Case Study · SB 721 · CSLB #1060736

Elevated Deck Reconstruction & Waterproofing — 24 Balconies, Sacramento

Open board decks sitting directly over enclosed garages. Every gap between the boards was a route for water into the framing — so we rebuilt them as sealed, sloped decks instead of replacing boards again.

Sacramento, CATwo-story residential complex, units over enclosed garagesCompleted Q3 2026

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Reconstructed entry balcony in Sacramento with new grey waterproof deck coating and black aluminum guardrail

Deck Repair

Project facts

Location: Sacramento, CA
Service: Repair & Restoration
Property: Two-story residential complex, units over enclosed garages
Units: 24
Elevated elements: 24 entry balconies and the exterior stairs serving them
Client: Owner / property management company
Scope: Deck tear-off, framing repairs, solid sheathing and slope, waterproof deck system, new guardrails, repaint
Timeline: 7 weeks
Completed: Q3 2026
Budget range: $130k–$165k

01 The situation

The challenge

The decking was doing exactly what open board decking does — passing water straight through. Every gap between boards, every knot that had dropped out and every rusted screw hole delivered runoff onto the framing underneath instead of off the edge of the deck. The boards themselves had gone grey and splintered, and the guardrails were rusting where their base plates met the surface. Replacing the boards like for like would have bought a few years and rebuilt the same detail that caused the problem. What the building needed was a deck that sheds water rather than filters it.

02 Execution

What we did

Each balcony came off completely before anything went back on:

Stripped the board decking and the guardrails, and inspected the joists, beams and rim on every balcony

Replaced damaged framing, then sheathed the decks solid and set the slope to carry water to the edge

Installed a reinforced waterproof deck system with a textured non-slip finish, turned up at the walls and out over new edge metal

Set new powder-coated aluminum guardrails and repainted the framing, fascia, posts and stairs

03 Outcome

The result

24 / 24balconies reconstructed

0gaps left for water to pass through

7 wksfirst tear-out to final coat

Each balcony is now a continuous surface that drains to its own edge instead of a set of boards that hand water to the framing. The undersides — joists, beams and fascia that had been catching runoff for decades — are repaired and repainted, the guardrails are new and load-tested, and the balconies and the stairs serving them were closed out together rather than as two separate line items.

Results at a glance

All 24 balconies rebuilt from open board decking to a sealed, sloped deck
Damaged joists, beams and rim framing replaced and the undersides repainted
New powder-coated aluminum guardrails on every balcony
Water no longer passes through the deck into the garages below

What the client received

SB 721 findings closure with photo documentation of every framing repair
Manufacturer warranty on the deck system plus our workmanship warranty
A record of what was found under each deck once the boards came off
One repeated detail across all 24 balconies and their stairs
Re-coat and inspection schedule for the next cycle

Transformation

Before & After

The entry balcony

Entry balcony over a garage in Sacramento with weathered board decking and an old metal railing before reconstruction — Before

The rebuilt entry balcony with new deck coating, black aluminum guardrail and repainted structure — After

The deck surface

Grey splintered deck boards along an apartment entry balcony before the work — Before

The underside of the structure

Weathered rim beam and exposed joists under an elevated entry balcony, with daylight showing through the gaps in the decking — Before

Repaired and repainted joists, beams and fascia under a reconstructed balcony — After

On site

Project Photos

Rebuilt balcony deck with textured non-slip coating and new railing above the garages

Finished balcony deck and guardrail overlooking the parking court

Close view of the textured waterproof deck finish at the guardrail base

Worn balcony decking with open gaps and an old metal railing overlooking the garages before removal

Close view of split deck boards, open gaps and rusting railing base plates before removal

“We had been replacing boards one balcony at a time for years. They showed us the water was going through the deck, not sitting on it, and rebuilt them so it stops there.”

Property Manager24-unit community, SacramentoSB 721 · Deck Repair

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