Barrie deck builder: composite decks on helical piles and steel

Updated October 26, 2026 · By Mike, Simcoe Decks

Simcoe Decks is a Barrie deck builder, based at 92 Caplan Ave and building composite decks across the city and nearby Simcoe County. We build on helical piles and match the frame to the board, from pressure-treated fast-growth lumber under Venture to Fortress steel under Voyage.

Where: Barrie, and nearby in Midhurst, Oro-Medonte, Bradford and Penetanguishene. We're based in Barrie.

What we build: Composite decks, hot tub decks, second-storey decks, stairs and landings, glass and aluminum railings, privacy screens, lighting and louvered pergolas

Boards: Deckorators Venture, Summit and Voyage. Around a hot tub or pool, Voyage first.

Frame: Pressure-treated (today's fast-growth lumber) or Fortress Evolution steel, matched to the board

Footings: Helical piles turned in to bear below the frost line, about 4 ft down

Warranties: Voyage boards: 50-year structural. Fortress steel frame: 25-year. Our workmanship: 3 years, in writing.

Permits: Barrie requires one for any deck attached to the house or next to an exit door, and for freestanding decks over 10 m². We plan it as part of the build.

Recognition: National Deck Awards in 2020 and 2021. The first Fortress Evolution steel framing masterclass in Canada.

First step: Tell us what you're planning. We prepare a model you can explore, then visit the yard.

What does a Barrie backyard ask of a deck?

There's no perfect deck board, and no perfect frame. A dark board in full sun, a pool edge, a hot tub, two big dogs: each one changes the right answer. Here's what we plan around in Barrie backyards:

Close quarters. Helical piles go in with no digging, close to pools, gardens and existing patios, with very little disruption to the yard.
Water that won't drain. An old patio can stop draining and pool water after every rain. On our multi-level Barrie deck, we removed the stone patio, regraded the whole area, and laid a base of clear stone before the deck went in.
A hot tub. A tub full of water is a heavy load. Helical piles carry heavier loads such as multiple levels, a hot tub, or even a roof.
Neighbours close by. Privacy screens built into the railing give you a corner of the yard to yourself.
Walkouts and second storeys. Upper-floor decks stand tall, and the space underneath is often a patio you want to keep open.
No shade. A backyard without trees heats a dark board fast, so we go lighter, and Summit stays cooler underfoot.

We walk the yard before we pick anything: where the sun lands, what stays wet, and what the deck is for.

Which boards and frame do we recommend for a Barrie deck?

We install three of the five Deckorators lines, Venture, Summit and Voyage, and we lean to Summit and Voyage: the strength of a composite with no organic material in it.

Hot tub or pool: Voyage first. It's mineral-based and warranted in water and ground contact.
Full sun: Summit or Voyage, in a lighter colour.
Budget first: Venture, a traditional capped composite.

Under the boards, we match the frame. Under Venture, pressure-treated wood is the lower-price choice, but today's pressure-treated is fast-growth lumber, grown to be harvested again, and it can twist and shrink as it dries. Under Summit, Fortress steel is worth a look; under Voyage, steel definitely. Steel can't rot, twist or shrink, and the frame carries a 25-year warranty. Voyage boards carry a 50-year structural warranty from Deckorators, and because we're a Deckorators Certified Elite builder, a claim goes through us, not a call centre.

Why build a second-storey deck on steel?

Here's one second-storey deck with a patio underneath. Framed in pressure-treated wood, it needs three posts under its beam. In Fortress steel, the beam spans the full 18 feet between the corner posts, so the middle post and its pile come out and the patio underneath stays wide open.

Every beam is checked against Fortress's own sealed span tables. On a raised deck the frame is not always hidden; it can be part of what you see from the patio, and black steel looks finished. We held the first Fortress Evolution steel framing masterclass in Canada with Fortress.

What did we build on a multi-level Barrie deck?

The full story is in our multi-level Barrie deck case study. The short version:

The old stone patio held water after every rain, and the yard was close to level with the house foundation, so there was little height to work with for levels.
We took out the patio, regraded, and laid clear stone so water moves freely.
The deck is Fortress Evolution steel on helical piles, with Deckorators Voyage in four colours, Costa, Sierra, Khaya and Dark Slate, in three board widths: 3.5", 5.5" and 7.25".
Hideaway privacy panels, hidden CAMO fasteners and an In-Lite lighting package finish it.
We started in December and came back after the holidays to more than two feet of snow. The build stayed on track.

Do you need a permit for a deck in Barrie?

Usually, yes. The City of Barrie's permit rules for decks:

Attached to the house, or next to an exit door: a permit, whatever the size.
Freestanding and over 10 m² (108 sq ft): a permit.
Freestanding, under 10 m² and not next to an exit door: no permit.
A porch or balcony, or any change to a deck's structure: a permit.

The application needs drawings to scale that show the deck meets the Ontario Building Code and Barrie's zoning by-law. The city inspects at set stages, and the work stays exposed until it's inspected and approved, so the schedule has to leave room for that. Under the Building Code, a deck needs a guard wherever the surface within 1.2 m of its edge is more than 600 mm lower.

We plan the permit as part of the build, not as your homework.

Can you cover a deck in Barrie?

Yes. An Eclipse louvered pergola is a motorized aluminum roof over part of the deck. The louvers tilt to control sun, airflow and rain, and when they're fully closed they lock together into a watertight cover. The powder-coated finish never needs repainting. Paired with privacy screens, it turns a corner of the deck into a room you can use in the rain. See the louvered pergola page.

How does a Barrie deck project start?

With a few details: where you are and what you want from the space. You don't need drawings, photos, exact measurements or a settled budget. Our team reviews your brief and prepares a model, and you explore layout and material choices with preliminary estimates.

Then we visit, free and normally for about an hour, to confirm measurements, access and site conditions. After that site review we prepare your proposal, with the materials, inclusions, options, pricing and terms, and you decide at your pace. How we work has the full path.

Where around Barrie do we build?

Barrie is home, and we build all over the city. Nearby, we've built decks in Midhurst, Oro-Medonte, Bradford and Penetanguishene.

Further out, see our Collingwood and Blue Mountains page and our Muskoka deck builder page for cottage and lakefront work.

What do Barrie homeowners ask us?

Where is Simcoe Decks based?

In Barrie, at 92 Caplan Ave. We build across Barrie and Simcoe County, and in Grey County and Muskoka.

Do you build decks in the winter?

We have. Our multi-level Barrie deck started in December, and after the holiday break we came back to more than two feet of snow on site. The build stayed on track.

What is the best deck board around a hot tub?

There's no perfect deck board, but around a hot tub or pool we look at Voyage first. It's mineral-based, it shrugs off moisture, sun and microbes, and it's warranted in water and ground contact.

Do I need a permit for a deck in Barrie?

In most cases, yes. The City of Barrie requires a building permit for any deck attached to a building or next to an exit door, whatever its size, and for a freestanding deck over 10 m² (108 sq ft). We plan the permit as part of the build, not as your homework.

How much does a deck cost in Barrie?

It depends on the size, the design, the materials and the site, so there's no single number. Early design prices are estimates: we confirm the site and scope before preparing your proposal, which sets out the materials, inclusions, options and pricing.

Call or text (705) 300-2903 · Start your project

Simcoe Decks · 92 Caplan Ave, Barrie, ON · (705) 300-2903 · info@simcoedecks.ca