The back yard is small, the deck is older than the people renting the house, and one corner sinks a little more each spring. Irwin's typical house dates to 1954, on a borough lot where every foot counts. We build decks and covered patios sized to the yard and footed below the frost line.
Irwin Decks
Some 45% of the borough's houses hold four rooms or less. Outdoor space matters more when the house is small, and these are the projects owners and landlords bring us.
The borough's building code puts frost depth at 36 inches. Plenty of older decks rest on blocks or shallow holes, so a corner drops after a hard winter and the boards start to tilt toward the yard.
Each new footing reaches a full 36 inches or deeper and is sized to its post. Posts sit on bases that keep their ends off the concrete, so they dry out between rains instead of wicking water up.
What holds decks upA covered patio makes a small yard usable in the rain. Borough code assumes 40 pounds of ground snow on every square foot, so the cover has to hold a hard winter without dumping it onto the steps.
Beam and rafters are sized for that load, each post rests on a footing below the frost, and the roof meets the house with flashing that keeps the seam watertight. Its gutter sends water clear of both the stairs and the lot next door.
Covered patiosUnder Irwin zoning, paved and hard surfaces, the driveway too, all count toward lot coverage. On a small lot, owners weigh a slab patio against a deck and want to know which leaves them more room under the rules.
We look at what's already covered on your lot, then compare a slab patio, which counts as impervious, with a deck on footings, which the borough may treat differently; we ask. You choose with the coverage numbers in front of you.
Irwin zoningSome Irwin owners would rather sit out front where the neighbors walk by. Zoning allows an open porch or deck to push as far as 8 feet past the front setback, enough for a few chairs and a small table.
We measure from the front line, keep the deck within that 8 feet, and make it look like part of the house: rails, trim and steps that look like they belong on a 1920s or 1950s street rather than a back yard.
Irwin zoningMost Irwin homes, 57%, are rented, and a tenant moving out triggers a fresh inspection. The maintenance code wants decks structurally sound and guards and handrails firmly fastened.
We check the ledger, posts and joists first, then fix or rebuild what's failing. Rails get bolted into the framing and loose treads replaced, so the deck holds up for the inspector and for the next tenant.
Irwin rental rulesThe borough's code puts local termite risk in its moderate-to-heavy band. Owners choosing composite boards still ask about the frame underneath, since that's wood sitting close to the soil.
Posts and any framing near the ground are rated for ground contact, and nothing structural sits within 8 inches of the dirt unless it's treated for it. If insects are already active in the old deck, a licensed exterminator comes first.
Composite and wood deckingHousing figures: Census ACS 2020–2024, borough only, rounded. Frost depth, snow and termites: borough code §110-1. Front-yard reach and coverage: zoning Chapter 260.
The rest of the job
How it runs, what it costs and who builds it are on our main decks & covered patios page.
Decks in Irwin
In Irwin, a deck is shaped by the design values in the borough's code, the plan review that structural work goes through, and zoning that counts every hard surface on a small lot.
36 inFrost depth in borough code
For a deck, the borough's frost depth sets the footings, its snow figure sizes any roof, and its termite rating decides which wood can sit near the soil. Our Irwin exterior repairs page lays out all three values.
Irwin's design values15 daysBusiness days CEA may take
Irwin's borough office hands deck drawings to CEA, its outside plan reviewer, which allows itself as many as 15 business days. Applications go in early enough to protect the build date, and the Irwin kitchen remodeling page spells out the sequence.
Irwin permits8 ftFront deck reach into the front yard
Hard surfaces all count toward lot coverage, and an open front deck may reach 8 feet past the setback. On a small lot, those two limits shape the design. The Irwin additions page goes further.
Irwin zoningDeck Questions
Owners and landlords around the borough ask these as we pace off the back yard. How a deck job unfolds is covered on the decks service page.
Ask a QuestionSize, height, decking and whether a roof goes on are the big variables. We price after measuring the yard and checking what's under the old deck, and the number is in writing.
What decks costCEA reviews deck drawings for the borough and may use up to three weeks of business days. Drawings go in early, so digging waits on nothing.
Irwin permitsYes, within limits. An open front deck may extend 8 feet past the setback line. We measure from your front lot line and keep the design inside that reach.
Irwin zoningIf it's sound and its rails are tight, it should. Inspectors work from a maintenance code wanting solid decks and rails that don't move. We fix the framing and bolt the rails before the unit is re-inspected.
Irwin rental rulesDEP maps most of the borough over old workings, and homeowners policies won't cover subsidence. Before attaching a patio roof to the house, search your address on DEP's map.
Coal under IrwinOther Services
Elsewhere on the property, Irwin owners call us for kitchen and bath work, finished attics or basements, additions, window swaps and exterior fixes. Pick a page below.
Kitchen RemodelingNew layouts, new cabinets, new counters: framed, built, and installed by the same crew.View Service
Bathroom RemodelingFull gut renovations with proper waterproofing, new framing, and tile set by hand.View Service
Attic FinishingUnused attics framed into bedrooms and offices: subfloor, insulation, drywall, and a proper stair.View Service
Basement FinishingUnfinished basements turned into real rooms: framed, insulated, drywalled, and finished by our crew.View Service
Additions & ADUsAdditions and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), framed from the ground up and tied in clean.View Service
Windows & Exterior DoorsWindows and exterior doors set, flashed, and trimmed so water stays out of the wall.View Service
Exterior Restoration & Structural RepairsRotted trim and siding, sagging joists, failed sills: opened up and repaired to solid wood.View ServiceVerified Google Reviews
5.0 out of 5 · 17 reviews
Written by the homeowners we've worked for across Westmoreland County. Every one verified on Google, every one pulled from the real feed.
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Tell us about the project in the form or give us a call. Either way, estimates are free and the number is the number — priced to the actual work, written down before anyone swings a hammer.
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