Drawn to the lot · Not to a catalog · Fort Thomas, KY · 41075

Custom Decks in Fort Thomas, KY

Custom decks in Fort Thomas, where a small alcove in the deck outline gives the grill its own spot, clear of the siding and out of the walkway. 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.

A cedar deck with a matching railing looking out over a wooded yard

4.9/5 StarsAcross 600+ reviews

1,400+Decks built and rebuilt since 2001

PermittedPulled and inspected everywhere we build

W-2 CrewsEmployees, never subcontracted out

Custom decks in Fort Thomas

Fort Thomas (ZIP 41075) decks are often long and narrow. A grill on one usually sits either against the house siding or in the middle of the route to the yard. A grill alcove, a small bay added to the deck outline just for the grill, takes it out of both spots.

Here the cooking gets its own address on the deck. The main floor stays clear from the door to the steps, and the table keeps the middle. The cook stands in a bay with a counter at hand.

The alcove is a projection off the deck edge, usually about five feet wide and four feet deep. Its size comes off the grill: the width of the unit plus the side clearances its maker publishes, with enough depth for the cook to stand without backing into the walkway. Gas grill instructions commonly ask for one to two feet to anything that burns, at the back and the sides. The bay holds all of that clear of the house wall.

Framing it is straightforward. The floor timbers run on past the main edge into the bay, or a short beam picks it up on two posts. Its floor carries a grill mat that will not burn, or porcelain pavers set flush on their own frame. Either one catches grease and ash and washes off with a hose. A counter at the working height of the grill runs along one wall of the bay, for setting a tray down. We put the alcove near the kitchen door and downwind of the table, checking the usual evening wind with the household before we draw. Gas or power comes up inside the alcove frame, so no hose or cord crosses the floor.

We cover everything in Fort Thomas

A deck with a curved edge sweeping around a seating area

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.

A deck off an upper floor standing on tall posts above a yard

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.

A dark contrasting border set into diagonal deck boards, forming a diamond with a cross through it

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 in Fort Thomas

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.

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.

A plain rectangular deck sitting awkwardly on a sloping yard

When a custom deck makes sense for your Fort Thomas house

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 in Fort Thomas questions

What is a grill alcove on a deck?

A small bay added to the deck outline for the grill alone, out of the walkway.

How big is the grill bay in a Fort Thomas deck outline?

Sized to your grill and its clearances, often about five feet wide by four feet deep.

What surface goes under the grill in the alcove?

A grill mat that will not burn, or porcelain pavers set flush that wash off with a hose.

Can gas or an outlet reach the alcove?

Yes, brought up inside the alcove frame so nothing runs across the deck boards.

Where on the deck is the best place for the grill bay?

Near the kitchen door and downwind of the table, which we check with you first.

Does the alcove count in the Fort Thomas side setback?

Yes. The City of Fort Thomas measures to its outer edge, which on these narrow lots is why the bay usually projects toward the back.

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

Gray-brown composite decking shot into a low sun, with round black balusters between white posts and a molded cap along the top rail. The boards run parallel to the guard, and the lawn falls away past it. — Composite boards and black aluminum balusters
Composite DecksDeck Railing

New treated pine on a raised deck behind a two-story house, with an X panel set into each bay of the guard and a flight of stairs down at the left end. The frame is open underneath and the posts run into a gravel bed. — Treated pine deck with an X-pattern guard
Wood DecksDeck ConstructionDeck Railing

See more work

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

Bulldog Deck medallion: building Cincinnati decks, 25+ years, established 2001

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

JJosephDeck Build

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

PPeterDeck Build

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

MMarkOutdoor Living Space

We can't say enough about Bulldog Deck! They created the backyard of our dreams. The entire team was professional and knowledgeable from start to finish. A special Thank You to Bulldog Deck for paying extra attention to every detail – they were a

ZZivaBackyard Design & Build

There aren't enough stars for a Bulldog Deck review. They get 10 + in our book. What an amazing experience from start to finish. Following them on Instagram to our 1st consult with Bulldog Deck, we were sure we picked the right company. Bulldog Deck

BBert & CherylDeck Build

Bulldog Deck is more than a deck company. They are truly an outdoor space company from A to Z! We were extremely satisfied with all phases of our project! We had interviewed a number of “outdoor space” companies and have never looked back once we

BBulldog Deck ClientOutdoor Living Space

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Related services

Deck Construction

Multi-Level Decks

Composite Decks

Wood Decks

A back yard with a raised deck, stairs down to a patio and a pergola over the seating

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.

0%Interest for 12 months on approved credit

$40,000Available for larger builds and covered structures

Soft pullApplying will not affect your credit score

84 moLonger terms available on bigger scopes

On approved credit. Terms vary by lender and project size.

Materials

Decking materials we build with in Fort Thomas

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.

Map of the Cincinnati region and surrounding areas covering our service area across southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana — Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

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

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We walk the job, measure it, and leave you with an itemized number. No obligation and no follow-up pressure.

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Most estimates are scheduled within two business days.