Custom TREX Decks and Patios.

Highwood Construction - is a certified TREX Pro contractor.

TREX Deck Prices

We only build top of the line decks.

As of January 1, 2024 - A top of the line TREX Transcends deck with Trex Signature railing and a staircase starts at $110 psf.

For a firm estimate, plans are required.  We do offer in-house design and drafting services.

Trex Breakfast Deck Overlooking Cathedral Rock

We built this breakfast nook off the main deck so the owners could enjoy the view of Cathedral Rock while enjoying a meal for two!
This Trex deck includes Trex top of the line Transcends decking. Color: Tiki-Torch
Railing: Trex Signature aluminum railing. Color: Charcoal Black
We also installed Trex Wedge lights on the railing posts.

Trex Transcends Decking with Trex Signature rails and Trex Lighting

This deck features a custom welded spiral staircase and coordinating landscaping.
Decking = Trex Transcends in "Island Mist"
Railing = Trex Signature in Charcoal Black
Lighting = Trex Wedge Lights and Trex dome rail lights.

We mounted the Trex dome rail lights, which are usually used in composite posts, into the Trex Fascia board.
This gave the homeowner nice soft, dark-sky compliant lighting onto the landscaped areas below the deck.

For the landscaping we added large seating boulders around the gas firepit and a flagstone walkway from the spiral stairs to the paver patio.

The view from this Trex Transcends deck in Sedona is fantastic.
We installed the Trex wedge lights on the post to provide dark sky compliant lighting on the deck surface.

Trex Stair Riser Lights:

Pictured above are Trex stair riser lights. We installed two lights per stair riser.
Notice also the Trex Wedge lights on the handrail posts.
For this deck we provided three-way weather proof switches so the owners can operate the lights from both the top and bottom of the stairs.

Trex wedge lights are Dark Sky Compliant since they are fully shielded.

Trex Gates:

Trex Gates are a great way to keep kids and dogs contained!
The Trex Signature Series railing offers a matching gate.
Also featured on this deck are the Trex Wedge post lights (on the posts next to the gate)

Trex Transcends with Trex Signature Railings:

We built this Trex Deck with Trex Signature Aluminum railing in Sedona.

Trex Signature railing allows for the amazing view to be more clearly seen.
Trex Signature railing is one of our most popular styles for an un-obscured view.

Pictured above and below is Trex Transcends decking in TREE HOUSE color.
The railings are Trex Signature aluminum railings in Black.   (Formerly called Trex Reveal railing).

We built this deck in Flagstaff, AZ. The deck overlooks a greenbelt between homes in Ponderosa Trails neighborhood.

Trex Signature railings are great for preserving views into a treed backyard or open space.

Since Trex Signature railings are aluminum, they don't rust and are very low maintenance.

Trex Signature Railing with Cocktail Rail:

This deck features Trex Transcends deck boards and Trex Signature railing.
The Trex Cocktail rail is attached with special brackets made by Trex.
Decking color: Vintage Lantern.

Trex Signature railing is all aluminum and therefore will not rust like wrought iron rails.

The deck steps have Trex deck boards for treads and Trex Fascia boards for risers.
The concrete landing pad and footers are colored concrete.

The Trex Signature posts on this deck were kept extra tall for future special lighting.
The Trex posts can be cut to any length. Code requires a minimum guardrail height of 36" for residential decks.

Trex Transcends Composite Railing:

Trex Transcends composite railing with bronze signature aluminum balusters and a Trex Transcends cocktail rail:

Trex Transcends composite railing consists of composite post sleeves that are installed over 4x4 wood posts.
For this custom deck in Forest Highlands neighborhood, our customer chose the optional square aluminum balusters instead of composite balusters.

 

Custom Welded Metal Railing:

Highwood Construction can custom weld railings to your design specifications.

Trex Decking color: Havana Gold

The new deck pictured above features a double picture frame border around the edge.
The railing was custom welded by Highwood Construction.
The railing is designed to rust for aesthetic reasons.
The top of the railing features a Trex Cocktail rail - for setting drinks on and to keep guests from rubbing up against the rusted metal.

Single "Picture Framing" of deck boards is shown above.
Typically we use single picture framing on stairs and stair landings.

Wild Hog Brand Metal Railing:

Wild Hog welded wire is a great choice for a see-through railing.
Wild Hog come pre-painted in a matte black finish.

This metal railing option allows for a very transparent deck railing option.

Pictured here is Wild Hog brand welded wire railing with a Redwood Frame.

We installed this railing on a deck in Kachina Village just south of Flagstaff Arizona.

Wild Hog railing is more expensive than traditional wood railings, but cheaper than composite railings. 

Wild Hog railing comes pre-painted in black and is a very durable, low-maintenance finish.

Wild Hog Railing Website:   http://www.wildhograiling.com

Here is an example of Wild Hog railing we installed on a log cabin:

For this cabin, we framed the Wild Hog railing with Redwood.
We stained the redwood before installation with SuperDeck Cedar Toner.
We built the stairs from 4x12 Doug-Fir.
We stained each piece before installation to insure that the stain penetrated the end grain of the treads.

Wild Hog with Trex Tiki Torch:

The railing above is Wild Hog in a Redwood Frame. 
The deck is Trex Tiki Torch including a Tiki Torch colored fascia over the rim joist.
We stained the Redwood with SuperDeck oil toner.  Color: Canyon Brown

This deck (above) features Trex Transcends "Tiki Torch" premium color with Wild Hog railing inside of a Redwood Frame.
We topped the railing with a piece of Trex Decking to help protect it from the elements.

Tree Branch Metal Railing:

For truly custom railing, consider this tree branch style metal rail pictured above. 
In the picture above, the railing is used on an interior application, but this railing is also great for decks.
This is the most expensive style of railing we offer, and is made by a local Flagstaff fabricator.

Trex 'Transcends' Decking with Trex Select Handrails:

The front porch in the picture above and the rear deck in the picture below are both

Trex Transcend Decking with color matched screws

The decking color is Island Mist and the handrails are Trex Select.

Trex 'Transcends' Decking with Redwood Handrails:

We install and recommend Trex brand composite decking. 

The above deck is made of Trex 'Transcends' decking with hidden fasteners.  Color: 'Tree House'.
We installed Redwood guardrails, topped with a Trex 1x6 board.  The handrails are stained with a 'natural' oil base exterior stain.

Trex Transcends Decking with Wood Guardrails:

This deck features Trex Transcends deck boards (Tiki Torch color) and wood guardrails.
These guardrails feature 8x8 rough sawn posts and a 2x6 top rail.
This look is for those who prefer a "heavy" looking guardrail.
The disadvantage of this type of railing is the need to frequently re-stain the railing.
For this deck, the wooden guardrails have a solid-color deck stain applied.

Trex Stairs:

Trex Transcends in Tropical color: "Tiki Torch"
Trex Signature Railing in "Charcoal Black"

Trex Signature railing is powder-coated Aluminum, so even if you chip the paint, the railing will not rust.

Notice we used factory stained treated lumber for the framing.
The lumber we use is .40ACQ Doug-Fir.
Other companies think this is overkill since it costs twice as much as standard lumber, but we prefer the durability, strength and extremely low maintenance.
Paying for better lumber now equals much lower costs in the long run.
Notice also the heavy duty Simpson brackets.

We also had new pavers and a new natural gas fire pit installed on this project.

Highwood Construction framed this composite deck in Flagstaff Arizona with brown treated lumber.
The deck boards are Trex Transcends. Color = Gravel Path
The railing is Trex Signature Railing in Black.
Notice that we used colored concrete for the piers and landing pad to help blend with the landscaping.

Trex Stairs with Redwood Handrail:

These deck stairs are made with Trex Transcends deck boards for the treads and handrail cap.
The risers are Trex Fascia boards.
We stained the redwood spindles with SuperDeck Cedar Toner.

Flagstaff Fire Department Tests Different Deck Materials:

The Flagstaff Fire Department tested four brands of Composite deck materials and wood decking.  Trex was the only composite material that performed well:

"Most of the composite materials ignited easily and resulted in high to extreme fire severity (fig. 4).But Trex,* a material made from plastic and wood, performed well. Trex was more difficult to ignite than the other composites and ultimately self-extinguished (fig. 5). Trex's fire resistance appeared to result from its density. The composites that performed poorly were less dense."

As a TrexPro Deck contractor, we recommend Trex as the only composite decking material to use.  We also only use the Transcends line of decking from Trex. We do not use the less expensive options, because we prefer quality of low initial cost.

Redwood Decks:

Due to the high cost and high maintenance of Redwood decks, we highly recommend considering Trex Composite decking.

However, here are a few samples of our Redwood decks.

One of our Redwood decks was featured in Stanley's Guide to Decks by David Toht:

We build our Redwood decks and handrails with corrosion resistant fasteners.  All deck boards are screwed to the joists, after the tops of the joists have been have a "joist tape" applied for protection.

Redwood Deck and Redwood handrails, Flagstaff, AZ:

The deck above is built with 6" x 6" Redwood posts under the main deck.  The post to beam connection is a decorative metal 'T' bracket. This deck also has a 2x12 Redwood rim joist to match the redwood handrails and to give a nicer view from the street.

Below: unstained Redwood Handrail built to code requirements.

All Guardrails must be at least 36" high.  Guardrails that are also Handrails must be between 34" and 38" high and must have a 'graspable' handrail that continues from the top of the stairs to the next full landing - See the picture below:

Redwood deck and handrail with clear sealer:

We built this all Redwood deck and installed a new concrete landing.

Notice the graspable handrail required by code on the left side of the staircase.

Decks 30" or more above ground require a guardrail and full plans and permit.

We sealed the Redwood in these pictures with two coats of Sherwin-Williams brand 'clear' Acrylic sealer.

Decks in Flagstaff should be re-stained or water sealed at least every two years on the horizontal surfaces and at least every four years on the vertical surfaces.

Deck Footings:

In Flagstaff and Coconino county, decks are required to have 30" deep concrete footings reinforced with #4 Rebar.

In the deck above we used round concrete forms with Simpson brand brackets and a exterior rated GLB to hold up the deck.  Decks in the Flagstaff area must be built to withstand heavy snow loads.  (View the 'other guys' work here)

The deck framing is also required to be sealed with two coats by code.  We used a 'clear' sealer on this deck, which preserves the natural color of the Redwood decking and handrails as well as the Doug-Fir framing members. 

Redwood Railing Options:

Redwood Hand rail with Trex Cap Short Spindle Style: This style of handrail has the spindles ending on a Redwood 2'x4' about 3.5" above the deck surface.  This can be useful for shoveling snow if the rail is located in a high traffic area.  However this style is not as strong as the handrail pictured below.

Redwood Handrail with Trex Cap Full Length Spindle Style: This style of handrail is made of Redwood and the spindles continue down on to the Rim Joist of the deck.  This is our preferred method of handrail installation as it provides the maximum strength.

 

If you are thinking about replacing your existing deck boards with composite decking (Trex), remember that Trex requires 16" on center framing.  Typically Redwood decks are built with 24" on center framing.

New decks, deck expansions, and deck replacements often require plans and a permit, especially if the deck is 30" above the ground.  We can arrange for one of our plans drafters to meet with you to discuss your design and draft your plans.

Here is an example of a 12' x 16' Trex Deck with Redwood handrails.  The stairs also have a Trex Riser board installed. 

Color: Trex Transcends Treehouse.  Handrails: Redwood with Sherwin-Williams Deckscapes Oil-Based Redwood Toner.

This Deck railing is made of redwood with black stain and black round aluminum balusters.
Aluminum balusters are low maintenance and will not rust.

Deck Stairs:

These deck stairs are made from Trex Transcends deck boards and Trex Fascia boards.
The stair handrail for this deck is Trex Signature aluminum deck rail.

Here is an option for heavy duty stairs.
These stairs are made from 4" x 12" Doug-Fir stringers and treads:

The railings on the stairs pictured above are Redwood 2x2 spindles and Redwood 6x6 posts.
The stain is Sherwin-Williams SuperDeck solid color stain - 2 coats.
We put tread grip sand in the stain on top of the treads to give better traction in slippery conditions.

Welding Handrails

Highwood Construction can also weld custom handrails such as this curved ADA handrail.

ADA handrails require and turnout piece such as the one pictured above that we welded at a group home in Flagstaff Arizona.
When we completed the welding, the metal rail gets finished with an exterior metal primer and then top coated.

Proper Deck Building Procedures:

Providing proper drainage under the deck and away from the house is important. Also installing a moisture barrier between the deck ledger board and the house siding helps prevent damage to both the house and the deck from water.  For this deck, we installed Grip-Rite brand self-adhesive moister barrier before installing the ledger board.

   

The picture below shows how we attach the deck ledger to house and the deck joists to the deck ledger.
We use Simpson SDWS timber screws to attach the ledger.  They are driven with a #40 Torx bit.
The joists are then attached to the ledger with Simpson JUS28 Joist hangers and Simpson SD screws instead of TKOs.
The Simpson screws hold tighter and longer than nails.
It is important to use 2 1/2" screws for the side going through the joist as they are angled to pass through the joist into the ledger.

In the picture above and below we used brown pressure treated lumber.  The lumber is pre-stained brown to cover the green preservative.
  This lumber is dense Fir, so it is incised during the pressure treating so that the preservative will penetrate further.

Joist to Beam Connections for Decks:

The picture above demonstrates the proper way to connect deck joists to a support beam.
For this deck, the treated lumber joists are connected to the Glue-Lam beam with Simpson Strong-Tie H2.5 Hurricane straps.
The H2.5 straps are installed using 1 1/2" Simpson Strong-Drive SD connector screws.

Notice that we applied a special deck tape to the top of the beam before installing the deck joists.
We also used full height blocking between the joists, fastened with hot-dipped galvanized nails.
The blocks are also fastened to the GLB, which adds to the overall strength of the deck.
We stained the GLB with a high-quality exterior stain.  (Always stain - never paint!)

Deck Joist Tape - Trex Protect

Before installing the deck boards, it is important to seal the tops of the deck joists.
Pictured below is Trex Protect deck tape.
We prefer the Trex deck tape over other brands because it has a higher level of adhesion and comes in 1 5/8" wide rolls which is perfect for sealing deck joists.

Hidden Fasteners vs. Screws

We have installed numerous decks using hidden fasteners and also numerous decks with color-matched screws.
The cost is about the same for both systems, however after years of experience building decks, our recommendation is to screw through the deck boards with color-matched finish deck screws. Screwing through the deck boards adds rigidity to the whole deck system.
Plus the deck boards stay put, whereas when using hidden fasteners such as the Trex Hideaway system, the deck boards tend to "inch worm" along the joists.

The following picture demonstrates the installation of Trex decking with concealed fasteners.  Notice how the top edge of the joists are stained before installing the deck boards.  The solid-color stain will help prevent moisture damage in the long run.  This is important in Flagstaff, due to monsoon rains in the summer and snow sitting on the deck in the winter.   However the newer deck tapes, especially Trex Protect tape do a better job of sealing the tops of deck joists.

Treated Lumber vs. untreated Doug-Fir

It is not required to use pressure treated lumber in Arizona due to the dry climate.
Regular Doug-fir joists will last for several decades as long as they are able to breath and are NOT painted.
However the building code requires that untreated lumber exposed to weather be sealed with a paint or stain.
We have found that it is more cost effective to simply buy the pre-stained pressure treated lumber rather than spend hours staining regular doug-fir joists.
When opting to stain, it is imperative to use a non-film forming stain on joists. NEVER paint deck joists or beams.
Painting deck joists will cause them to rot, since the moisture will not be able to escape.

Causes of Early Deck Failure:

We have been building decks for over 25 years.  During that time we have taken apart numerous decks built by "the other guys".
Some of the most common reasons for deck failure are:
1. Not sealing the tops of the joists.
2. Painting the joists, which traps moisture inside.
3. Not spacing the deck boards properly.
4. Not using the proper connectors.

Here's a video about inspecting your deck