Saint Paul neighborhood
Bungalow deck and porch work in Macalester-Groveland (55105)
Macalester-Groveland's foursquares and bungalows from the 1900s to the 1920s sit close together on narrow lots, with front porches, small rear decks and detached garages off the alley.
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- Serving 55105
Macalester-Groveland at a glance
Keeping century-old porches sound near Grand Avenue
The blocks between Summit Avenue and Randolph Avenue were built out mostly in the first decades of the 1900s, and many of those houses still carry their original front porch framing under several coats of paint. Fir flooring holds up surprisingly well when it stays painted, but the bottom of every column and the outer floor edge take the weather first. By the time you notice peeling paint and a soft spot near the steps, water has usually been soaking into the end grain for years. We pull a few boards, probe the joists and the beam, and tell you how much is worth keeping.
Behind the house, the usual setup is a small deck or stoop squeezed between the kitchen door and the garage. Many were added in the 1970s or later, with ledgers nailed to the siding and no flashing, so the rim joist behind them may be soft too. Because side yards in this part of Saint Paul can be only a few feet wide, we stage materials in the alley and carry them in by hand. Footings go below 42 inches, and we prepare the permit drawings for the city's Department of Safety and Inspections, then meet the inspector at each stage.
Macalester-Groveland porch and deck problems worth catching early
Enclosed porches with sticking windows
When the piers under an enclosed front porch settle, the frame racks and the windows bind. We level the floor, pour footings to frost depth and reframe the sill so the sashes slide again.
Back stoops crowding the garage
A cramped stoop between the kitchen and the garage often has steps that are too steep for daily use. We redesign the landing and stairs so the rise feels comfortable and the garage door still swings.
Nailed ledgers with no flashing
Decks added in later decades were often nailed straight through the siding. We remove the ledger, check the rim joist for rot, add flashing tape and metal flashing, then bolt the new ledger in place.
Copying original porch details
Turned balusters, beadboard ceilings and tapered square columns turn up on many of these houses. We match the profiles where we can and prime every face of new wood before it is installed.
Deck services Macalester-Groveland homeowners call us for
Typical prices for these jobs in Macalester-Groveland
Ranges from 2026 Twin Cities projects. Your price comes in a written scope after we see the site.
| Service | Typical range | Priced |
|---|---|---|
| Front Porch Repair and Rebuilds | $1,870 to $18,600 | per porch |
| Three-Season Porch Building | $41,600 to $97,800 | per porch |
| Ledger Board Repair and Flashing | $1,740 to $6,380 | per ledger repair |
| Deck Stair Building and Repair | $1,460 to $6,920 | per stair run |
| Deck Replacement | $42 to $98 | per square foot including tear-off |
| Screened Porch Building | $24,800 to $68,500 | per porch |
Deck questions from Macalester-Groveland
Can you save the original fir floor on my Macalester-Groveland front porch?
Sometimes. If the joists underneath are sound and only a few boards near the edge are soft, we cut in tongue-and-groove pieces of the same profile and repaint. If rot has spread into the framing, the floor usually has to come up so we can rebuild the structure, and then we lay new boards milled to a similar profile.
How do you get lumber into a Macalester-Groveland backyard with no driveway?
Most of these lots open onto an alley, so we stage materials beside the garage and carry them back by hand. We keep deliveries short so the alley stays open for neighbors and trash pickup. For heavier pieces such as beams, we bring extra hands and plan the route before the truck arrives.
Is a screened porch or a three-season porch better for a Macalester-Groveland house?
It depends on how you plan to use it. A screened porch is open air for summer evenings and keeps mosquitoes out. A three-season porch adds windows, so it stays usable from April into October. On many foursquares, an existing front or back porch can be converted if its footings and framing are sound.
Nearby areas we serve
Deck work in Macalester-Groveland? Call any hour.
We are on the phone 24/7 and on site across Macalester-Groveland every week. Tell us about the deck and we will set a visit.