Drawn to the lot · Not to a catalog
Custom Decks in Cincinnati and Surrounding Areas
Custom does not mean expensive shapes. It means the deck is drawn around your house. Your door heights, your slope, your sight lines, the furniture you already own. The alternative is a rectangle sized to whatever the lumber yard sells in 16-foot lengths.
What custom decks actually involves
Every deck we build is drawn before it is priced. What changes on a custom job is how much of the design is decided by the house and the ground rather than by convention: where the door sill sits, which way the yard falls, where the afternoon sun lands, where the grill has to be so nobody walks through the smoke to reach the stairs.
The things people mean by "custom" all cost money in the same place, and it is not in the boards. A curve, a level change, a 45-degree lay, a picture-frame border, an inlay: every one of them is paid for in the framing underneath. A diagonal lay needs joists at 12 inches on center instead of 16. A curve needs kerfed rim joists or laminated blocking. An inlay needs blocking under every edge that changes direction. That is where the number moves, and it is itemized on your estimate so you can see which feature is carrying it.
We cover everything
Curved and freeform decks
A curve is the detail people remember, and it is worth knowing what goes into one. The outside edge is kerfed so it will bend, or built up from thin laminated layers, and every board is cut to follow it. It earns its money where the deck meets a round patio or a pool, and anywhere the eye follows the edge.
Second-story and elevated decks
A deck off an upstairs room is a different job from one off the kitchen. The posts get long enough to need bracing. The stairs become the biggest thing in the yard, about 14 inches of run for every foot of height. And the space underneath suddenly becomes worth roofing over.
Inlays, borders and pattern lays
A border round the edge is close to free, because the framing it needs is mostly framing we would put in anyway. It also hides every cut board end, which on composite is what keeps water out of the core. Herringbone, chevron and two-tone patterns need extra framing under every seam, so the cost is in the labor rather than the boards.
What is included in custom decks
A drawn plan before anything is ordered
Footprint, heights, board direction and railing on paper. The county reviews it and the crew builds from it, so what you signed off is what you get.
Framing built for the layout you chose
A diagonal lay or a curve needs different framing underneath. That gets planned in, rather than the design being trimmed to suit a standard frame.
Every feature costed at design stage
A curve, a level change or an inlay each add to the framing underneath. You see exactly what each one adds while it is still on paper, so you pick the features you want with the number in front of you.
When a custom deck makes sense
Four situations where a drawn design pays for itself, in how the deck gets used rather than in how it looks.
Two doors open onto the same side of the house
A kitchen slider and a living-room door usually sit at different heights, and a level change lets each one open onto a deck at its own level. Built flat instead, one of them gets a step up, which is where people trip and where water sits.
The yard falls more than a foot across the footprint
Stepping the deck down the slope in two platforms keeps most of it near the ground. That shortens the stair run, and any level under 30 inches needs no guard at all, so the design often pays for itself in railing alone.
The best view faces the afternoon sun
A west-facing deck is unusable from four until seven in July. Rotating the footprint, pushing it past the corner of the house, or building the shade in from the start are all decisions made on paper, and on paper they cost nothing.
You already own the furniture
A table with chairs pushed back needs a clear 12-foot square, and a grill needs three feet of standoff. Drawing the deck around what you own is what stops you buying a deck you then have to furnish differently.
Worth knowing
Where the money goes on a custom deck
It is not in the decking. Between two decks of the same size in the same material, the difference is framing labor, footings and railing. Railing is priced by the foot, so a shape with more perimeter carries more of it, and that shows on the estimate line by line.
So the cheapest way to make a deck feel custom is to spend where the frame is not involved: board direction, a picture-frame border, a good railing, lighting. Those four change how a deck looks more than a curve does.
Pick the boards before the frame is drawn
Joist spacing is set by the decking and the angle it runs at. A frame built at 16 inches on center for a straight lay will not take a 45-degree diagonal later without extra joists sistered in.
It is the one decision worth settling early. Pick the board and the direction at design stage even if the color is still open, and the frame goes in ready for it. Color stays open right up until we order.
FAQ
Custom Decks questions
What makes a deck "custom" rather than standard?
That it is drawn around your house and your lot instead of being a rectangle sized to standard lumber lengths. In practice that means level changes to suit door heights, a footprint that follows the slope, a board direction chosen for the sight line, and details like picture-frame borders or built-in seating. It does not have to mean curves; most of what makes a deck feel custom is decided before a single line is drawn.
How much more does a custom deck cost?
It depends on which parts are custom. Board direction, a border and a good railing add very little, and they change how the deck reads enormously. Level changes, curves and inlays are different. They add framing labor and footings, and that is where the number moves. A curved rim can cost several times a straight one per foot. We itemize it so you can see what is carrying the cost.
Do you provide a design before I commit?
Yes. We walk the site, measure, and draw the footprint, heights and layout before you sign anything, and the estimate is built from that drawing. You are not paying for a plan you cannot see, and you are not approving a square-foot rate with the details left open.
Can you match a deck to the style of the house?
To a point, and it is mostly done with railing and trim rather than with decking. Post wraps, a top rail profile, skirting and fascia are what make a deck read as part of the house; the field of the deck is walked on rather than looked at. On a period house the railing choice is nearly the whole job.
Is a diagonal deck board layout worth it?
It looks good, and it hides the length of a long narrow deck. The cost is in the framing. Joists have to come in from 16 inches on center to 12, to carry the board across a longer span. That is roughly a third more framing. Decide it before the frame is built. Retrofitting means sistering joists across the whole deck.
Can you build around a tree?
Yes, and it needs a gap far bigger than looks right on the day. A trunk grows and moves in wind, so the opening has to allow for years of growth and for the tree swaying against the frame. We size the opening from the species and the trunk diameter, and set the footings clear of the root plate so the deck and the tree can both stay.
How long does the design stage take?
Usually a week to ten days from the site visit to a drawing you can approve, and the permit follows that. It is worth not compressing: every decision made on paper is free, and the same decision made once the frame is up is a change order.
We bring your vision to life
Most of our work starts as a sketch on a kitchen table. A door that opens onto a drop, a slope nobody wants to mow, a corner the sun ruins at four in the afternoon. We measure it, draw it, price it line by line, and build the deck you signed off on rather than the one that was easiest to frame.
Bulldog 6 step process
A deck that is still tight in fifteen years is not an accident of good lumber. It is the result of standards you can count on.
Design & Layout
We measure up, then agree the size, the shape, the materials and where the steps go. You get a drawing and an itemized price before anything is ordered.
Engineering & Permit
We draw the plans, get them stamped by an engineer where the county asks for it, submit them and pull the permit. Inspections are booked and the boards go on order.
Demolition & Footings
The old deck leaves in a dumpster the same week. The utility locate goes in two working days before digging, the footings go below the frost line, and the holes are inspected before concrete.
Framing & Flashing
We bolt the frame to the house and flash where the two meet, so rain runs off instead of into the wall. The county inspects it before any decking covers it.
Decking & Railing
Boards go down with the right gaps, the railing is built to take a grown adult leaning on it, and every step is the same height. We sweep up daily.
Inspection & Sign-Off
We walk the finished deck with you and fix your list before the final payment. That last pass is the Bulldog Finish, and the paperwork is yours to keep.
Our work
Decks we have built
Composite boards and black aluminum balusters
Treated pine deck with an X-pattern guard
Who you are hiring
Cincinnati deck builders since 2001
A family-owned crew out of Cincinnati, covering both sides of the river and the communities around it.
What we are good at is structure that has to last. We are not the cheapest quote you will get, and the difference is under the boards rather than on top of them.
- 1,400+ decks built and rebuilt since 2001
- Built for freeze-thaw winters and clay that heaves
- W-2 carpenters on payroll, never subcontracted out
- Permits pulled in every jurisdiction we work in
- Written, itemized estimates before you commit
Why homeowners choose us
What makes us different
Six things you can check before you sign anything, and hold us to afterwards.
- Family-owned and operated since 2001
- Licensed and fully insured
- 4.9 stars from 600+ reviews
- Financing available
- Decks built to last through Ohio winters
- Composite, wood, covered decks and pergolas
In their words
What homeowners say
Great experience from the entire team. Very professional contractors, who deliver on their design (which by the way are spot on!). I hope to use them more in the future. My wife and I are excited to use our new deck with the entire family. Shout out
There is a reason why Bulldog Deck is an award winning company. Each time we step out onto our amazing deck, we are reminded of the all the designing, planning and constructing that puts them at the top. My wife found Bulldog Deck and was impressed
My family and I couldn't be happier with our new outdoor living space and Bulldog Deck were extremely professional throughout the entire process and the end result was just amazing! As important is the follow up and customer support that we
Related services
Financing available
Spread it across the year, not the month
A new deck is one summer of work, and our financing menu is built so it does not have to be one summer of savings. Spread it across the year on approved credit and the deck goes in this season.
On approved credit. Terms vary by lender and project size.
Materials
Decking materials we build with
Pressure-treated pine
The most affordable and most common choice, and it takes a stain beautifully every time we re-coat it.
Redwood and cedar
Naturally resistant to rot and insects, with a rich warm color and a softer feel underfoot.
Tropical hardwoods
Ipe, tigerwood and cumaru. Dense enough to shrug off dents, insects and rot for decades.
Capped composite
Recycled wood fiber and plastic wrapped in a protective polymer shell. No annual sealing.
Advanced PVC
Fully synthetic with no wood content. Light, highly moisture-resistant and cooler underfoot in sun.
Aluminum
Fireproof, rust-proof and bug-proof, and lasts a lifetime with almost no upkeep.
Where we work
Proudly decking the Tri-State
Cincinnati and Surrounding Areas: southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana. 170 communities, covered by our own crews.
Counties & cities we serve
Hamilton County, OH
- Cincinnati
- Blue Ash, OH
- Norwood, OH
- Montgomery, OH
Butler County, OH
- West Chester, OH
- Hamilton, OH
- Fairfield, OH
Warren County, OH
- Mason, OH
- South Lebanon, OH
- Maineville, OH
Clermont County, OH
- Milford, OH
- Batavia, OH
- New Richmond, OH
Kenton County, KY
- Covington, KY
- Fort Mitchell, KY
- Erlanger, KY
Campbell County, KY
- Newport, KY
- Fort Thomas, KY
- Bellevue, KY
Boone County, KY
- Florence, KY
- Union, KY
- Burlington, KY
Dearborn County, IN
- Lawrenceburg, IN
- Aurora, IN
- Greendale, IN
No obligation
Get a written estimate, not a guess
We walk the job, measure it, and leave you with an itemized number. No obligation and no follow-up pressure.
Request your estimate
Most estimates are scheduled within two business days.
Custom Decks in 170 neighborhoods covered by Bulldog Deck
Cincinnati Neighborhoods(52)
- Sedamsville
- Sayler Park
- Riverside
- East Price Hill
- West Price Hill
- Lower Price Hill
- Over-the-Rhine
- Downtown
- West End
- Mount Adams
- Mount Auburn
- Clifton
- Corryville
- Northside
- College Hill
- Walnut Hills
- East Walnut Hills
- Avondale
- Hyde Park
- Oakley
- Mount Lookout
- Columbia-Tusculum
- Mount Washington
- Madisonville
- Pleasant Ridge
- Westwood
- Pendleton
- Queensgate
- CUF
- Camp Washington
- South Fairmount
- East End
- North Fairmount
- Evanston
- South Cumminsville
- English Woods
- North Avondale
- Millvale
- Paddock Hills
- Spring Grove Village
- Linwood
- Bond Hill
- Villages of Roll Hill
- East Westwood
- Western Hills
- California
- Carthage
- Winton Hills
- Roselawn
- Mount Airy
- Hartwell
- Kennedy Heights
Hamilton County, OH(54)
- Norwood
- Blue Ash
- Montgomery
- Madeira
- Wyoming
- Mariemont
- Cheviot
- Covedale
- St. Bernard
- Elmwood Place
- Delhi Hills
- Golf Manor
- Fairfax
- Mack
- Monfort Heights
- Bridgetown
- Finneytown
- Amberley
- Arlington Heights
- North College Hill
- Newtown
- Turpin Hills
- Silverton
- Lockland
- Groesbeck
- Mount Healthy
- Reading
- Dent
- Deer Park
- Terrace Park
- Dry Run
- White Oak
- Forestville
- Cherry Grove
- Kenwood
- Lincoln Heights
- Dillonvale
- Woodlawn
- Addyston
- Greenhills
- Northbrook
- Indian Hill
- Evendale
- Glendale
- Sharonville
- Northgate
- Springdale
- Miamitown
- Forest Park
- Pleasant Run
- Cleves
- North Bend
- Loveland
- Harrison
Clermont County, OH(16)
- Mount Carmel
- Summerside
- Withamsville
- Milford
- Mulberry
- Mount Repose
- Day Heights
- New Richmond
- Amelia
- Batavia
- Owensville
- Goshen
- Moscow
- Newtonsville
- Williamsburg
- Bethel
Butler County, OH(9)
- West Chester
- Ross
- Fairfield
- Beckett Ridge
- Wetherington
- Hamilton
- Millville
- New Miami
- Monroe
Warren County, OH(6)
- Mason
- Landen
- Loveland Park
- Maineville
- Pleasant Plain
- South Lebanon
Kenton County, KY(15)
- Covington
- Erlanger
- Ludlow
- Park Hills
- Bromley
- Fort Wright
- Fort Mitchell
- Villa Hills
- Lakeside Park
- Crescent Springs
- Crestview Hills
- Edgewood
- Taylor Mill
- Elsmere
- Independence
Campbell County, KY(10)
- Newport
- Bellevue
- Fort Thomas
- Dayton
- Southgate
- Wilder
- Highland Heights
- Cold Spring
- Alexandria
- Melbourne
Boone County, KY(5)
- Florence
- Hebron
- Burlington
- Union
- Walton
Dearborn County, IN(3)
- Lawrenceburg
- Greendale
- Aurora