To prepare your yard for deck construction: clear a materials path from the street to the build area, move anything you care about out of the work zone, cut back overhanging plants, secure pets, and have underground utilities located before anyone digs. Most first-day delays are access problems, not building problems.
Here is the checklist we would give any homeowner the week before a crew arrives.
What Should You Do Before the Crew Arrives?
1. Clear the access route
Materials have to travel from the street or driveway to the back of the house. Long boards, framing lumber and railing panels need room to turn corners. Unlock gates, move vehicles, trailers and bikes, and tell the crew if the only route is through a neighbour’s side yard so that gets sorted in advance.
2. Move what you care about
Patio furniture, planters, the BBQ, garden ornaments, kids’ play equipment. If it is in the footprint or along the access path, it is in the way. Anything fragile or sentimental should be moved regardless — a crew will protect what it reasonably can, but a build zone is a build zone.
3. Deal with the planting
Plants directly in the deck footprint cannot be saved. Anything nearby that you want to keep should be cut back or relocated. Established shrubs move best with a season’s notice, so if a deck is planned for spring, autumn is the time to relocate them.
4. Locate underground utilities
Footings mean digging, and digging means knowing what is down there. In British Columbia, locates are requested through BC 1 Call, and the service is free.
The important gap: private lines are frequently not in that system. Irrigation, a gas line run to a fire pit or outdoor kitchen, landscape lighting cable, or a sub-panel feed to a shed are often installed by previous owners and undocumented. If you know of anything, say so.
5. Sort out power and water
Crews need an exterior outlet for tools and, on most jobs, access to a tap. Confirm which outlet is live and where the shut-off is.
6. Plan for pets and kids
Gates get propped open, tools sit on the ground, and there are open excavations for footings. Agree in advance how the yard is secured at the end of each day, and keep pets inside during working hours.
7. Tell your neighbours
A short heads-up about start dates and working hours costs nothing and prevents most complaints. If work is close to a property line, or access requires stepping onto their side, that conversation should happen before the first day, not during it.
What Happens to the Old Deck?
On a replacement, demolition comes first, and it is the messiest stage of the project. Old boards, framing and fasteners come out and get hauled away.
Two things worth confirming in the quote: that disposal is included, and what happens if the demolition uncovers rot or structural problems that were not visible beforehand. Our guide to what’s included in a deck quote covers both.
What Will the Yard Look Like During the Build?
Honestly: worse than it does now, for a while.
Expect excavated soil beside footing holes, offcuts and sawdust, material stacked in the yard, and noise during working hours. A professional crew cleans up at the end of each day and removes everything at completion — but during the build, the space is a work site rather than a garden.
The grass immediately around the build takes traffic and often needs attention afterwards. It recovers.
How Long Does a Deck Take to Build?
It depends on size, height off grade, footing type, and whether an old deck has to be removed first. Two factors people do not anticipate:
- Concrete needs to cure. If the design uses poured footings, framing waits. Helical piles avoid that delay, which is one reason they are used on tight schedules and difficult soil.
- Inspections are scheduled, not instant. On permitted work, certain stages cannot proceed until inspected.
Ask for a stage-by-stage schedule with your quote so you know which parts are in the builder’s control and which are not.
A Short Pre-Build Checklist
- ☐ Access route cleared, gates unlocked, vehicles moved
- ☐ Furniture, planters and BBQ relocated
- ☐ Plants in the footprint moved or accepted as lost
- ☐ BC 1 Call locate requested
- ☐ Private underground lines flagged to the contractor
- ☐ Exterior outlet and tap identified
- ☐ Pet and child plan agreed
- ☐ Neighbours notified
- ☐ Quote confirms disposal is included
- ☐ Schedule and inspection stages understood
Building This Season?
VS Deck & Rail builds decks, railings and vinyl sundecks across Metro Vancouver — Delta, Tsawwassen, Ladner, Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and beyond. We walk the site with you before the build so nothing on this list becomes a surprise on day one.
Book a free on-site consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prepare my yard for deck construction?
Clear a path wide enough to carry materials from the street to the build area, move anything you value out of the work zone, cut back plants that overhang the site, secure pets, and confirm where underground utilities run. Most delays on day one are access problems, not building problems.
Do I need to call before you dig for a deck?
Yes. Deck footings require digging, so underground utilities must be located before excavation begins. In British Columbia this is done through BC 1 Call, which is free. Private lines installed by previous owners — irrigation, gas to a fire pit, landscape lighting — are not always in that system, so tell your contractor about anything you know of.
Do I need to move my plants before a deck is built?
Anything you want to keep that sits in the build footprint or along the access route should be moved before work starts, ideally a season ahead for established plants. Crews will protect what they reasonably can, but the area under and around a deck build takes traffic, and plants directly in the footprint cannot be saved.
How messy is deck construction?
Expect noise, sawdust, offcuts and excavated soil for the duration. A tidy crew cleans the site at the end of each day and removes debris at completion, but during the build the yard is a work site. On a replacement, the demolition stage is the messiest part.
How long does it take to build a deck?
It depends on size, height, footing type and whether an old deck has to come out first. Concrete footings also need time to cure before framing. Your contractor should give you a realistic schedule with the quote, including which stages depend on inspections.
