Custom Decks

Most of what we build falls into four scopes. A single-level composite deck sized around a kitchen or dining door — the most common Twin Cities project, usually 250 to 500 square feet. A multi-level deck that steps down to grade across two or three tiers, often with a screened section, a dining section, and a lower landing. A covered or screened porch that extends the outdoor season by adding a roof, sometimes with transom screens and ceiling fans. A full outdoor living build that combines a deck, a pergola or louvered shade roof, an outdoor kitchen, and a firepit area.

What’s included in a Knutson deck build

• Design and 3D rendering — layout, elevation, structural plan, and a model so you can see the deck from inside the house
• Permits and code compliance — every Twin Cities city requires a permit for decks over 30 inches, and we pull them
• Frost-depth footings — concrete footings or helical piles set to a minimum of 42 inches below grade
• Structural framing — properly spaced joists, correctly sized beams, ledger flashing detailed to shed water away from the house
• Decking material — full composite (Trex, TimberTech, Deckorators, AZEK), cedar, or exotic hardwood
• Railings — cable, glass, composite, aluminum, or traditional wood, all code-compliant
• Stairs and landings — positioned so traffic flows naturally from the house to the yard
• Add-ons — built-in benches, planter boxes, rail lighting, stair lighting, grill surrounds, pergolas, hot-tub platforms

Our deck building process

1. Site consultation — we walk the back of the house, check grade, look at the door you will come out of, and talk through how you actually entertain outside.
2. Design and material selection — typically three to six weeks. Rendering, material samples, and permit drawings.
3. Fixed-price contract — every line priced before ground breaks.
4. Build — footings and framing first, then decking, rails, and finish. A typical single-level composite deck runs two to four weeks on site. Multi-level and covered structures run four to eight weeks.
5. Final walkthrough and warranty — structural warranty on framing, manufacturer warranties on composite decking (most are 25- to 50-year), and our workmanship warranty on the build.

Why Twin Cities homeowners choose Knutson for decks

Most deck failures in Minnesota come from two places. The ledger — where the deck attaches to the house — fails when flashing is missing or incorrect, and water gets into the rim joist and rots the band. You do not see it until the deck visibly pulls away, which is too late. The other failure is footings — piers that were set too shallow, frost-heaved over a few winters, and left the beam out of level. Both are invisible to a homeowner and both show up in teardowns we do of other builders’ work.

We detail the ledger with flashing, spacers, and stainless fasteners that match the composite deck manufacturer’s warranty requirements. We set footings below frost, inspected before anything is framed on top. And we carry the structural warranty on the frame in writing. That is the difference between a deck that lasts twenty-five years and one that is cosmetically fine but structurally suspect in year ten.

The second reason clients come to us is the design side. Most deck companies sell a rectangle at a square-foot price. Our designer will usually come back with a deck that is shaped to your yard, stepped to your grade, and sized to how you actually use it — which often means a deck that is a little smaller than a rectangle but works ten times better.

Deck cost and timeline

Deck budgets in the Twin Cities depend on size, material, level changes, and coverings. As a working guide: a single-level composite deck of 300 to 450 square feet with standard railing runs $25,000 to $50,000. A multi-level composite deck with a screened or covered section and premium railing lands in the $55,000 to $105,000 range. A full outdoor living build with deck, pergola or louvered roof, outdoor kitchen, and firepit area runs $115,000 to $225,000+. Cedar and tropical hardwood decks are typically priced within 10 to 20 percent of composite, with lower upfront cost and higher long-term maintenance.

Design takes three to six weeks. On-site build is two to eight weeks depending on scope. Decks can be built through most of the Minnesota year — we pour frost footings into November in normal winters — but January and February require equipment and heated blankets that add cost. Spring and early summer are the busiest booking windows, so starting design in February or March usually lines up with a June or July build.

Our Twin Cities service area

Knutson builds decks throughout the Twin Cities metro, with dedicated city pages for Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We also do significant deck work in Edina, Wayzata, around Lake Minnetonka, and in Maple Grove and Plymouth — lake-adjacent lots and larger suburban yards where covered decks and multi-level builds fit the property.

Lot and house style drive the design. A narrow south Minneapolis lot behind a 1920s bungalow usually wants a compact multi-level deck that steps down to a small patio and frames a firepit. A sloped lakefront lot on Minnetonka often needs a multi-level deck that cascades toward the water with integrated stairs and a screened upper section for bug season. A flat suburban yard in Eden Prairie or Maple Grove is a good candidate for a generous single-level composite deck with a pergola and an outdoor kitchen, because the horizontal space is there to spread out.

Ready to plan your deck?

Request a consultation and we will walk the yard, look at grade and sightlines, talk through how you entertain, and sketch a realistic scope for the property. You will leave the first meeting with a clear sense of what the deck should be, not a cookie-cutter square-foot quote.