Local Deck Builder in Shoreview MN - Outdoor Spaces for Lakeside Living

Shoreview was developed almost entirely between the 1960s and 1980s, and the city has very little undeveloped land left. That means virtually all deck and outdoor structure work here is renovation, replacement, or addition - not new construction on raw lots. Homes built in this era used pressure-treated lumber on concrete piers, and those piers are now 40 to 60 years old. In Shoreview, the frost depth reaches 42 to 60 inches below grade, which is some of the deepest frost penetration in the state. Footings that were set at the minimum code depth when these homes were built may now be marginal, and every hard freeze shifts them a little more.

With more than 30 lakes and ponds spread across the city's 11 square miles, a significant share of Shoreview properties back up to water or wetland buffers. Those lots have higher soil moisture, shallower water tables, and drainage conditions that are harder on post bases and concrete footings than a dry suburban lot would be. The glacial clay soil that covers most of this part of Ramsey County holds water instead of draining it, which keeps wood posts wet long after rain or snowmelt has dried out everywhere else. Combine that with the repeated freeze-thaw cycles from October through April, and the result is accelerated wear on any outdoor wood structure. A deck builder who works in Shoreview regularly knows this pattern and builds with it in mind.

Shoreview is a fully developed suburb of about 26,000 people in Ramsey County, situated along I-694 in the north Twin Cities metro. The city covers about 11 square miles and has more than 30 lakes and ponds within its boundaries - one of the highest concentrations of water bodies of any suburb in the metro. Many residential lots back up to a lake, pond, or wetland buffer, giving the city a heavily wooded and naturally landscaped character. The vast majority of housing is owner-occupied single-family homes, most of them ranch-style or split-level builds from the 1960s and 1970s, which are now well into the age range where original outdoor structures need attention.

The Shoreview Community Center on Village Center Drive is the central gathering place for city residents, and Snail Lake Regional Park - with its trails and swimming beach - is the outdoor destination most people in the city have visited. Lake Owasso is the largest lake within the city and has neighborhoods along its shoreline where waterfront living and outdoor living spaces go hand in hand. Neighboring Arden Hills sits to the northwest along I-694, and Little Canada is just to the south - both communities we serve regularly.