Trex Deck Building for California Commercial & Multifamily Properties

More than wood to build, less to own, and the product line moves the number as much as the size does. Entry, mid, and premium Trex lines differ substantially in material cost, and matching Trex fascia and railing adds again. On a re-deck the frame frequently costs more than the boards, because joists laid out for wood usually need re-spacing to meet Trex’s requirement. We quote the whole scope after measuring the frame.

Published per-square-foot figures are boards and labour on an assumed sound frame — they leave out re-joisting, joist protection, ledger repair, railing, and stairs. On commercial re-decks those items are often the larger half of the project. Compare bids on scope and on which Trex line was assumed, because a rate alone tells you very little.

Size alone doesn’t price a deck, which is why that question rarely has a useful answer. Elevation, framing condition, stairs, railing length, and product line move the number far more than area does at that scale, and the fixed costs — permits, mobilisation, ledger detailing — don’t shrink with the deck. We should also say plainly that our work is commercial, multifamily, and HOA property rather than single-deck residential projects.

Only if the spacing meets specification. Trex requires joists at sixteen inches on centre for perpendicular boards, twelve for diagonal layouts, and twelve on stair stringers. Frames built for wood are commonly wider than that. Boards laid over a non-compliant frame flex and crack, and the claim gets declined because the installation was outside spec. We measure before quoting a re-deck rather than after.

It depends entirely on installation. Trex’s warranty is conditional on span, fastening, and gapping being to specification, so a correctly built deck keeps coverage and a badly built one loses it while looking identical. We build to the published requirements and hand over the warranty documentation with the project. Note also that Trex terms differ between residential and commercial applications — check what applies to your property.

Trex railing matches the decking and gives a single-system look, and it’s the straightforward choice when appearance across the property matters. Powder-coated aluminum costs less, is slimmer, and is what we most often specify on multifamily where the guardrail is a compliance item first and a design element second. Both meet code when installed properly; we’ll price them side by side.

Yes. Those laws govern wood-framed exterior elevated elements, and a Trex deck sits on wood joists, beams, and a ledger. The surface stops telling you what’s happening underneath, which if anything makes the structural inspection more important rather than less.

For a single deck, days rather than weeks once permits are in hand. On multifamily programmes we phase deck by deck so residents keep access and only a limited number are out of service at once. The unpredictable part is usually plan review, which we start early.

We’re a CSLB-licensed contractor (#1060736) building Trex decks across the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Sacramento, exclusively on commercial, multifamily, and HOA properties. Frame, joist protection, decking, railing, and compliance documentation come from one crew.