Archadeck is Your Deck, Porch, and Patio Builder Proudly Serving Lake Oconee, GA

A lot of the calls we get from around Lake Oconee start out similar. A local bought a home a few years back, and the wooden deck came with the house. It was fine at first. Then a summer or two goes by and the railing started to wobble, the boards faded to a gray that doesn't match the house anymore, and there's nowhere comfortable to sit once the afternoon sun hits that side of the yard. This is the point when they reach out to us for help. 

Archadeck of Central Georgia designs, builds new custom decks and redecks existing decks, constructs screened porches, porches, patios and a host of other outdoor living spaces for people in this spot, and we work with plenty of folks starting from scratch too. We've done projects near Eatonton and around Milledgeville, all along the local lake that's close to 19,000 acres. Once you live next to that much water, you use your outdoor space a lot more than you'd think.

Georgia Power finished the Wallace Dam back in 1979, and that's basically when Lake Oconee showed up. Count every cove and inlet and the shoreline runs somewhere around 374 miles. A lot on a narrow finger of the lake near Parks Ferry sits differently than one out on open water closer to Lawrence Shoals, so what works for one property doesn't always work for the next one over. We'd rather walk the property first and figure out a custom space what makes sense for your lot specifications, and your needs. 

How People Actually Use These Spaces

There's a pattern to how most folks use their outdoor space on this lake, and it's pretty much the same every time. Mornings happen down near the water, coffee on the dock, maybe a walk before it gets hot. By midafternoon everybody's usually back at the house and that's when the deck or patio really earns its keep, somebody grilling, kids drying off after being out on the boat all morning. Come evening, everyone ends up on the porch, mostly because that's right around when the gnats and mosquitoes decide to show up.

Decks are probably what we build most here on Lake Oconee, especially elevated decks that clear the tree line or catch a better angle on the water. We offer both wood and low maintenance composite decks that honestly holds up better against Georgia humidity. 

Redecking, too, is another popular choice, which just means swapping out old decking boards and railings on a deck that's still solid underneath but looks worn out.

Screened porches and 3-season rooms aren't far behind in popularity, because there's a real difference between having a porch and being able to sit on it once the bugs come out at dusk. 

And, some lakefront homeowners want a patio instead, built from pavers or stone, often flat and open that doesn't add a bunch of extra steps between the house and the yard. 

Outdoor kitchens come up a lot too, usually from people who don't want to keep running back inside every time they need something off the grill.

We build our share of fire features, such as outdoor fireplaces fire pits too. Once October rolls around and the heat finally lets up, people tend to stay outside longer instead of heading in, so a fire feature gives them a reason to. 

We also build a lot of pergolas in conjunction with both decks and patios, and for anyone who wants shade but doesn't want to lose the view. 

We also install quite a few sunrooms for folks who want a room they can use even when it's cold out.

The Local Part of All This

Archadeck's been around since 1980, and the company's built more than 135,000 projects nationwide at this point. That number doesn't mean much if you're the one staring at a rotted stair tread in your own backyard, though. What actually matters is that our crew knows this lake specifically. We know what permitting looks like for waterfront lots around here, we know which HOAs want architectural review before you even change a railing color, and we've figured out over time which materials really hold up through a Georgia summer, and which ones just say they will.

We use TimberTech, AZEK, and Fiberon the most for composite and PVC decking, mostly because regular wood just doesn't last as long out here between the humidity and the sun. Low maintenance materials tend to age better on lakefront homes specifically. Once a project gets going, we deal with the building department directly, so that's not something you have to chase down yourself. Everything we build comes with a solid warranty, and our crews are trained and licensed for what they're doing, which isn't always something you can count on with outdoor contractors.

Questions People Ask When They Call

Does Archadeck handle permits on lakefront lots? Yes. We manage permitting and inspections with the local building department. If your community's got an HOA or an architectural review process, and a lot of them do out here, we'll put together whatever paperwork you need to submit.

How long is my project going to take? This really depends on the project. A standard deck often wraps up in a week or two once we break ground. Screened porches and sunrooms usually take longer because of the custom window or screening work, and permitting can add time depending on your municipality.

Our lot has a steep drop to the water. Is that going to be an issue? Not really. Most lakefront lots around here deal with some kind of grade change or tree cover, so multi-level decks and custom footing are just part of the job for us at this point.

Can we put a fire pit close to the shoreline? In most cases, yeah. We'll check the setback distances and rules for your specific property before we finalize anything, since that stuff can shift a bit depending on where you are around the lake.

Do you build docks? Yes, in some cases we do build decks. However, this type of structure must be coordinated carefully due to lake level.  

We already have an open porch. Can it be screened in? In most cases, yes. That's one of the more common projects we get. Converting an open porch into a screened one is usually straightforward, and it makes the space usable once bug season hits.

If You're Ready to Talk

Give us a call at (478) 241-8406, or fill out a request for a complimentary design consultation. Most projects start with someone from our team just coming out to walk the property and talk through what you're picturing, so that first conversation is where things get going.

Imagine the possibilities with Archadeck of Central GA!

John Haugabook – Owner Archadeck of Central GA