Lithia sits inland from Tampa Bay in unincorporated Hillsborough County, which means no salt air eating at your hardware the way it does closer to the coast — but that's about the only break you get. Between the summer humidity, the afternoon thunderstorm pattern that rolls through from June through September, and the sandy-to-clay soil mix common on the larger lots out here, a deck built with generic materials or corner-cut fasteners will show its age fast. We build decks for Lithia's mix of horse properties, newer subdivisions like the FishHawk area, and older acreage homes, and the approach has to fit the site — not a one-size template.
This page is about the deck itself: what to build it from, how it gets designed and permitted, and what actually matters once the crew leaves. If you're comparing composite to wood, figuring out what a permit involves, or trying to plan a deck around a pool or a sloped yard, this is the page for that.
Every homeowner asks this question eventually, and the honest answer is that both materials work in Lithia — they just come with different trade-offs. We'll install either, but we tell every customer the real maintenance and lifespan picture before they decide.
Southern yellow pine, pressure-treated for ground contact, is still the most common decking material in this part of Florida because it's affordable and locally available. It handles our humidity fine structurally as long as it's properly sealed and re-sealed on a schedule — but skip that maintenance for a couple of years and you'll see graying, splintering, and cupping boards. Subterranean termites are active throughout Hillsborough County, and while pressure treatment resists them, it isn't a guarantee; ground-contact posts and framing need periodic inspection.
Composite boards (wood fiber and polymer blends) and full PVC decking have become the default choice for homeowners who want to stop staining and sealing every year or two. They resist moisture absorption, won't splinter, and shrug off the UV load Florida throws at outdoor surfaces. The trade-off is upfront cost — composite typically runs more per square foot than treated wood — and the boards themselves get genuinely hot underfoot on a July afternoon, more so than wood. Lighter color composite blends handle the heat gain better than dark brown or gray tones if that's a concern for bare feet around a pool.
Species like ipe show up occasionally on higher-end Lithia projects. They're extremely dense, naturally rot- and insect-resistant, and can outlast almost anything else on this list — but they're expensive, heavy to work with, and still need periodic oiling to keep their color instead of silvering out. We'll install hardwood decking when a homeowner wants that look and understands the maintenance commitment, but we don't push it as a default.
| Factor | Pressure-Treated Wood | Composite/PVC |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Lowest | Higher, often 1.5–2x wood |
| Maintenance | Seal/stain every 1–2 years | Occasional wash, no sealing |
| Heat underfoot | Moderate | Can run hotter, esp. dark colors |
| Termite/rot risk | Treated but not immune | Not a food source for termites |
| Expected lifespan | 15–25 years with upkeep | 25–30+ years, fade/stain resistant |
| Repair approach | Board-by-board, easy to match | Board replacement, color matching over time can be tricky |
A lot of the decks we build out here aren't simple rectangles bolted to the back of the house — the land dictates the design more than in a tight subdivision lot elsewhere in the county.
Acreage properties in Lithia frequently have grade changes, drainage swales, or low spots that pond after a summer storm. A multi-level deck, or a deck built on helical piles rather than poured footings, can solve for uneven ground without the cost of massive fill work. We assess drainage before we design — a deck that traps water underneath it becomes a mosquito and mold problem fast in this humidity.
If the deck ties into a pool cage or screened lanai, Florida's pool barrier code sets specific requirements — railing height (typically 36–42 inches depending on application) and baluster spacing (no more than 4 inches) if the deck functions as part of the pool enclosure. We design the railing system to meet code from the start rather than retrofitting it after an inspection flags it.
Mature oak canopy is part of Lithia's character, but it changes how a deck ages. Shaded composite decking stays cooler but can hold moisture and develop algae or mildew film faster than a deck in full sun — we factor board spacing and airflow underneath into the design specifically for shaded sites, and recommend a periodic wash schedule that's more frequent than a full-sun deck would need.
The decking surface gets all the attention, but the structure underneath is what determines whether the deck is still solid in ten years.
Because Lithia is unincorporated, deck permits go through Hillsborough County Development Services, not a city building department. Most decks attached to a house, and many freestanding decks above a certain height or size, require a permit under the Florida Building Code — this isn't optional paperwork, and skipping it can create real problems at resale when a home inspector flags an unpermitted structure.
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Design & drawings | Site plan and structural details, sized to wind load and span requirements |
| Engineering (if required) | Elevated decks or unusual spans may need a sealed engineer's letter |
| County submittal | Application filed with Hillsborough County Development Services |
| Inspections | Typically footing/framing inspection, then a final inspection |
| Closeout | Permit closed once final inspection passes — keep this record for resale |
We handle the permit application and coordinate inspections as part of the build — homeowners shouldn't have to navigate county submittal portals on their own.
Plenty of our Lithia calls aren't for a new deck at all — they're for an existing wood deck that's started to sag, feel spongy in spots, or show soft boards near the ledger. Common culprits we find:
A deck with structural rot at the ledger or main support posts is a safety issue, not a cosmetic one — we always inspect the framing before quoting a surface-level repair, since replacing boards on a deck with a failing substructure just delays the real problem.
A straightforward attached deck of moderate size, once permitted, typically takes a few days to a week or so to build depending on complexity, footing type, and railing scope. Permit review time through the county is the variable most homeowners underestimate — plan for that lead time before you set your heart on a finished date, especially if you're timing it around a specific event or season.
Whether you're picturing a composite deck off the back of a FishHawk-area home, a wood deck for a horse property, or you need an old deck evaluated for repair, we'll walk the site, talk through materials that fit your budget and how you'll actually use the space, and give you a straight answer — no pressure. Fill out the form below and we'll get you scheduled for a free estimate.
Often yes — Hillsborough County's permit requirements are based on size and height, not just whether the deck attaches to the house. Even a freestanding platform can require a permit if it exceeds certain dimensions. We check this against your specific plans before we start so there are no surprises.
Ask whether they pull their own permits and handle inspections directly, whether they carry Florida liability insurance and workers' comp, and ask to see their state license number. Alpine Exteriors holds Florida license RB29003900 — ask any contractor you're vetting for theirs and verify it's active on the DBPR license lookup.
It depends on how long you plan to stay in the home and how much upkeep you want to do. If you're not interested in sealing and staining every year or two, composite usually pays for itself in avoided maintenance over a decade-plus. If budget is the priority and you don't mind the upkeep, treated wood is still a solid, code-compliant choice.
Soil bearing capacity varies across Lithia's mix of sandy and clay-heavy lots, and undersized or shallow footings are a common cause of deck settling or wobble. We can evaluate existing footings during a repair inspection and tell you honestly whether they're adequate or need to be supplemented.
Building to current Florida Building Code wind requirements — proper post connections, bracing, and ledger attachment — is standard on every deck we build, not an upgrade. The bigger cost driver is usually elevation height and span, not storm resistance itself.