- MHIC #131359
- 2303 Back Acre Cir, Mt Airy, MD 21771, USA
- Open 24/7
Cedarbrook Outdoor Design/Build is a family owned, design/build firm with 20 years in business, building custom decks, porches, patios, and outdoor living spaces engineered for Damascus’s clay-rich Piedmont soils and freeze-thaw winters, with a 10-year workmanship warranty on carpentry and a lifetime workmanship warranty on decks built with alternative framing.
Damascus is an unincorporated census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, served by a single ZIP code, 20872. The community sits at about 712 feet, one of the higher elevations in central Maryland, with a mix of established subdivisions and rural well-and-septic properties. Documented HOA and subdivision communities include The Plantations, Hollybrooke, Damascus Gardens, Damascus Manor, Damascus Valley Park, Greenhills, Magruders Overlook, Timberlawn South, and Auburn Village. Our Mt. Airy shop is about 7.9 miles and 15 minutes from Damascus.
Whether residential or commercial, we design and build platform, raised, multi-level, freestanding, rooftop, pool and spa, curved, cantilevered, screened, and covered decks. Deck services cover design, consultation, foundation installation, construction, permit acquisition, deck rebuilds and replacements, new deck construction, and wheelchair ramps. Decking materials include wood, pressure-treated wood, softwood such as cedar and redwood, exotic hardwoods such as IPE, Tigerwood, and Cumaru, composite, PVC, and bamboo. Framing options include wood, steel, aluminum, composite, fiberglass, and pressure-treated LVL.
We install wood, composite, glass, vinyl, aluminum, steel, cable, and wrought iron railings, plus privacy screens and privacy walls, with railing repair and rerail services. Deck lighting covers design consultation, installation, wiring and electrical work, landscape lighting integration, lighting automation, post cap and rail lights, and step lights. Skirting options include lattice, solid wood panels, horizontal and vertical boards, stone or brick, faux stone, vinyl, and composite.
We handle deck evaluation, resurfacing, additions, and remodeling, plus full rebuilds. Underdeck systems include gutter-and-channel, snap-in, and custom fabricated configurations, which can create outdoor living rooms, storage solutions, entertainment hubs, screen rooms, outdoor kitchen areas, rainwater systems, pergolas, and solid shingle roofs.
We build covered porches, open porches, screened porches and screen rooms, three-season rooms, four-season rooms, sunrooms, and porch enclosure systems using EZ-Screen porch windows and SCREENEZE. Porch footings use helical piers, diamond piers, or traditional concrete.
We design and build attached and freestanding pergolas in gable, arched, custom, classic, and louvered styles, including manual, motorized, and fixed louvered options, plus cabanas, carports, and gazebos in Victorian, traditional, modern, Asian-inspired, and custom styles.
We construct attached, covered, open, and multilevel patios in concrete, stamped concrete, brick, natural stone, flagstone, pavers, gravel, aluminum, and vinyl. Hardscape work includes paver patios, walkways and garden paths, retaining walls, stone seating walls, hardscape stairs, pool decks, fire pits and fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, water features, waterfalls, columns, and piers. Outdoor living features include outdoor bars, outdoor kitchens, built-in benches, and a full range of outdoor furniture and accessories.
Before a board is cut, our design services include 3D design and renderings in day and night views, 2D design and floorplans, virtual tours, and complete drawings and documentation for permit submissions.
Because Damascus is unincorporated, deck permits come from the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services rather than a municipal office. The department can be reached at 240-777-0311, and plans are submitted electronically through the DPS eServices system. Timelines range from a few hours to about 17 days, since eligible single-level decks can move through the Residential Fast Track process in one to two days, while regular review takes up to 17 days for a well-prepared application.
A few county rules catch out-of-area contractors. A building permit is required for all decks supported by footings regardless of height above grade, which is stricter than many jurisdictions that exempt low ground-level decks. Contractors must hold a Maryland Home Improvement Contractor license to pull the permit, and many Damascus-area properties on private well and septic systems carry additional requirements. Setbacks depend on the zoning district, and in a common R-90 zone an unenclosed deck may project up to 3 feet into a side setback and up to 9 feet into a front setback.
Damascus has a humid subtropical climate with warm humid summers and cold, snowy, windy winters, and its higher elevation makes winter conditions slightly more severe than lower parts of Montgomery County. Temperatures typically range from about 24 to 86 degrees across the year. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles, summer humidity, and heavy seasonal precipitation are the dominant stressors on deck structures, framing, ledger connections, and fasteners.
Montgomery County requires footings a minimum of 30 inches below grade, bearing on undisturbed soil, with footings at least 20 inches square or 22 inches in diameter per the county’s Residential Deck Details. The depth is driven by frost protection rather than soil weakness. Damascus sits on the clay-rich Piedmont Plateau, where soils are clayey and acidic with rock fragments and shallow phyllite bedrock in places, such as the mapped Blocktown series. Clay-heavy soil drains slowly and turns sticky when wet and hard when dry, so drainage planning around footings matters, and where bedrock or dense rock fragments block excavation, we switch to helical piers. The clay-rich Piedmont soils typically meet or exceed the county’s 2,000 psf bearing requirement.
Damascus has many HOA and condominium communities, including The Plantations, Hollybrooke, Damascus Gardens, Damascus Manor, Damascus Valley Park, Greenhills, Magruders Overlook, Timberlawn South, and Auburn Village, several managed by MTM Management Associates. Maryland HOAs are governed by the Maryland Homeowners Association Act, and most review exterior modifications, including deck color, material, and height, through an Architectural Review Committee before construction. Review typically takes 30 to 60 days from a complete submission, and homeowners should secure HOA approval before applying for the Montgomery County building permit.
We build decks and outdoor living spaces throughout Damascus and the surrounding Montgomery, Howard, Frederick, Carroll, and Washington County communities, including the area’s established subdivisions and rural properties, serving Damascus from our Mt. Airy shop.
We start with a free consultation to understand your vision and evaluate your property, then reconvene to confirm scope and investment before design begins. Your project takes shape through custom design and detailed renderings, followed by pre-construction planning that coordinates permitting and materials. Our master carpenters build to the county’s 30-inch footing depth and clay-soil conditions, and we close with a comprehensive final walkthrough.
Find quick answers to common questions about our fence & deck building process, customization options, permits, and materials.
Yes. Montgomery County requires a permit for all decks supported by footings regardless of height, issued through the Department of Permitting Services. We hold the required MHIC license and handle the permit.
Montgomery County requires footings at least 30 inches below grade, bearing on undisturbed soil. Where clay, rock fragments, or shallow bedrock interfere, we use helical piers.
Yes. Freeze-thaw cycling, humidity, and heavy precipitation all stress materials, which is why we build with high-quality materials and proper drainage and offer alternative framing backed by a lifetime workmanship warranty.
Many do. Communities like The Plantations and Hollybrooke review decks through an Architectural Review Committee before construction. We help homeowners prepare what each association needs.
Your first step is a free consultation. Call (301) 703-8728 to talk with our team about your deck, porch, patio, or outdoor living project. As a family owned design/build firm with 20 years in business, recognized as a Big 50 Top Remodeler nationwide and FCBIA Best Outdoor Space 2019, our master carpenters bring top-notch craftsmanship to every build. We back carpentry work with a 10-year workmanship warranty, hardscape projects with a 3-year workmanship warranty, and decks built with alternative framing with a lifetime workmanship warranty. Financing is available.
