Notes from the decks we are building and repairing across San Diego County, updated as new ones go up.
Last updated: September 2026
How to Lay Out a Deck for Outdoor Dining in San Diego
A six-person table needs roughly 12 by 12 feet of clear deck once you allow 36 inches behind every chair for pull-back. That is before the grill, before the traffic lane from the kitchen door, and before anywhere to sit that is not a dining chair.
Read more →
Building a Bay-View Deck Around Mission Bay
Code puts the guard at 42 inches on most raised decks, which is almost exactly eye level for someone sitting down. On a bay-facing lot in Crown Point or Bay Park, that one number decides whether you paid for a view or a fence.
Read more →
Salt Air Deck Corrosion: Why La Jolla Decks Fail Early
Salt air does not start with the decking boards. It starts with the fasteners, joist hangers and post bases nobody looks at, and the ledger connection to the house is the highest-consequence piece of the lot.
Read more →
Deck Safety Checklist Before Guest Season
Four people on a deck is nothing. Twenty people standing in one corner during a party is a different load case entirely, and it is the one that finds a rotted post base or a ledger that has been wicking water for six years.
Read more →