fee and structural engineering pass through as named line items on the quote, not as surprise add-ons. The licensed Washington L&I electrician's portion (for any new line-voltage circuit) is also named line by line. Request a free in-home estimate for an accurate quote.
Send us the back-yard photos, the rough square footage, and the board line you are leaning toward — we will quote the PVC build including permit and engineering pass-through.
Why Seattle Homeowners Book Handis for PVC Decks
The PVC decks that fail in PNW are not the ones where the boards failed — cellular PVC essentially does not fail under residential foot traffic in the warranty window. The failures are at the ledger (the flashing detail was not done right and the rim joist rotted out of sight behind it) or at the footing (a builder skipped the soil probe on a hillside lot and the footings sank two inches the first wet winter). Handis treats both as non-negotiable line items — full continuous metal flashing at every ledger, soil-bearing-checked footings sized to the engineer's load schedule on every elevated deck, photo documentation of both at completion so the warranty traceback exists in writing. The deck visible above grade is the cosmetic layer; the connection to the house and the connection to the ground are the deck.
Full continuous metal ledger flashing, photographed at install
The single most common deck failure in the Pacific Northwest is the rim joist rotting behind a ledger that was never properly flashed. The fix is not exotic — continuous metal flashing tied into the house siding above the ledger and a peel-and-stick waterproof membrane below it, so any water that finds its way behind the siding tracks out over the deck rather than down into the rim joist. We do this on every PVC deck regardless of code minimum, and we photograph the assembly at install before the boards close it in. The photo is in the permit file and your file. If the rim joist rots in the warranty window we have the documentation that the flashing was right and the failure was somewhere else.
Hand-auger soil probe at every footing location, not just at one corner
Many residential deck failures we are called to demolish trace to a footing that sank because the builder probed one corner of the build, found firm bearing soil, assumed the rest matched, and put eight piers on top of fill soil at the other side. Seattle yards routinely have transitions from native till to old fill (especially properties that have been backfilled against retaining walls or terraced over the decades) and the bearing capacity changes within a few feet. Handis hand-augers a probe at every footing location, not just one or two, and the engineer sizes each footing to the soil it sits on. Piers do not sink the first wet winter.
Manufacturer-matched hidden fastener system, not a substitute
Each cellular PVC line is designed for a specific hidden fastener system — TimberTech AZEK boards for TigerClaw or AZEK's matched clip, Wolf Serenity for WolfClip, Deckorators Voyage for the manufacturer's matched system. Substituting a generic clip voids the manufacturer warranty (the warranty paperwork explicitly calls out the matched system) and causes board movement issues over multiple thermal cycles. We use the matched system on every build, and the receipts go in the warranty file at hand-off. If a board moves out of plane in year one we have the documentation that the install was to spec.
Permit and engineering pulled by Handis as general contractor, named on the quote
Decks more than 30 inches above grade at any point require a Seattle DCI building permit; many also require structural engineering when the span, the elevation, or hillside soil triggers it. Handis pulls the permit as general contractor under our contractor license, coordinates structural engineering through a licensed Washington PE we have worked with for years, and both fees pass through on the quote as named line items so you see exactly what the engineer and the permit cost — no markup, no hidden margin, no surprises. For decks under 30 inches above grade on a flat lot, no permit is required and we say so on the estimate visit.
Insured, background-checked, 30-day workmanship + manufacturer warranty on the board
Every Handis carpenter carries liability insurance and has cleared a background screening before the first job. The 30-day workmanship guarantee covers any fastener that loosens, any picture-frame miter that opens, and any cosmetic finish. The manufacturer (AZEK, TimberTech, Wolf, Deckorators) warrants the board itself separately under their printed warranty — typically 30 to 50 years against rot, fade, and stain, transferable to the next owner. We register the board lot numbers with the manufacturer at install so the warranty traceback exists in the manufacturer's database. The licensed Washington L&I electrician warrants their portion under their own license terms. All warranties in writing at project close.
Estimate
Tell us the back-yard layout (single level, multi-level, attached to the house or freestanding), the rough square footage, the elevation above grade at the highest point, the board line you are leaning toward (AZEK Vintage, TimberTech AZEK Reserve, Wolf Serenity, Deckorators Voyage), and any add-ons you want priced (low-voltage lighting, built-in bench, stainless cable rail). We send back a clear estimate with the permit and engineering pass-through named line by line and a project timeline.
Customer Reviews
PVC deck construction reviews from real Seattle-area Handis customers.
1992 Magnolia split-level with a rotting cedar deck off the kitchen. Handis demolished the old deck, exposed the rim joist (rotted on a 6-foot stretch behind the original un-flashed ledger), replaced the bad rim joist section, and built a 380 square-foot AZEK Vintage Mahogany deck with hidden fasteners and a cable rail looking over Puget Sound. Five working weeks. The flashing detail at the ledger was the part I cared most about and they texted me a photo before they covered it.
1976 Queen Anne hillside lot. The old deck had been engineered in 1998 by a previous owner and the helical piles were still good after the soils engineer re-checked. Handis re-used the engineered footings (which saved us a four-week engineering review on new piles), demolished the wood deck above and re-framed in PT 2x10 at 12-inch OC for the hidden-fastener PVC span, then installed 420 square feet of Wolf Serenity boards. Permit was on file in three weeks. Six working weeks total once they started swinging hammers.
We had three other contractors quote PVC and Handis was the only one who broke out the engineering and permit fees as pass-through line items instead of folding them into a single bid number. We saw exactly what the licensed PE charged for the stamp and exactly what Seattle DCI charged for the permit. Total came in at $47,000 for 400 square feet of TimberTech AZEK with picture frame, post-cap lighting, and aluminum panel rail. No surprises in the middle of the build.
1956 Madison Park rambler, deck went down on a wet October week (we had a tight schedule because of a grandkid's wedding in the spring). They worked the ledger and footing days in the dry breaks and tarped the frame between weather windows; the PVC boards and railing went in during the next dry run in early November. Eight working weeks calendar-wise but only five working weeks of actual hammer-on-wood. They scheduled to the weather, not to a calendar that ignored it.
600 square-foot two-level AZEK Reserve build on the south-facing yard. Built-in bench around the lower level perimeter, stainless cable rail on aluminum posts on the upper level, stair lighting in every riser, low-voltage post-cap lights on every railing post. The licensed electrician added a switched outlet under the soffit for the transformer (named on the quote at $620, came in at $585), Handis handled all the low-voltage wire pulls. Seven working weeks. Worth the premium over capped composite for the cooler underfoot temperature on the south-facing yard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PVC deck construction — pricing, timeline, permits, engineering, lighting, and what to expect on a Handis build.