Deck Builders in Tempe, AZ

As deck builders in Tempe, we plan every deck around one fact: the sun here is the main thing a deck has to survive. Tempe has a hot desert climate, with average July highs around 106°F and a record high of 119°F, and only about 8.8 inches of rain a year. A deck that would last decades in a mild climate can fade, check, cup or get too hot to use here if the materials, color and shade are chosen without the desert in mind.

Heat is the design problem

Phoenix recorded 70 days at or above 110°F in 2024, a record, and 143 days at or above 100°F, according to the National Weather Service's year-in-review figures. On days like that, deck surfaces get far hotter than the air. In a side-by-side sun test run by a decking seller in Florida, many composite and modified boards reached 140°F or more, while the coolest board in the test, teak, measured about 120°F. Lighter colors absorb less heat than dark ones, and shade makes the biggest difference of all. That is why we look at which way your yard faces before talking about boards: a north- or east-facing deck that is shaded by the house in the afternoon can use materials and colors that would be painful on a west-facing deck in full sun.

Shade is part of the deck

For many Tempe homes the right answer is a deck and a cover designed together. A solid patio cover blocks the sun completely; a pergola with spaced rafters gives filtered shade and lets heat escape; a louvered roof lets you choose. Planning the posts and footings for a cover at the same time as the deck framing is simpler and usually cheaper than adding one later, and it means the cover's footings are designed and inspected along with the rest of the structure.

Monsoon wind and dust

Arizona's monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30. Strong downburst thunderstorms are common in that season, and in one recent storm gusts in Tempe reached 60 to 71 mph, uprooting trees and damaging homes and businesses. Wind loads pull up on pergolas and covers and push sideways on railings, so we pay close attention to post bases, beam connections and the hardware that ties a cover to the house or to its footings. Dust is the other monsoon problem: it settles into board grooves and gaps, so we leave the gaps the manufacturer specifies and you can rinse the deck without water pooling.

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Permits and HOA review

The City of Tempe's residential patio cover handout says a building permit is required before putting up a building addition, and that the requirement applies to temporary as well as permanent structures. It asks for a site plan with setbacks, a foundation plan showing the column footings, sections and details, and a roof framing plan; beam spans over 20 feet and manufactured trusses need plans from an Arizona-registered architect or engineer. Decks can need a permit as well, depending on height, size and whether they attach to the house. If a cover would reach into a required setback, the handout says a use permit from Tempe's Planning Division may be needed before the building permit is issued. Many Tempe neighborhoods also have HOAs with architectural committees. Arizona law (A.R.S. 33-1817) says approval of architectural plans may not be unreasonably withheld, but the committee still has to approve before you build. We prepare the drawings and material list, and we confirm with the city what applies at your address.

Building on older lots

Much of Tempe was built quickly: the population grew from about 7,700 in 1950 to more than 63,000 by 1970, and it was 180,587 at the 2020 census. Many homes from that era have slab patios, low rooflines and older stucco walls. A ledger bolted to an old wall needs to be flashed and attached properly, and some homes are better served by a freestanding deck that sits just off the wall. We check the wall, the roof edge and the slab before recommending either.

What a typical deck project includes

• A site visit to measure, check drainage, sun direction, access and any slab or pool nearby
• A drawing with footing locations, framing layout, board direction and railing or cover posts
• A written, itemized quote for framing, decking, railings, stairs, cover and finish
• Permit and HOA submittal documents prepared for you
• Footings, framing and decking built in stages so inspections can happen at the right time
• A final walk-through with you and the manufacturer's care instructions for your boards

Tempe is home base, from the older neighborhoods around ASU and downtown to the larger lots in south Tempe near the Chandler line. We also build decks across the East Valley and nearby Phoenix metro communities, including Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Guadalupe and Phoenix neighborhoods such as Ahwatukee. Each city has its own building department, permit forms and zoning setbacks, and many subdivisions add an HOA review on top. Climate is broadly the same across the Valley, with long stretches above 100°F and monsoon storms from mid-June through September, but lots, home ages and rules differ, and each area page covers what applies there.