Deck builders in Illinois

27% of homes in the covered area predate 1960, 32% were built in the 1960s and 1970s, 26% in the 1980s and 1990s, and 15% since 2000. The oldest housing is in Oak Park (1934), Berwyn (1938) and Kenilworth (1938); the newest is in Romeoville (1999), South Elgin (1997) and Plainfield (1997). That spread is why deck projects here range from rebuilding retrofit decks on early-20th-century homes to upgrading decks on houses built in the last decade.

• Replacement and major repair: about 550,132 homes (44%) were built between 1970 and 1999, the age group whose original or early add-on decks are most likely to have worn-out framing, connectors and boards.
• Retrofit decks on older homes: about 507,999 homes (41%) predate 1970. Here the priority is confirming that add-on decks are properly attached — or rebuilding them freestanding — before any cosmetic work.
• Upgrades and expansions: about 64,750 homes (5%) were built since 2010. Their decks are usually sound but small or builder-grade, so enlarging the deck, adding stairs and switching to composite or upgraded railings are common.

Average annual snowfall ranges from about 24.3 inches (Carol Stream) to 46.2 inches (West Chicago). Days with at least 0.1 inch of precipitation range from about 63 (Buffalo Grove) to 79 (Schaumburg). Those differences change footing depth requirements, how often wood needs sealing and how much snow and moisture a deck must shrug off — so the right design for one Illinois community is not automatically right for another.

Capped composite and PVC hold up well to freeze-thaw and snow removal with plastic shovels; wood decks need consistent sealing to resist moisture damage. Individual community pages explain how local housing age and the nearest weather station's data change that recommendation.