A suburb built in one generation
Northglenn went up fast and on purpose. Perl-Mack broke ground in 1959, and by 1962 the development was being called the most perfectly planned community in America. The result, sixty-plus years on, is one of the most consistent housing stocks in the metro: 1960s and 70s ranches and split-levels on modest lots, under trees that have had decades to mature.
That consistency has a consequence for us. When a whole city's homes are the same age, a whole city's decks age out together — and a large share of the original wood decks here are past the point where another coat of stain is an honest answer.
The original-deck problem
A deck built in the 1970s predates most of what current code requires: properly flashed and bolted ledgers, footings below frost depth, hardware at every structural connection. Age plus those gaps is why we look at the structure before we quote anything. Our deck safety guide walks through the same checks we make — the ledger connection especially, because that is where old decks fail suddenly rather than gracefully.
Repair or replace, honestly
The inspection produces one of two answers, and we put either one in writing. Framing that is still sound earns a re-deck: new capped composite and railings on the existing structure, for meaningfully less than starting over. Framing that is finished gets a full replacement on current-code structure — and on houses this age, that is the more common call. Our replacement cost guide is a fair preview of the numbers.
Why composite, specifically
Northglenn sits at about 5,360 feet on the open Front Range plain, which means the full Colorado punishment list: high-altitude UV, hard freeze-thaw cycling, and hail seasons serious enough that the city publishes its own hail guidance for homeowners. Capped composite shrugs at all three and asks for soap and water instead of an annual refinishing weekend. The mature trees here are lovely and also drop everything they own onto your deck; a surface that cannot rot under wet leaf litter is worth having. We pair it with aluminum railing systems that will not need repainting either.
Permits, by the book
Deck permits in Northglenn go through the City of Northglenn Building Division, with plan review and inspections handled by SAFEbuilt. The city publishes a building guide for uncovered decks, so expectations at the counter are clear — and we meet them. Drawings, permit filing, and inspection management are always part of our build, never your homework. The permit guide covers the general process if you want the background.
Close neighbors, honest distance
We work regularly in Thornton next door and Westminster across the interstate, so Northglenn is familiar ground. From our shop in Centennial it is roughly thirty-five minutes up I-25 — which affects our scheduling, not your price or the guarantee behind the work.
If budget is the first question, start with the cost calculator, then tell us what you're planning.