Portland, OR
OTHER (DECKS, FLATWORK) ESTIMATING.

## Deck and Flatwork Estimating in Portland Takes More Than a Tape Measure Portland's climate does specific things to outdoor structures. You are building in a city that gets 36-plus inches of rain per year, sits on expansive clay soils in many neighborhoods, and enforces the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) — which adopts the IRC with state-specific amendments. A deck estimate that ignores any of those factors is a bid that comes back to bite you on the punch list. Estimate.Pro is built for contractors who do decks, patios, flatwork, and outdoor structures. It handles the scope details that generic spreadsheets miss. --- ### What Makes Portland Decks and Flatwork Different **Soil conditions.** Large sections of Portland — particularly inner SE, North Portland, and areas near the Willamette — sit on expansive soils. Frost depth in the metro area is 12 inches per the ORSC, but many inspectors and structural engineers push for 18-24 inches on footings given the clay behavior. Your footing and foundation scope needs to reflect that before you send a number. **Ledger attachment and moisture.** Portland's rain load means inspectors scrutinize ledger flashing and attachment closely. Factor in proper through-bolted ledger connections with flashing membrane, not just lag screws into rim joists. Skipping this in your scope leads to change orders and callbacks. **Composite vs. pressure-treated.** Labor costs diverge sharply between decking materials in Portland. PNW homeowners skew heavily toward composite decking (Trex, Fiberon, Deckorators) because of the wet winters. That material cost is roughly double pressure-treated, and hidden fastener labor adds time. Your estimate needs line items that separate these paths. **Permitting reality.** Portland Bureau of Development Services (BDS) requires a building permit for decks attached to the house or decks over 30 inches above grade. A standard 200 sq ft attached deck permit runs in the $300-$500 range for residential. Plan check times at BDS have run 4-8 weeks for over-the-counter review cycles, so your project timeline section matters as much as your material total. **Flatwork and hardscape.** Portland's tree canopy is one of the densest in the country for a major city. Flatwork bids in residential areas frequently include root barrier work, base prep adjustments, and drainage corrections. ICPI segmental paving installation standards apply when you are bidding permeable pavers — increasingly common given the city's stormwater fee structure and Clean River Rewards program, which incentivizes permeable surfaces. --- ### How Estimate.Pro Works for Deck Contractors **Walkthrough to bid in 8 minutes.** Open the app on your phone, walk the site, and use AR measurement on supported devices to capture deck dimensions, stair runs, and grade changes. Camera and photo measurements are flagged as estimates so you know what is field-verified and what needs confirmation. **AI scope-of-work generation.** After your walkthrough, the AI drafts a scope that includes decking, framing, footings, ledger attachment, stairs, railing, and finish details. You edit line items, not a blank page. That difference is where the 8-minute target comes from. **Saved material cost workspace.** Portland lumber and composite pricing changes. You maintain your own material cost workspace in the app so your margins stay accurate across bids, not just on the first one. **Client-ready bid output.** Send a professional PDF or shareable link directly from the app. No reformatting in a separate tool. --- ### Pricing That Works at Any Volume Estimate.Pro has a free forever tier — no credit card required. When you are ready for more, Pro is $39 per seat per month and eliminates the 3% Stripe Connect platform fee that applies on the Free tier. Elite at $79 per seat per month adds invoice exports and full Stripe Connect workflows. Crew at $399 per month flat covers unlimited seats for larger operations. --- ### Built for 25 Trades, Including Yours Estimate.Pro supports 25 trades. Deck and flatwork contractors get the same depth as HVAC, electrical, and roofing contractors — trade-specific line items, not a generic bill-of-materials template. If you are bidding decks in Portland and losing time to manual takeoffs or losing jobs to sharper-looking bids, the fix is a faster estimating process — not a bigger spreadsheet.