Deck Builder in Council Bluffs, IA
Deck Bros is a Deck Builder in Council Bluffs, IA, building decks that sit dead level on a Loess Hills slope and hold up over the Missouri River bluffs. From a fresh custom build to a repair on the deck you've already got, we cover the whole range here.
2,500+
decks built & repaired
30+
years combined experience
500+
4.9 star reviews
5-year
A Note From Luan
Council Bluffs sits right across the river from where our crew works every day, so coming over the bridge to build here feels like working in the neighborhood. I’ve spent years watching what the Loess Hills do to a deck, and it shaped how we frame every one of them.
The homes here are a mix. You’ve got older brick places near the older streets and newer builds pushed up onto the hillsides, and each one asks something different from a deck. We measure the grade before we ever talk boards.
If you call us, you’ll talk to people who actually build. I’d rather tell you a repair will hold than sell you a rebuild you don’t need, and that’s how we’ve grown by word of mouth on both sides of the river.
What the Loess Hills Mean for Your Deck
Council Bluffs is built on loess, the fine wind-blown silt that gives the hills their name. It holds a bluff well when it’s dry, but once water runs across a slope it starts to move, and a deck footing has to account for that.
That’s why footings and drainage matter more here than on flat ground. On a hillside lot we set footings deep and sized to the load, and we make sure water sheds away from them and off the lot.
Older brick homes downtown bring their own wrinkle. The ledger has to be flashed carefully so water can’t track behind the siding or the brick, which is where a lot of tired decks first go soft.
Pottawattamie County follows the Iowa code, and here’s the short list that shapes most jobs:
Pottawattamie County follows the Iowa code, and here’s the short list that shapes most jobs:
- Permit required for any deck that's attached to the house or stands more than 30 inches off the ground.
- Footings at least 36 inches down, below the Iowa frost line, and sized for what the deck carries.
- Joists 16 inches on center so the boards feel solid underfoot for years.
- Ledger flashed so water sheds away from the siding and never gets behind it.
- Permit pulled through the City of Council Bluffs before the first footing goes in.
We handle the permit and build to the book. If you want the full rundown, here’s our Iowa deck building codes guide.
Deck Building
No deck out back yet, and a sloped lot making you wonder if it’s even possible? That’s the job we like best. Custom deck building starts at the footings and works up, with the whole layout designed around your grade and how you’ll actually use the space.
We’ll site it so it reads level even when the yard drops away, pour footings below the frost line, and frame it square. You pick the material, whether that’s capped composite and PVC from TimberTech and Trex, or cedar and pressure-treated wood.
Deck Installation
The trouble with a hillside lot is keeping every board dead level when the ground under it is anything but. That’s the heart of a clean deck installation here, and it’s where a lot of builds go wrong.
We set the posts to the grade, string the frame true, and check for level as we go so the finished surface reads flat no matter what the yard is doing underneath. Then the boards go down tight with hidden fasteners, so there’s nothing to catch a bare foot and nothing to work loose.
Deck Repair in Papillion
Soft spots underfoot, a railing that gives when you lean on it, or a post that’s started to lean? Those are the calls we get most, and most of them are fixable. Our deck repair work covers boards, joists, posts, railings, and the ledger flashing that keeps the whole thing dry.
We’ll walk the deck with you first and give you an honest read on where it stands.
Lean toward repair
- The frame and posts are sound
- A handful of surface boards are worn
- The railing needs re-securing or a section swapped
- The ledger flashing needs redoing
Lean toward replacement:
- Joists or posts are rotting through
- The footings never went deep enough
- More than a third of the boards are gone
- You want a bigger footprint or a new material
Not sure which side you’re on? That’s exactly what the walkthrough is for.
Covered Decks
Afternoon sun that runs you off the deck by two, or a quick summer storm that ends the evening? A roof built right into the structure fixes both. Our covered decks give you shade and cover that hold up to Iowa weather.
Because the roof is framed in from the footings up, it’s tied to the deck as one structure, sized for snow load and pitched to shed rain and melt away from the house.
Screened-In Porches
Down near the river the bugs can own a summer evening, and that’s the problem a screen solves. A screened-in porch turns your deck into an outdoor room you can sit in past dusk without swatting.
We build it as a finished space, framed and screened tight, so you get the breeze off the bluffs and none of the mosquitoes that come with it.
What Our Customers Say
Deck Bros holds a 4.9-star rating across 500+ Google reviews.
d
David Franks
Our deck was the original deck built on the house and 20+ years old and in bad shape, along with some original hardscaping below the deck.
I did some online research and seen a lot of great things about Deck Bros.
We called Luan for a quote and we were very pleased with his honesty, knowledge, and down to earth attitude.
We received the detailed quote the day he visited and liked the price and services offered.
We were quoted a start date at the end of March.
As I type this, the entire project has been completed, a full week ahead of schedule.
The team had great communication, was very friendly and did a great job.
We will absolutely recommend Deck Bros to anyone and will continue to utilize them for years to come.
l
LA Fos
What an absolute blessing Deck Bros’ company is! Truly wish we would’ve done this sooner, as 3 years have passed since we learned that we inherited rotting decks with the purchase of our home. Me and pups did not go out on the decks at all in 2023 because I was so concerned over safety. It’s their favorite thing to do…
From professionalism and friendliness, sincerity, being meticulous, pride in workmanship, very hard working & putting in long hours as well as cleaning up each day; and creating a beautiful and structurally sound deck for us, all in a very short amount of time too!
We’ve had 3 neighbors so far ask us for their info because they are so impressed too with how it turned out.
Each day, several times a day since completion, I look out and am blown away at the beauty; and that just like THAT, poof! 💨 Rotting decks gone, and replaced with a stunning deck scape now.
I grew very fond of all of them, it was such a pleasure to look forward to seeing them each day. It’s quite lonely around here since completion. 🥲
They are like having an extension of family here in Omaha now. 🦋
m
Mike Tabbert
I needed my deck to be rebuilt and contacted four different companies for estimates.
Mike, from Deck Bros, was, by far, the most responsive. He came out to my house, took pictures, consulted with me, and provided a complete breakdown of all costs within days.
Working with Susan, Deck Bros was able to accommodate my calendar and was able to schedule the work two weeks earlier than originally planned.
Blake and his crew showed up on-time and were highly organized and respectful.
They completed the work over the course of a few days.
I was impressed with the level of communication from Deck Bros during all aspects of my project. I am completely satisfied with the work and look forward to enjoying my new deck.
I would highly recommend Deck Bros! Thank you, Deck Bros, for a great experience!
Why Council Bluffs Homeowners Trust Deck Bros
We’re licensed, bonded, and insured, Google Guaranteed, and BBB accredited, and we carry 30+ years of combined carpentry experience on the crew. As a TimberTech Platinum Contractor we can extend the material warranty on top of our own five-year workmanship warranty.
Every deck comes with that five-year warranty on our work, and we haul off the old deck and the debris when we’re done. If the budget’s the holdup, we offer a 0% intro option through FNBO, laid out on our financing page.
How a Council Bluffs Deck Comes Together
1
We walk the lot
We come out, check the grade, and talk through the build on-site
What you get: A clear plan and a fixed estimate
2
Permit and footings
We pull the City of Council Bluffs permit and set footings 36 inches down
What you get: A code-legal base sized to the load
3
Frame and finish
We frame square, flash the ledger, and set the boards with hidden fasteners
What you get: A level deck and the site cleaned up
Most builds wrap in about three days once we’re on-site.
The People on Your Deck
Deck Bros started in 2020, and the crew that shows up in Council Bluffs is the crew that builds every day across the metro. We keep the standards the same on both sides of the river, from how deep a footing goes to how the last board gets fastened.
You can read more about who we are on our about page.
See the Work
Materials and Methods That Last
We build in capped composite and PVC from TimberTech and Trex, and in wood when that’s what you’re after, whether cedar or pressure-treated. The capped boards hold their color where treated wood fades, and they go down with hidden fasteners for a clean surface.
Under the boards is where the real work lives. Footings poured below the frost line and sized to the load, joists 16 inches on center, and a ledger flashed so water sheds away from the house.
If you’re weighing brands, our TimberTech vs Trex breakdown lays out the trade-offs, and our deck cost guide covers the numbers.
Luan Nguyen
Your Deck, Ready for Council Bluffs Weather
Call (402) 600-0810 or fill out the form and we’ll walk your lot, check the grade, and give you a straight estimate on a deck built for the bluffs.
Council Bluffs has grown up around its hills and its river, and we’re glad to build here as a Deck Builder in Council Bluffs, IA, working over from Omaha for homeowners on both sides of the water. For permits and city services, start at the City of Council Bluffs, and for what’s going on around town, Unleash Council Bluffs is a good place to look.