Grey County deck builder: composite decks from The Blue Mountains to Meaford

Updated October 26, 2026 · By Mike, Simcoe Decks

Simcoe Decks builds composite decks across Grey County, most often in the Town of The Blue Mountains and Meaford. Wind, snow load, slope and four-season use change the structure here, so we build on helical piles and match the frame to the board.

Where: Grey County, most often the Town of The Blue Mountains and Meaford. Tell us your town and we'll confirm the fit. We're based in Barrie.

What we build: Composite decks, rebuilds of tired wood decks, hot tub and pool decks, stairs, glass, cable and aluminum railings, lighting and louvered pergolas

Boards: Deckorators Venture, Summit and Voyage. Around a pool or hot tub, 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: Set by each municipality, and they differ. Escarpment and conservation approvals apply on some lots. We plan the building permit as part of the build.

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

What makes a Grey County deck different?

Grey County backyards ask a lot of a deck:

Snow and freeze-thaw. The climate brings significant snow loads and freeze-thaw cycles. The Ontario Building Code sets a ground snow load of 2.8 kPa for Owen Sound and 3.2 for Markdale, against 2.5 for Barrie.
Slope and soil. A lot can fall away from the house, and the ground can be soft or variable, so footings matter more than usual.
Mature gardens. A yard can have established trees and layered landscaping the owners want left alone, as on our Meaford rebuild.
Wind and views. Open lots and big views call for railings picked for the view and the wind.

We start below the ground with helical piles, turned in to bear below the frost line, about 4 ft down. They limit excavation, so they can go in without tearing up a garden, and they suit soft or variable soil. On top, we match the frame to the board: pressure-treated, today's fast-growth lumber, under Venture, Fortress steel worth a look under Summit, and steel definitely under Voyage. Steel can't rot, twist or shrink, and the frame carries a 25-year warranty.

What have we built in Grey County?

About a dozen in The Blue Mountains, plus a rebuild in Meaford. Three are written up as case studies:

A steel-frame rebuild in Meaford. An aging wood deck in a mature, landscaped yard. We kept the original footprint, protected every shrub, planter and pathway, set new helical piles and built a new Fortress steel frame, finished in Voyage Costa with vertical cable railing and post-cap lights. Read the Meaford rebuild case study.
A two-level deck in The Blue Mountains. A hot tub platform that grew into two levels on steel and helical piles, with frameless glass, lighting and an enclosed room. It needed a minor variance. Read the two-level case study.
A builder-grade deck replaced in a new pool backyard in The Blue Mountains, finished alongside the landscape partners, pool installers and electricians. Read the outdoor living case study.

For local detail, see our Blue Mountains deck builder page.

Which deck boards and railings do we recommend?

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. Around a pool or hot tub, Voyage first; in full sun, Summit or Voyage in a lighter colour; where budget comes first, Venture. Voyage carries a 50-year structural warranty.

For railings, we pick between aluminum picket, framed glass and frameless glass for the view, the wind and who's using the deck. Where the view is gardens, vertical cable railing works too.

Do you need a permit for a deck in Grey County?

Usually, and the rule depends on the municipality. Grey County has nine municipalities, and their deck rules differ. Here's what five of them publish for decks:

The Blue Mountains: a permit for a deck more than 60 cm (24 inches) above the ground, for decks built as an addition to the house, and for enclosing an existing deck.
Meaford: a permit for decks over 10 m², and for replacing a deck.
Owen Sound: a permit for a deck over 10 m², or attached to the house, or at least 0.6 m above the ground. Any one is enough.
Grey Highlands: a permit for a deck over 24 inches high, and for a lower deck with a hand railing. Only a low deck with no railing, under 10 m² and not connected to the house, goes without.
Georgian Bluffs: a permit for a deck higher than 600 mm (24 inches) from grade.

Two more approvals can apply on top:

The Niagara Escarpment. Parts of six Grey municipalities are in the Niagara Escarpment Plan area: The Blue Mountains, Meaford, Owen Sound, Georgian Bluffs, Grey Highlands and Chatsworth. Inside the development control area, a deck can be exempt from a Niagara Escarpment Commission permit if it's a use the Plan permits and within set limits on size and setbacks, under the rules as amended in July 2026.
Conservation authorities. Six Grey municipalities are members of Grey Sauble Conservation, and The Blue Mountains and Grey Highlands are also members of Nottawasaga Valley Conservation. Near shorelines, rivers, wetlands or slopes, a deck can need their permit. Ontario exempts an unenclosed, detached deck of 15 square metres or less that isn't in a watercourse or wetland and isn't cantilevered; the authority confirms the rest.

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

Do you work with landscapers in Grey County?

Yes. Landscapers who don't build decks make great partners, and the best results come when a landscaper brings us in and we deal with the homeowner directly for the deck. On a Blue Mountains pool backyard, our deck team worked alongside the landscape partners, pool installers and electricians to finish on a fixed deadline.

How does a 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, and you decide at your pace. How we work has the full path.

Where else do we build?

Next door in Simcoe County, see our Collingwood and Barrie pages. North of us, our Muskoka deck builder page covers cottage and lakefront decks.

What do Grey County homeowners ask us?

Do you build decks in Grey County?

Yes. We build across Grey County and have built most often in the Town of The Blue Mountains and Meaford. Tell us your town or municipality and we'll confirm whether your location and project are a fit. We're based in Barrie.

Can you rebuild my old deck without wrecking the garden?

Usually. On a Meaford rebuild we kept the original footprint, protected every shrub, planter and pathway, and put in helical piles, which limit excavation and suit soft or variable soil, before building a new Fortress steel frame.

Do I need a permit for a deck in Grey County?

Usually, and each municipality sets its own rule. The Blue Mountains and Georgian Bluffs go by height (over 24 inches), Meaford by size (over 10 m²) and for any deck replacement, and Owen Sound and Grey Highlands by a mix of height, size and attachment, with Grey Highlands also counting a hand railing. Escarpment and conservation approvals can apply too. We plan the building permit as part of the build, not as your homework.

Do you work with landscapers?

Yes, and we like to. The best results come when a landscaper brings us in and we deal with the homeowner directly for the deck. On one Blue Mountains backyard our deck team worked alongside the landscape partners, pool installers and electricians to meet a fixed deadline.

Is Collingwood in Grey County?

No, Collingwood is in Simcoe County, right on the Grey County line. We build there too: see our Collingwood page.

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

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