Aurora, CO · Family-owned
Owner-built by Jon & Janessa LangDecks for southeast Aurora homes, dug below the city's 36-inch frost line and drawn to pass Aurora plan review. Built by Jon & Janessa Lang.
Decks in southeast Aurora
Aurora is a big place. The city covers about 163 square miles in three counties, and the ground climbs from 5,285 feet at the Sand Creek plant to 6,229 feet near Inspiration Drive. We work most on the southeast side, out by E-470 and the Aurora Reservoir.
One thing is the same on every Aurora street. Your house might sit in the Arapahoe, Adams or Douglas County part of town, but the deck permit still comes from the City of Aurora Building Division, and a city inspector signs off. So we plan each Aurora deck around the city's own rule book, not the county's.
“After researching several local companies, they were the clear winner. The quality far exceeded the cost, craftsmanship in every square inch.”
Dale Maxey · Custom deckAurora rules and ground
Before we draw a single joist, we look at the city code, the dirt, the snow and the storm season. Each one changes the plan. City rules get updated, so we confirm current rules with the city on every job.
Aurora's Engineering Design Criteria (revised 2022) set the minimum frost depth for footings at 36 inches. Wet soil freezes and grows. A footing that stops short can get pushed up a little every winter, so ours go deeper than that line.
The Colorado Geological Survey calls swelling soil the biggest geologic hazard in the state. It does more damage here than any other natural hazard. Water is what sets it off, so we keep downspouts and sprinkler spray away from your deck posts.
The city's 2022 design table lists a 40 psf ground snow load, and Aurora's permit guide uses a 40 psf load for decks. We size joists and beams for that, then the inspector checks the frame before boards go on.
Colorado sits in what weather folks call hail alley, with seven to nine hail days in a normal year. The season runs about mid-April to mid-August. A roof or pergola over part of the deck gives you a dry spot when a storm rolls in.
“The inspector was impressed by their system and mentioned this deck is built to withstand a hurricane.”
Dominic ValenzuelaAurora deck jobs
Every street is a little different. Still, a handful of jobs show up over and over on the southeast side of the city.
Lots of people think a deck close to the ground skips the permit. In Aurora, a deck under 30 inches still needs one if it is attached to the house. Over 30 inches, it always does. We tell you which one yours is at the first visit.
Many southeast lots slope, so the kitchen door sits high over the backyard. A deck there is well over 30 inches, which means full plans and a framing inspection. We add a landing and stairs so you can get down to the grass.
Southshore sends every outside change to a Design Review Committee run by neighbors who volunteer. They want your plot plan, they have 30 days to answer, and you get six months to finish once they say yes. We build that wait into the schedule.
The city owns more than 8,000 acres of open space, and the Aurora Reservoir has an eight-mile loop trail. If your yard looks out on land like that, thin cable or metal rail keeps the view clear from your chair.
When an old deck leans or pulls away from the house, we check the footings and the clay first. The new one sits on deeper footings, and the ledger board gets flashing so rain runs off instead of into the wall.
Some folks want the deck, a cover and an outdoor kitchen done as one job. Aurora treats a covered patio as its own permit item, so we put it all in one set of plans and one inspection plan.
Real Google reviews
Our Google rating is 4.6 across 39 reviews. These are a few deck customers, word for word. Most of them name Jon, Janessa or the crew.
“These guys were great! We had them tear out our very old deck and build a new much bigger deck. They are VERY focused on quality builds. They showed up every day exactly when they said. Our new deck is AWESOME, love the TimberTech too.”
“Jon was very easy to work with and always on time. We chose to do a picture-frame design with black railing. Very happy! Would do business again with him and highly recommend them!”
“We had Jon, Andrew, and Derrick rebuild our deck. The crew was always on time and professional. Jon designed a creative privacy wall for us and delivered on all his promises. We enjoy it every day!”
Aurora neighborhoods
Saddle Rock gets its own deck page, since its golf course and committees change the plan. For everything else we do in the city, see our Aurora page. Some of the neighborhoods we serve:
Aurora deck FAQ
Send us your address and a rough idea. We'll walk the yard, sort out the permit and HOA steps for your street, and give you an itemized estimate you can read line by line.
Get My Free Estimate or call (720) 674-9058