Short answer: most people call about a deck in spring, when the snow melts and they start picturing summer barbecues. That’s also when every deck builder in Utah is booked solid. If you plan and build in late fall or winter instead, you get more of our attention, a schedule that isn’t rushed, and a finished deck waiting for you when the weather turns warm.
Here’s how the seasons really play out for a deck build in Utah and Salt Lake Counties, and why winter is one of my favorite times to build.
How the deck season usually goes
- Spring (March to May): the phone rings nonstop. Everyone wants their deck done by Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, and lead times grow fast.
- Summer (June to August): still busy. Projects booked in spring are being built, and new calls get pushed toward fall.
- Fall (September to November): things start to open up. It’s a great time to design and get on the schedule.
- Winter (December to February): traditionally our slow season. Most homeowners assume nobody builds decks in the cold, so the schedule has room.
If you wait until the first warm weekend in April to call, you’re getting in line behind everyone else who had the same idea.
Why building in winter works in your favor
We’re not rushed
In winter we aren’t juggling a dozen spring deadlines. That means more time with you on the design, more flexibility on start dates, and a crew that can take the time each detail deserves. A deck is a big investment, and it’s better built at a steady pace than squeezed between other jobs.
Your deck is ready when you want to use it
A deck built in December or January is finished and waiting when the first warm spring day shows up. Instead of spending your spring watching a crew in your backyard, you’re out there using it. With a booked job we also put together 3D renderings, and winter gives you time to review them and get every choice right.
You aren’t using your yard anyway
Nobody is grilling on the old deck in February. If you’re planning a full tear-out and rebuild, winter is the season when losing your deck for a few weeks costs you the least.
What about frozen ground?
This is the question I hear most, and it’s the reason a lot of builders stop working in winter. Traditional deck footings are holes filled with poured concrete. Digging frozen ground is slow, and concrete shouldn’t be poured into frozen soil or left to freeze while it cures.
We don’t have that problem. On most of our decks we use ground screw footings from American Ground Screw. These galvanized steel screws are driven into the soil with a hydraulic driver, frozen ground or not, and they can carry framing the same day. No digging, no concrete truck, no waiting on a pour to cure. They also leave a much smaller footprint, so your lawn and landscaping come through the winter in better shape.
Materials that don’t mind the cold
The rest of the deck is built from materials that handle Utah winters well:
- Fortress Evolution steel framing doesn’t rot, warp or shrink, and it isn’t bothered by snow or moisture during the build. Learn more about steel deck framing.
- TimberTech decking installs year round. Boards expand and contract with temperature, so we follow TimberTech’s gapping guidelines for the conditions on install day to keep everything tight and even once summer arrives.
- Fortress railing goes in the same way in any season.
How we handle snow days
Utah weather does what it wants. When a storm rolls through, we pause, clear the work area, and pick back up when it passes. A few snow days here and there rarely change much, especially when we aren’t racing a pile of spring deadlines.
Plan in fall, build in winter, enjoy it all spring
Here’s the timeline I recommend:
- Fall: call us for a free phone estimate and talk through what you want.
- Late fall: finalize the design, decking color and railing, and review your 3D rendering.
- Winter: we build it.
- Spring: you’re out on the new deck while your neighbors are still waiting on a builder.
If you’d like to spread out the cost, Wisetack financing takes a few minutes to apply on your phone, and you see your options right away. Every deck we build comes with our 7-year workmanship warranty, whatever season it’s built in.
Thinking about a new deck for next spring? Contact us or call 801-472-8939 for a free estimate, and let’s get you on the winter schedule.