Custom Decks in Arlington, WA | Alpine Exteriors

Deck Building in the Stillaguamish Valley

Arlington is really two towns wearing one name. There's the historic core around Olympic Avenue, with its early-1900s homes and mature trees, and there's the newer Arlington that has spread across Smokey Point and up the hillsides since the 1990s — subdivision homes now old enough that their builder-grade decks are reaching the end of the road. Alpine Exteriors builds for both, plus the farms and riverside acreage along Highway 530 where a deck might be the best seat in the county for watching weather move down the Stillaguamish valley.

Those builder decks deserve a frank word. Most were framed to minimum spec in a hurry: 4x4 posts, shallow footings, ledgers fastened with nails, pressure-treated boards left to weather gray and splinter. Twenty-five wet Snohomish County winters later, they flex underfoot and rot where the ledger meets the house. Replacing one is a chance to get everything the original skipped — and to build the deck you actually wanted.

Designed Around How You'll Use It

Arlington yards tend to be generous by Puget Sound standards, which opens up design options tighter cities can't fit. Recent projects around town have included multi-level decks stepping down sloped backyards, covered sections that make October barbecues realistic, and low platform decks wrapping above-ground pools. Whatever the shape, the construction beneath follows the same non-negotiables:

• 6x6 posts on properly sized, frost-depth footings — the correction for nearly every failing 90s deck we demolish
• Bolted, flashed ledger connections with membrane protecting the rim joist of your house
• Joist tape across the frame, shielding the structure from the standing moisture that ends Northwest decks early
• Code-current railings and stairs, permitted and inspected through the city or Snohomish County depending on your address

For surfaces, capped composite has become the Arlington default — it handles the valley's damp shade without the yearly refinishing cedar demands — but we build beautiful cedar decks too, for owners who love real wood and accept its maintenance rhythm. We'll lay out the honest lifetime cost of each rather than steering you.

A Contractor With History

Alpine Exteriors has built outdoor structures across northwest Washington for 25 years and more than 2,000 projects, from island waterfront to foothills cabins to subdivision backyards exactly like the ones off 172nd. Every deck we build is covered by a 25-year workmanship warranty — if our craftsmanship fails, we fix it, period.

The Next Step Is Easy

We offer free on-site estimates throughout Arlington, Smokey Point, and the surrounding valley. We'll look at your existing structure or your empty patch of lawn, sketch options that fit the site and budget, and leave you a written proposal to consider on your own schedule.