Berkeley is a city of distinct neighborhoods - from the flat bungalow blocks of the Elmwood and South Berkeley to the steep wooded lots of the Berkeley Hills. More than half of the city's homes were built before 1950, which means older wood framing, original foundations, and a lot of character - alongside a higher likelihood of finding surprises once a project gets started. We have been building in this city long enough to know what to expect when we open up an exterior wall or dig around a foundation here.

The neighborhoods near UC Berkeley's campus and the tree-lined streets around Solano Avenue have some of the most architecturally interesting Craftsman bungalows in the East Bay - homes where the right deck design needs to feel like it belongs, not like an afterthought. Up in the hills near Tilden Regional Park, homeowners deal with steep lots, spectacular Bay views, and fire hazard zone requirements that affect what materials are appropriate. Along Telegraph Avenue and into the Flatlands, the housing stock is a mix of older single-family homes and multi-unit properties, many of which have never had a proper outdoor structure built to current standards.

Berkeley's mild but damp climate - marine fog most mornings, heavy rain in winter, bone-dry summers - is one of the most demanding environments for outdoor wood in California. It is also one of the best cities in the country for actually using an outdoor living space. Berkeley Deck & Fence builds with that climate in mind on every project, because a deck that looks great at installation but starts failing by year three is not a job well done.