A deck is only as good as what's under it. Footings, framing, and how it ties into the house decide whether it holds up for decades or starts falling apart in a few years.
Michigan winters mean footings have to go down past frost depth, or the ground will heave and shift the whole deck. Shallow footings are the number one reason a deck starts feeling wobbly after a few years.
Get the depth and spacing right the first time — it's not something you fix after the deck is built.
The ledger board bolted to the house carries real weight. Done wrong, that's the most common way decks fail. Joist spacing and beam sizing need to match the actual load, not just look right.
Flashing it properly also keeps water out of the house framing behind it — that part protects the house, not just the deck.
Skip the footings and flashing and you're building a problem, not a deck. That part has to be right before the first board goes down.
Footings set to frost depth, ledger bolted and flashed right, joists sized for the actual load.
Wood or composite decking, stairs, and railings built to code — guard height, baluster spacing, all of it.
Covered porches need more — roof framing, ceiling finish, wider footings. Planned from the start, not tacked on.
New build or replacing one that's failing — let's talk through what your site needs.