Deck Construction
Duluth deck builders — for the deck that skips the maintenance treadmill.
We build in Arbor Wood Co. thermally modified wood — real, USA-sourced lumber with the moisture and sugars cooked out, set on frost-depth footings. The decking that doesn't cup, rot, or beg for a stain can every spring.
The material problem
Ordinary lumber
fights the North.
A standard treated deck greys, cups, and starts to rot after a handful of Northern Minnesota seasons. The reason is in the board itself: ordinary lumber holds moisture and sugars, and freeze-thaw works them like a lever until the wood moves. So you spend every spring sanding, staining, and sealing just to slow it down.
We solve that at the material. Arbor Wood Co. runs real, USA-sourced wood through a three-phase thermal modification process that removes the moisture and sugars driving the rot and the warp — so the board stays flatter, longer, with far less fuss. Here's what goes into a ProCon deck:
- Frost-depth footings. Sized and poured below the Northern Minnesota frost line so the deck won't heave when the ground freezes.
- Framing & structure. The beams, joists, and posts that carry the deck and keep it dead level under load.
- Arbor Wood thermally modified decking. USA-sourced boards with the moisture and sugars cooked out — stable, slow to grey, no annual reseal demanded.
- Railings & stairs. Built to code and to the way you move on and off the deck, not an afterthought bolted on at the end.
- Flashing where the deck meets the house. The ledger detail most failures start at — flashed so water sheds away from your wall, not into it.
How a ProCon deck gets built
Footings first, finish last.
Walkthrough & estimate
We measure the space at your home and get you a free written estimate.
Design & layout
Size, shape, stairs, and railing settled so the deck fits how you use the yard.
Frost footings
Footings dug and poured to frost depth so the deck stays level for good.
Frame & deck
Structure built, then Arbor Wood thermally modified decking laid over it.
Railings & finish
Railings, stairs, and flashing set; then we walk the finished deck with you.
Every deck is priced to its own size, footing dig, and railing — there's no honest flat rate. We measure at your home and put the number in writing, no charge.
Most decks are built in one to three weeks, footings to final railing. You get a real schedule before the first hole is dug.
Ready to talk through your project?
Free written estimate · MN license #QB807406
Deck building in Duluth
Built for the lake,
the hill, and the frost.
A deck in Duluth has a harder job than a deck almost anywhere else. The lot is on a slope, so one side of the deck is at grade and the other is eight feet in the air. The view is Lake Superior, so the wind off the water hits it all winter. And the ground freezes deep — which is why every ProCon deck in Duluth sits on footings poured to Minnesota's 60-inch frost depth, not on blocks that heave the first spring.
We build decks from Lakeside and Congdon Park down the hill to Lincoln Park and out to Park Point, plus the lake homes along Island Lake, Pike Lake, and the North Shore. Most need a City of Duluth building permit; shoreland lots can also fall under setback rules. We handle the permit and inspections under our Minnesota license, and we build in Arbor Wood thermally modified ash because it holds up to freeze-thaw and lake spray without the annual stain-and-seal routine.
- Hillside decks. Engineered posts, beams, and bracing for the tall side of a sloped Duluth lot — walkouts, multi-level decks, and stairs that land where you actually walk.
- Lake-view decks. Railings and board orientation planned around the view, built to take the wind and ice that come with it.
- 60-inch footings. Poured below the frost line so the deck doesn't lift, rack, or pull away from the house.
- Permits & inspections. Pulled and scheduled by us, so the deck is on record and the inspector signs off before you host anyone on it.
See everything ProCon builds in Duluth, or our custom homes and additions that start with a deck.
Deck questions
Answered.
What is Arbor Wood thermally modified wood, and why use it on a Duluth deck?
Arbor Wood Co. is real wood, USA-sourced, run through a three-phase thermal modification process that drives out the moisture and sugars ordinary lumber holds onto. Those are exactly what make a board cup, swell, and grey out — so on a Duluth deck that sees freeze-thaw and lake-effect damp, it stays flatter and more stable for far longer than standard treated lumber.
How deep do deck footings need to go in Northern Minnesota?
We set footings to frost depth, which in the Duluth area means roughly five feet down. A deck on shallow footings heaves every winter as the ground freezes and lifts; footings poured below the frost line stay put, so your deck stays level for the life of the structure.
How long does it take to build a deck?
Most decks are built in one to three weeks. The span depends on size, the footing dig, stairs, and railing, but we give you a real schedule with the written estimate before any digging starts.
Will a thermally modified deck need staining and sealing every year?
No. Because the moisture and sugars are already cooked out of Arbor Wood, it isn't on the annual stain-and-seal treadmill that ordinary lumber demands. Left alone it weathers to a soft silver-grey; if you want to hold the warmer tone, an occasional oil finish does it — your choice, not a yearly chore.
Do I need a permit to build a deck in Duluth?
Almost always — the City of Duluth requires a building permit for decks attached to the house or more than 30 inches above grade, and shoreland lots can have setback rules on top of that. We pull the permit and schedule the inspections as part of the job.
Can you build a deck on a steep Duluth lot?
Yes — hillside lots are most of what we build on. The tall side gets engineered posts, beams, and bracing on 60-inch frost-depth footings, and we design the stairs and landings around how you'll actually use the yard below.
Do you build in Two Harbors and along the North Shore, not just Duluth?
Yes. We build decks across Northern Minnesota — Duluth, Two Harbors, Hermantown, Cloquet, and the surrounding communities. ProCon is licensed in Minnesota under #QB807406 and insured, and every deck carries a workmanship guarantee.
A recent ProCon project
“Professional from the first consultation all the way through the entire project. Outstanding workmanship and craftsmanship.”
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Let's build your deck.
Tell us about the yard, and we'll measure and price it. Free estimates, straight to the owner.