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Serving El Cerrito, CA and surrounding areas. (510) 766-7623
El Cerrito Deck and Fence builds and repairs decks, fences, and outdoor structures throughout Kensington, including cedar deck construction, custom deck design, and deck repair on steep hillside lots. We have served East Bay homeowners since 2019 and understand the older Craftsman homes, winding hill streets, and Contra Costa County permit process that define work in Kensington.
Cedar is the material that fits Kensington best - it looks right on a 1930s Craftsman bungalow, handles the fog and damp that come off the Bay, and resists the insects and moisture that wood-frame homes on hillside lots encounter regularly. We build cedar decks that match the scale and character of your home, not a tract development. Learn about cedar wood deck construction.
No two Kensington lots are the same. Steep grade changes, mature trees, retaining walls, and narrow side yards all shape what a deck can look like on a specific property. A custom design is not optional here - it is the only way to get a deck that actually works with the terrain.
Kensington's older homes often have decks that were added or modified over the decades, sometimes without permits or to building standards that have since changed. Soft boards, unstable railings, or a ledger attachment that does not look right are all signals worth investigating before they become bigger structural problems.
For Kensington homeowners who want a deck on a fog-exposed or north-facing hillside lot but do not want the annual maintenance that wood requires, composite decking is the practical answer. It handles persistent moisture without warping, splitting, or requiring seasonal sealing.
Kensington's quiet hillside streets and owner-occupied homes suit a wood fence well - it defines property lines clearly and fits the architectural period of most homes in the neighborhood. Cedar and pressure-treated options are both available, and we match post depth and spacing to the grading conditions on your specific lot.
Marine fog from the Bay and the shade on north-facing Kensington lots create conditions where an unsealed wood deck will begin to gray and soften faster than on a sunny, flat-lot property. Cleaning and resealing every one to two years is especially important here to protect the wood between the deep wet winters and the dry summer months that follow.
Kensington is an unincorporated community in Contra Costa County, covering less than one square mile on the hills above Berkeley. The housing stock here dates mostly from the 1920s through the 1950s - Craftsman bungalows, Tudor Revival cottages, and Spanish Colonial Revival homes that have been well cared for but that carry the specific challenges of their age. Wood-frame construction, stucco and wood siding, original foundations, and decades of additions and renovations are what a contractor encounters on nearly every Kensington job. Matching materials to the character of these homes and attaching new structures to older walls requires a different level of attention than working on a postwar tract house.
The terrain adds its own demands. Many Kensington properties have significant grade changes from front to back, narrow driveways that cannot handle large equipment, and access routes that require materials to be carried in by hand. The clay soils on these hills shift with the wet and dry seasons, putting stress on footings and retaining walls over time. Marine fog rolls in regularly from the Bay, keeping north-facing and shaded surfaces damp through much of the year - which accelerates wood rot on any exterior structure that is not properly maintained. A contractor who does not account for these conditions from the start will produce work that fails earlier than it should.
Our crew works throughout Kensington regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect deck and fence work here. Kensington is governed by the Kensington Community Services District, but building permits are issued through Contra Costa County - and we pull those permits regularly for projects on these hillside lots.
Most of Kensington's residential streets wind uphill from Colusa Avenue, the town's small main street, toward Tilden Regional Park at the top of the ridge. Homes near the park tend to have the steepest lots and the most fog exposure - conditions that affect material choice and maintenance requirements in ways that matter from day one of a project. We have worked on Craftsman bungalows and older wood-frame homes all over Kensington and know how to work carefully on period properties where the details matter to the homeowner.
Kensington sits between several other areas we serve. Albany is just to the south, with its own older housing stock on more modest lots. To the north, El Cerrito has hillside neighborhoods that share a lot of the same terrain and building characteristics as Kensington. We are familiar with both and cover them regularly.
Call or use the contact form and we will respond within one business day to schedule a free on-site visit. We come to the property, assess the slope and access, and look at the existing structures before any numbers are discussed.
After the site visit, you receive a written, itemized estimate covering materials, labor, permit fees, and any site-specific factors - steep access, engineered drawings if required, or matching original materials on a period home. Cost considerations are addressed directly at this stage.
We file the permit application with Contra Costa County Building Inspection - you handle no paperwork. County review for standard residential projects typically takes two to four weeks. We track the status and notify you when approval comes through so construction can begin.
Most Kensington deck projects take two to three weeks of on-site construction once permitted. We keep the site clean each day and do a final walkthrough with you at completion, so every detail is addressed before we close out the job.
We work on hillside lots throughout Kensington and the East Bay hills. Reach out and we will respond within one business day.
(510) 766-7623Kensington is a small unincorporated community in Contra Costa County, perched on the East Bay hills just north of Berkeley and south of El Cerrito. The community covers less than one square mile and has a population of around 5,000, almost entirely in owner-occupied single-family homes. The housing stock reflects the 1920s through 1950s era when the neighborhood was built out - Craftsman bungalows, Tudor Revival cottages, and Spanish Colonial Revival homes are the dominant styles, with wood siding, stucco exteriors, and hillside lots that offer views of San Francisco Bay. Colusa Avenue is the town's small commercial strip, with a pharmacy, a few shops, and a post office that most residents pass regularly.
Because Kensington has no incorporated city government, residents rely on the Kensington Community Services District for local services, and building permits come from Contra Costa County. The eastern edge of the community borders Tilden Regional Park, which means many homes sit at the wildland-urban interface - a factor that affects how homeowners think about outdoor structures and materials. Neighboring communities we serve include Berkeley to the south and Albany to the west, both of which share the older hillside housing character that defines the northern East Bay hills.
Affordable pressure-treated wood decks built to resist rot.
Learn MoreNaturally beautiful cedar decks with lasting weather resistance.
Learn MoreProtect and refresh your deck with professional staining services.
Learn MoreClassic wood privacy fences built for security and beauty.
Learn MoreEnjoy outdoor living bug-free with a screened porch or deck.
Learn MoreShade your outdoor space with a professionally built patio cover.
Learn MoreCall us or send a message for a free estimate. We respond within one business day and serve Kensington and all of the surrounding East Bay communities.