Saturday cookouts have outgrown the little platform by the back door, and the kids spill down its steps onto a yard that tilts toward the woods. The median house in Plum was built in 1972, and 74% have at least three bedrooms. We build the deck that family needs, on footings that hold the hill.
Plum Decks
Plum grew fast through the 1960s, and 30% of households here are raising kids. Most of those houses are big enough for a family; plenty of the decks behind them aren't. Here's what people ask us for.
In a borough of mostly three- and four-bedroom homes, the deck often has to seat a crowd. Owners want room for a table, a grill clear of the rail and a spot for the kids other than the stairs.
We lay it out around how you'll use it, sometimes in two levels where the yard drops, with joists matched to the boards you choose and the distance they cross. Decks are permit work in Plum, so each one is filed and inspected.
DecksIn the borough's SR district, buildings, accessory structures and hard surfaces together may cover only 25% of the lot. A large patio slab or a shed already out back can eat into what's left for a deck.
We tally what's on your lot now, then confirm with the borough how a deck itself is counted. If space is tight, a deck on footings instead of a slab, or a smaller footprint with a second level, can make the numbers work.
Plum zoningBorough zoning treats any grade past 25% as a critical area, and landslides have shut stretches of Boda and Milltown roads. On a steep yard, owners want posts that won't creep downhill and a tall frame that stays still.
Each post stands on a footing taken below frost, spaced and braced for the height, with runoff paths kept clear of them. Where the slope is steep enough to raise questions, we check the borough's critical-area rules first.
Plum slopesA covered patio means a cookout survives a passing storm and the afternoon sun stays off the table. Porch roofs share the permit list with decks in Plum, so a roofed space is permit work from the start.
Framing for the roof is chosen to carry winter snow, the new roofline meets the house beneath step flashing, and the gutter carries water down the yard rather than back toward the footings or foundation.
Covered patiosThree in ten Plum households have kids, and on a tall deck over a falling yard, the guard is what parents worry about. Older decks often have wide gaps between balusters and stairs with nothing to hold.
Above 30 inches of height, the deck gets guards 36 inches or taller with openings too narrow for a 4-inch sphere. Stair risers stay even, and a handrail runs the full flight.
Railings and stairsUtility lines run under Plum back yards, and nobody wants a post hole to find one. PA One Call wants an 811 request made 3 to 10 working days before digging so the lines get marked.
We place the 811 request once the layout is set and wait for the marks before digging any footing. If a line runs where a post should go, we shift the layout rather than the line.
Plum digging rulesHousing: Census ACS 2020–2024 for the borough. Deck permits: Plum's building permit page. Coverage and grades: Plum's zoning summary for Ordinance 916-17. Digging: PA One Call.
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 Plum
Three Plum rules and realities shape a deck: every deck and porch roof is on the permit list, lot coverage counts hard surfaces, and the hills send water and slides downhill.
Every deckNeeds a Plum building permit
Even a plain deck goes through Plum's building permit, which also covers porches and porch roofs. Before a footing is dug, the 811 request gets its full lead time. The Plum additions page has the complete list.
Plum permits25%Maximum lot coverage in SR
In SR, buildings, sheds and paving together top out at a quarter of the lot, and 30 feet stays open at the rear. In RR, coverage drops to 20% and the rear yard grows to 50 feet. We measure before we design.
Plum zoning50+Drainage problems after July 21, 2019
One July 2019 storm left the borough tallying over 50 separate drainage problems, and its zoning singles out grades past 25%. On a hillside yard, we plan footings and roof runoff as a pair. The Plum basement page tells the storm story.
Plum storms and slidesDeck Questions
Plum families ask these as we stand by the kitchen door looking downhill. Our decks page describes the job from first call to final inspection.
Ask a QuestionSize, height over the slope, decking and any roof set the number. A two-level deck down a hillside costs more than a single platform near the ground. A written figure follows a walk of the yard and a coverage check.
What decks costDecks are named outright among the projects Plum permits, so we always plan on one. You won't have to file anything or book an inspector yourself.
Plum permitsThe borough counts sheds and hard paving, so a concrete patio does. How the borough treats an attached deck on footings is something we confirm for your lot before you commit to a size.
Plum zoningWe do. The 811 request has to go in 3 to 10 working days before anyone digs, and we make it once the layout is final so the marks match where the footings will go.
Plum digging rulesAround four-fifths of Plum lies over mapped mine workings, and standard homeowners coverage excludes subsidence. When a roof or enclosed room is going to tie into the house, search the address on DEP's site first.
Coal under PlumOther Services
Plum owners also hire us indoors and out, for kitchens, baths, attic or cellar rooms, additions, window replacement and exterior repair.
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
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Get in Touch
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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529 Forest Ave
Trafford, PA 15085
