Clean Construction / Decks / Amherst, Ohio
Wood and composite decks for Amherst — from century homes near the sandstone downtown to the newer streets off Cooper Foster. Footings below frost, ledgers flashed right, permits handled.
Amherst calls itself the Sandstone Center of the World, and the town holds itself to the standard the name implies — this is a place where hundred-year-old stone foundations are still doing their job. A deck bolted to one of those older homes near downtown is a different build than a deck on a ten-year-old colonial off Cooper Foster Park Road, and Brad treats them differently.
On the older housing stock, the critical work is the connection: what's actually behind that siding, how the ledger gets flashed, and whether the house wants an attached deck at all or a freestanding frame set on its own footings. On the newer builds, the job is usually about doing what the production builder didn't — a deck sized for how you actually live, not the 10x10 spec-sheet minimum.
Either way the ground rules are the same: Amherst freezes like the rest of Lorain County, so every footing is dug below the 32-inch frost line and poured on soil that won't heave. Permits run through the City of Amherst Building Department, and Brad handles the drawings, the application, and the inspections.
Northeast Ohio frost drives 32 inches down, and the clay-heavy ground around Amherst will heave anything sitting shallower. Every footing is dug below the frost line and poured on undisturbed soil — then inspected before a single post goes up.
Most deck failures start at the house connection. Brad opens up the connection point, flashes it correctly, and through-bolts to actual structure — or builds the deck freestanding on its own footings when that's the honest answer for your house.
Clay lots don't forgive bad water planning. Before the layout is final, Brad looks at grade, downspouts, and where roof water actually goes — so the ground under your deck stays solid instead of turning into a spring swamp.
The permit runs through the City of Amherst Building Department, and the job gets inspected at the stages the code requires. Brad handles all of it — drawings, application, inspector on site. The paper trail protects you when you sell.
More projects, including additions, patios, and retaining walls, in the full portfolio.
Size, height, wood or composite, rough budget if you have one. Vague is fine — "we want somewhere to eat outside" is enough to start the conversation.
He looks at the house connection, the grade, the soil, the door heights, where the sun lands in the evening. This is where a deck stops being a rectangle on paper and starts being your deck.
Framing, decking, railings, footings, permit — line by line. Wood and composite priced side by side if you're deciding. Nothing buried, and money is settled in the contract before anything starts.
Permit pulled, footings inspected, frame up, decking down, railings on, final inspection passed. Brad is on site through it, hands on most of the work. Most decks take one to two weeks of build time.
In most cases, yes. Attached decks and most decks of any real size need a building permit, which runs through the City of Amherst Building Department. Brad handles the permit application, drawings, and inspections as part of the job — you never deal with the counter.
The Residential Code of Ohio requires footings to bear below the frost line — 32 inches in this part of the state. Every Clean Construction footing goes below that depth so the deck doesn't heave when the ground freezes. Shallow footings are the most common failure on older decks in Northeast Ohio.
Pressure-treated wood costs less up front and takes any stain, but wants cleaning and re-sealing every couple of years. Composite costs more up front and is essentially wash-and-go. Most decks Brad builds run a treated frame with composite decking — but he'll price both honestly at the site visit and let the numbers talk.
Most residential decks run one to two weeks of build time once the permit is issued and materials land — longer for multi-level builds or extras like covered sections and built-in benches. You get the schedule before work starts.
It depends on size, height, material, and railing choices, so Brad doesn't quote blind and you shouldn't trust anyone who does. He walks the site, then you get a written, itemized estimate with every line explained. The site visit and the estimate cost you nothing.
Usually — but only after Brad opens up the connection point and sees what's really there. Older Amherst homes can hide anything from true-dimension framing to sandstone at the ledger line. If the wall will carry a properly flashed, through-bolted ledger, he attaches it right. If it won't, he builds the deck freestanding on its own footings and tells you why. Both are done regularly.
Fill this out or call him directly. Either way you're talking to the person who builds it.
Brad will call you back the same day. If it's urgent, call him directly at 440-315-4438.