Last week I stopped by the Hardware & More on FM 149 to grab screws, and a fellow in line squinted at the logo on my shirt. “You’re the deck guys, right? My boards bounce like a trampoline—think you can help?”
That’s Montgomery in a nutshell: small enough that folks recognize you by your truck, big enough that a lot of backyards could use some love. If yours is one of them, pull up a chair—preferably the wobbly one you’re tired of tightening—and let’s talk about what makes a deck both tough enough for Texas weather and good-looking enough that your neighbors angle for an invite.
Start With the Way You Actually Live
Forget the catalogs for a minute. Close your eyes and picture a Saturday:
- Is there a smoker slow-rolling a brisket while half a dozen friends argue about the Astros?
- Do the kids need room to scatter Legos under your feet—because, let’s be honest, they will—or do you picture a peaceful nook for morning coffee and the latest true-crime podcast?
- Are you barefoot most of the year, or will outdoor rugs do the heavy lifting on comfort?
When we show up for a first visit, that’s the conversation we have. The best decks aren’t built from blueprints—they’re built from people’s routines. Once we know how you’ll actually use the space, the measurements take care of themselves.
Choosing Boards That Laugh at Montgomery Summers
The sun here is no joke. One July afternoon can turn cheap lumber into a warped potato chip. We steer folks toward three main options, each with its own personality:
- Pressure-Treated Pine – The workhorse: affordable, strong, takes stain well. Downside? Give it a fresh coat every spring or it’ll gray out faster than you can say “sun-bleached.”
- Cedar – Smells fantastic, shrugs off bugs, and ages into that silvery patina everybody’s posting on Pinterest. Costs more than pine, but it’s like paying extra for quality boots—you feel the difference every day.
- Composite (Trex, Fiberon, you name it) – Plastic-wood mash-up that never asks for stain, never splinters, and comes in colors that won’t fade before football season. Price tag’s higher, but so is the free time you gain by notsanding every other year.
We’ll lay sample boards in the yard so you can see how the afternoon light hits them. Bring a glass of sweet tea, step back, and pick what feels right.
Little Details, Big Difference
Most decks are rectangles. Nothing wrong with a rectangle—heck, our grandparents built plenty—but a few tweaks make the whole thing feel custom:
- Picture-frame trim around the perimeter hides cut ends and gives the edge a finished look.
- Staggered-width boards break up big expanses so it reads less bowling alley, more boutique hotel.
- Low-voltage lights tucked into stair risers mean nobody face-plants after dark and the place glows like a scene from a country song video.
- Wide steps double as casual seating when the cousins show up unannounced.
These upgrades don’t blow up the budget, but they’ll have visitors asking who designed your “outdoor living room.” (Spoiler: it was you—they just gave you a little help.)
Build Codes & Paperwork—We Handle the Boring Stuff
Montgomery County requires permits once your deck gets a few feet off the ground. Setback rules, railing heights, footing depth—skip one line on the form and the inspector will make you tear out half the project. We’ve danced this dance plenty of times, so we pull the permits, schedule inspections, and keep the site tidy enough that the city rep usually cracks a smile.
Meanwhile, you keep living your life. The only paperwork you’ll touch is signing off when you’re happy.
What to Expect When the Hammerhead Crew Rolls Up
- Day One—Demo or Dig
We yank the rotted stuff (if there’s an old deck) or chalk out the new footprint. Posts go into holes deeper than your average fishing tale, then set in concrete that’ll outlast election yard signs. - Day Two to Four—Framing & Decking
The skeleton rises: beams, joists, blocking. We space everything the thickness of a carpenter’s pencil—tight enough for strength, loose enough so rain won’t puddle. Boards go down with hidden fasteners; no toe-stubbing screw heads here. - Day Five—Rails, Steps, and Finishing Touches
We install railings that can handle your uncle’s enthusiastic storytelling, wire up the lights, sweep twice, and haul away the debris. You’ll walk it with us, point out anything that bugs you, and we’ll fix it before the truck leaves.
Total timeline? Usually a week, weather behaving.
Dollars and Sense—Real Numbers, No Guessing
Ballpark figures, labor and materials included:
| Size (feet) | Pressure-Treated | Cedar | Composite |
| 12 × 12 | $7–9 K | $9–11 K | $11–13 K |
| 16 × 20 | $13–16 K | $16–19 K | $20–24 K |
Add-ons—pergolas, built-in benches—run a bit extra, but we price them line-by-line so you decide what’s worth it. No surprise invoices, ever.
Ready to Trade Dirt Patch for Dream Deck?
If your back door opens to a tired set of steps or nothing at all, let’s fix that. Call, text, or holler across the parking lot if you see the Hammerhead logo. We’ll swing by, sketch a plan on the tailgate, and leave you with a straightforward quote.
By the time football season kicks off, you could be flipping burgers on a deck so sturdy you’ll swear it grew there. And when the guy behind you at Hardware & More asks who built it, you’ll know exactly what to say.
Hammerhead Renovation & Repair—Montgomery built, Texas tough, and ready when you are.
