We fix wood decks across Cedar Mill, Bethany, Beaverton and their neighbouring streets. Slava swaps out rotten or cracked boards, stiffens soft joists, makes shaky railings solid again and rebuilds steps that give. Around Portland, board replacement costs roughly $500 to $4,000 with materials, about $1,200 on a usual job, per November 2026 market figures . Text Slava a picture at for his first read on it.
Do you handle small deck repairs?
Yes. A handful of bad boards, one spongy joist, a rail post you can rock, a sagging bottom step: ordinary jobs here, not filler between new builds .
Up top, Slava pulls failed boards, fits new ones and resets lifted screws. Below, he bolts a fresh joist beside a weak one (sistering), and he rebuilds rails, treads, stringers and landings.
Cedar and pressure-treated lumber are what we repair . If the framing is mostly gone, see deck building instead.
Much of Bethany dates from 1990-2005, so its decks are 25-plus years old, when first boards and stringers go soft.
How much is deck repair around Portland?
Portland-area market ranges, November 2026, materials included; not our quote.
| Repair | Usual job | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Swapping deck boards | typically $1,200 | $500 to $4,000 |
| Framing: joists, stairs, rails | typically $2,251 | $949 to $3,605 |
| Outdoor wood steps or a landing | typically $1,000 | $400 to $2,500 |
The bill climbs mostly with hidden framing: boards can look fine over soft joists. Stringers carry the whole stair, so stairs run higher than people expect. Old board widths lumberyards no longer stock, steep yards and the torn-out wood leaving the site add more . Rates and the minimum visit sit on our prices page.
Should I fix my old deck or replace it?
Fixing pays off if the ledger, the beams and nearly all joists are firm and the damage is in patches. Replacing wins once the connection to the house has gone soft, a whole run of joists has failed, or posts sunk straight into dirt have rotted through. Past a certain cost, new beats patching . Slava tells you which after he's been underneath, and won't sell repairs on a deck that's done.
On West Slope's hillside lots, decks stand high on posts, and those posts and long stairs take the worst weather.
How do I know if my deck is rotting?
Ten minutes with a screwdriver tells you a lot:
- Firm wood pushes back on the tip. Rotten wood lets it slide in.
- Board ends and the wood around screws turn dark and spongy first.
- Spots that flex or dip when you step between joists.
- A rail post that shifts when you lean on it.
- From below: joist tops beneath board seams, the ledger, and post bases.
Moss, shade and fir needles in the gaps hold moisture long after rain stops. Cedar Mill has many houses from the 1960s and 1970s sitting under tall firs, and their decks show it.
Which part of a deck rots first?
Wherever water collects and stays. Top of the list is the ledger, the board fastened to your house. When its flashing is missing or failed, rain gets behind it and rots the ledger and the house framing it's bolted to, all out of sight from above.
Next come butted board ends, posts buried in dirt or water-trapping concrete, and stringers sitting on bare ground.
Slava checks the ledger whenever he's out and tells you what's there . Rot that has reached the siding or house framing is handled on our siding and rot repair page.
Does deck repair need a permit in Oregon?
Usually no, though it hinges on what's being done and how high the deck sits. Under section R105.2.2 of the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, routine repair work needs no permit application, and the building official doesn't have to be told, as long as they use like materials or ones approved for new work. Cutting or removing a structural beam or any load-bearing support, or altering a required exit, is not ordinary repair.
Item 10 of R105.2 exempts decks whose walking surface stays 30 inches or less above grade anywhere within 3 feet of it. The work must still meet code, and cities or counties can add rules.
Three permit offices cover our area. Inside Portland city limits, a deck more than 30 inches up takes a permit, as does replacing an outdoor stairway above that height, and zoning applies either way. Unincorporated Washington County needs none for a grade-level deck; check setbacks with its Current Planning desk. For Beaverton addresses, ask the city's building division.
A few boards, a sistered joist or a tightened rail normally needs no paperwork; a new beam, a tall stair or a raised deck rebuilt from scratch might. We'll say so before work begins .
Can a loose deck railing be fixed?
Yes, and soon: a rail that gives is a fall risk. We reset or replace the posts, put in new top rails and balusters where the old ones have rotted, and tighten loose joints.
For steps, we change treads, repair or remake stringers, and give the stair a base that isn't dirt so the bottom stays dry . Step and landing work runs $400 to $2,500 with materials (Portland-area data, November 2026) .
Is there deck work you turn down?
A few things. No moss killers or chemical sprays . No scraping or sanding painted wood on a house older than 1978; Oregon's RRP lead rule covers that, and it's work we leave alone. Brand-new decks belong to the deck building page. The rest is on our what we don't do page.
How does booking a deck repair work?
- You text pictures: the full deck, close shots of the bad spots, and the underside if it's reachable.
- Slava replies with a probable range.
- He visits to check the framing.
- A written scope and price follow.
- The crew does the repair .
Oregon wants a written contract for any job over $2,000, and plenty of deck repairs cross that line. Our contract requirements guide explains what's in it. Slava has 7 years of hands-on experience.