CHS Custom Decks & Design | Custom Deck and Outdoor Living Builder in Bloomington, MN
TimberTech Platinum Pro · Family and Veteran Owned · A+ BBB Rating · Free Estimates · Serving Bloomington From Nearby Apple Valley
- 30+ Years of Experience
- 400+ Projects Completed
- Up to 50-Year Material Warranty
- 2-Year Craftsmanship Warranty
Why Bloomington Needs a Specialist
Bloomington sits on the Twin Cities glacial drift complex with the Minnesota River Valley along its south edge, and the city enforces some of the most specific deck rules in the metro. Building here takes local knowledge, not a generic plan.
A 42-Inch Frost Line and Soil-Sized Footings
Hennepin County falls in Minnesota frost Zone II, so footings must reach at least 42 inches to the base, and Bloomington sizes footing diameter by soil type, with clay requiring a wider footing than sand or gravel to carry the same load. The bottom must be belled flat and free of standing water before the pour. We dig to depth and size each footing to the lot’s soil against the city’s published deck table.
Two Very Different Soils
Most of residential Bloomington sits on upland glacial drift, a mix of sandy outwash and clay till, while the Minnesota River Valley along the south edge holds deep alluvium, sand, and up to 40 feet of peat and muck near the valley walls. A footing in the river-valley fringe behaves nothing like one up on the till plateau, so we match the footing design to where the lot actually sits.
Heavy Snow, Freeze-Thaw, and Hail
Bloomington averages over 50 inches of snow a year, and the city requires decks to be designed for a 50 psf total load. Add hard freeze-thaw cycling, summer hail, and ice damming where snow piles against the ledger, and an underbuilt frame fails fast. We frame to the 50 psf load and detail the ledger to shed ice and water.
Bloomington's Strict Deck Rules
Composite, PVC, and vinyl decking is not automatically approved here. It has to come from the city’s Tested Composite Deck Products list or be pre-approved before installation.
Diamond Pier pin foundations are allowed for decks but not porches, helical piers require an engineer-stamped data sheet and a signed torque report, and a deck cannot sit within 10 feet of an overhead power line.
Bloomington also has condo and townhome associations, and permits run through the city’s Building and Inspections Division, both of which we cover below.
Services We Build in Bloomington
Custom Deck Building
New residential and commercial decks, plus rebuilds and replacements, in wood, cedar, exotic hardwood, composite, and PVC, in platform, raised, multi-level, freestanding, rooftop, pool, curved, cantilevered, covered, and screened configurations, framed in wood, aluminum, or premium pressure-treated LVL and set on concrete footings, helical piers, or Diamond Piers.
Composite and PVC Decking
As a TimberTech Platinum Pro, we install TimberTech and Trex composite and PVC surfaces that handle Minnesota freeze-thaw and never need staining, and we install only decking approved on Bloomington’s Tested Composite Deck Products list.
Deck Railing
Railing installation and re-railing in wood, composite, glass, vinyl, aluminum, and cable with Trex, TimberTech, Deckorators, Viewrail, Barrette, and Westbury systems, built to code rail heights while keeping sightlines open.
Deck Lighting
Lighting installation, design, wiring and electrical work, automation, and landscape integration with TimberTech, Deckorators, and Westbury fixtures, installed with the city’s power-line clearance rules in mind.
Under-Deck Drainage
Panel, gutter-and-channel, and custom systems that capture runoff on elevated decks and turn the space below into a dry, usable patio.
Pergolas
Wood, PVC, fiberglass, composite, and aluminum pergolas in traditional, attached, freestanding, gable, arched, custom, and louvered styles with Struxure systems for shade through warm Minnesota summers.
Porches and Sunrooms
Porch installation, sunrooms, three-season rooms, and covered and screened porches in wood, composite, PVC, aluminum, and more with EZ-Screen, SCREENEZE, and Porch Windows Direct systems, set on helical pier footings since the city does not allow Diamond Piers for porches.
Patios
Concrete, stamped concrete, brick, paver, natural stone, gravel, and flagstone patios, plus patio repair, in attached, covered, open, and multi-level layouts with wood, aluminum, or vinyl patio covers.
Gazebos
Wood, PVC, fiberglass, composite, and metal gazebos in victorian, traditional, modern, asian-inspired, and custom styles.
Outdoor Living
Pavilions, sheds, outdoor kitchens, outdoor bars, firepits and fireplaces, hot tub integration, built-in benches, and privacy screens and walls that build out the whole backyard.
Deck Resurfacing, Additions, and Remodeling
Inspections, resurfacing, additions, and remodels that extend the life of existing Bloomington decks, plus accessible wheelchair ramps built to the same standard.
HOA and Permitting in Bloomington
HOA Landscape
Bloomington is a postwar single-family suburb without large master-planned HOAs, so most associations are condo, townhome, or small single-family subdivision associations such as Skyscape, Devonwood, and Lochmoor, managed by companies like FirstService Residential, Gassen, Cities Management, Omega, and Association One.
What Review Typically Covers
Under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 515B, associations can regulate deck color, material, railing style, and height, and townhome and condo associations are generally stricter than single-family HOAs, often requiring composite over pressure-treated decking. These rules sit on top of the city minimums, never below them.
HOA Approval Timeline
Most Twin Cities associations review on a monthly committee cycle, so plan for 2 to 6 weeks depending on when the submittal lands, with complex multi-level or deck-plus-porch requests sometimes stretching to 6 to 8 weeks.
Permit Authority
Deck permits are issued by the City of Bloomington Building and Inspections Division at 1800 West Old Shakopee Road, reachable at 952-563-8930, with applications filed through the city’s mandatory online portal, since paper applications are no longer accepted. A permit is required for any attached deck or a detached deck more than 30 inches above grade. Permit acquisition is part of what we carry for every project.
Permit Timeline
The city does not publish a deck-specific turnaround, but across the Twin Cities plan for roughly 2 to 4 weeks during the busy spring and summer and 1 to 2 weeks in fall and winter, with inspection requests targeted within three business days.
Setbacks
Decks 5 feet or less above grade may encroach further into the front, side, and rear setbacks, as long as a 20-foot front, 5-foot side, and 10-foot rear are maintained, while decks more than 5 feet above grade must keep 25 feet at the front, 20 feet at the rear, and 10 feet at the side. Any encroachment into a public easement needs written approval from Public Works. We confirm the lot’s buildable envelope before design.
Footings, Foundations, and Local Rules
Bloomington allows Diamond Pier pin foundations for decks but not for porches, requires an engineer-stamped data sheet and signed torque report for helical piers, sizes footing diameter by clay versus sandy soil, and prohibits decks within 10 feet of an overhead power line. We build to all of it.
Time-of-Sale Inspection
Bloomington requires a Time-of-Sale inspection before a home is listed, so an unpermitted deck or past work can become a sale problem. We permit everything we build.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Bloomington
East and West Bloomington
The residential heart of the city on the glacial-till uplands that shape our footing approach.
Hyland Greens and Bush Lake
West-side neighborhoods near Hyland Park and Bush Lake served with decks and outdoor living built for the local soil and frost.
Penn Lake, Oxboro, and Highland Hills
Established single-family areas served across the city.
South Loop and the River-Valley Edge
Properties near the Minnesota River Valley, where footing design accounts for the deeper, softer valley soils, all served across Bloomington's 55420 through 55438 ZIP codes.
Credentials and Trust
TimberTech Platinum Pro
The top installer tier with TimberTech, which qualifies our installs for the manufacturer’s strongest material warranty coverage.
Family and Veteran Owned
A family-owned and veteran-owned business.
30+ Years of Experience
More than three decades building decks and outdoor living spaces across the Twin Cities.
Warranties
Material warranties run up to 50 years on qualifying products, backed by our 2-year craftsmanship warranty.
3D Design Services
We design and model your project in 3D so you can see it before we build it.
Free Estimates and Financing
Every project starts with a free estimate, with financing available to fit your budget.
First Responder, Senior, and Veteran Discounts
First responders, seniors, and veterans may qualify for a discount, with details available on request.
Find CHS Custom Decks & Design
- Business Name: CHS Custom Decks & Design
- Address: 14607 Felton Ct #115, Apple Valley, MN 55124
- Phone: (651) 368-2661
- Hours: Monday to Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM
- Certifications: TimberTech Platinum Pro
- Website: www.chsbuildersmn.com
Ready to Start Your Project in Bloomington?
Your first step is a free estimate, and we will model your project in 3D before we build. Tell us about your deck, porch, patio, or outdoor living project and we will help you bring it to life, with financing available to fit your budget. First responders, seniors, and veterans may qualify for a discount, so ask when you reach out. Call (651) 368-2661 or send your name, phone or email, and a brief project description.