Deck building and repair in Billings, Montana

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your neighborhood or town and what you want built or fixed.

2. We connect you

   Your call goes to an independent deck builder that works in Billings and Yellowstone County.

3. They call you back

   The builder comes out, measures, and quotes the job with you directly.

Who is this site for?

Homeowners in Billings and around Yellowstone County who want a new deck, need an old one repaired or replaced, or want stairs, railings or shade they can count on. That includes the valley floor and the fast-growing West End, the Heights above the Rims, Lockwood to the east, and Laurel and Shepherd farther out. Billings is the largest city in Montana, with 117,116 people at the 2020 census, and its housing runs from early 1900s homes near downtown to subdivisions still going up on the west edge of town.

What can a deck builder do for you?

• New wood decks. Treated framing with pine, cedar or other wood boards, sized for anything from a back-door landing to a two-level deck. More on new decks.
• Composite and PVC decks. Boards that skip the staining routine, installed on framing laid out for them. More on composite decking.
• Repair and replacement. New boards, sistered or replaced joists, a re-flashed ledger, new footings, or a complete tear-off and rebuild. More on deck repair.
• Railings and stairs. Wood, aluminum, cable or composite guards and stair runs that are solid underfoot. More on railings and stairs.
• Covered decks and pergolas. A roof or pergola to cut the afternoon sun. More on covered decks.

Why are Billings decks hard on wood?

• Deep frost. The City of Billings design criteria set frost depth at 42 inches. Footings that stop short of that, or posts sitting on surface blocks, can be pushed up unevenly by frozen ground.
• Hail and wind. On June 16, 2025, the National Weather Service recorded hail around 1.5 inches and gusts up to 76 mph in the Billings Heights, Shepherd and Worden, enough to strip roofs and siding. Hail splits dry boards and chips railing caps.
• Chinooks and cold snaps. Warm chinook winds can melt off winter snow quickly, while the airport's record low is −38°F. Those swings mean lots of freezing and thawing, which drives water into end grain and around fasteners.
• Dry, sunny summers. Billings Logan International Airport averages about 14.3 inches of precipitation a year. Unshaded wood dries, checks and grays quickly, and stain on a south- or west-facing deck wears thin fast.
• Snow. The airport averages about 57 inches of snow a season. A deck roof has to be designed to carry it, and shoveling wears on boards and stairs.

When should someone look at your deck?

• Boards that flex, feel soft, or split near the screws
• A guard or post that moves when you push on it
• Stairs that rock, bounce, or lean away from the deck
• A gap opening between the deck and the house wall
• Posts that have tipped, or footings that heaved over the winter
• Rusty hangers, popped nails, or screws backing out
• Dark staining or soft wood along the ledger board

Does a deck need a permit in Billings?

Inside city limits, plan on it. The City of Billings lists decks among the projects that need a building permit, and the city works from the 2021 International Residential Code for houses. Applications go through the city's online permit portal. The owner is responsible for the permit but can hand that job to the contractor, so settle who's pulling it before work starts. Outside city limits, the city no longer issues permits, and a county zoning permit or other rules may apply instead. The Billings deck guide explains both.

Should you choose wood or composite?

Both make sense here. Treated wood costs less to start and is easy to patch, but in Billings' dry sun it wants cleaning and a fresh coat of stain every few years. Composite and PVC boards cost more but don't need stain and won't rot. Either way the framing underneath is usually treated lumber, so the footings, beam and ledger deserve as much attention as the boards. A builder can walk you through how each option handles sun, hail and snow on your lot.

What about decks on sloped lots?

Plenty of Billings homes sit on slopes, from lots along the base of the Rims to hillside streets in the Heights and the newer subdivisions on the West End's benches. A walkout lot can put the deck eight or ten feet above the yard on the low side, which calls for braced posts, bigger footings and a long, well-built stair. Ask the builder how they plan to handle height, wind exposure and where the stairs come down.

When do builders work?

Most deck construction runs from spring thaw into fall, while the ground can still be dug for footings. Spring calendars fill quickly, so call in winter or early spring if you want a deck ready by the Fourth of July. Design, material choices and permits can all be sorted out while there's still snow on the ground.

Are you a deck company?

No. Billings Deck Builders is a referral service. We connect you with an independent builder that serves your address, and that builder designs, prices, builds and warranties the work. Read our tips for hiring a deck builder before you sign a contract.

Areas we cover

• Billings
• Billings Heights
• Lockwood
• Laurel

Planning ahead? Read our Billings deck guide.