Trex Deck Build with White Railed Staircase in Ann Arbor

This one had a great backdrop to work with. The property sits on a generous wooded lot with open green space, a fire pit area below, and mature trees framing the whole yard. The homeowner wanted a proper outdoor space that could take advantage of all of it - something that felt intentional, not just tacked on.

We built out a large elevated Trex deck with clean gray composite decking and wrapped the whole thing in white railing. The color pairing works really well here. The gray boards have a subtle wood-grain texture that gives it warmth without looking fake, and the white railing keeps everything bright and open. Nothing about it feels cheap or builder-grade.

The staircase is worth pointing out on its own. It runs from the upper deck level down to the yard in a straightforward, no-nonsense layout - wide enough to actually use comfortably, with matching white balusters all the way down. Getting the stair framing right on an elevated deck like this matters more than people realize. It has to be sturdy, properly anchored, and code-compliant. We don't cut corners on that.

One of the biggest reasons homeowners go with Trex over pressure-treated wood is maintenance. No staining, no sealing, no worrying about boards warping or splitting after a rough Michigan winter. It holds up, and it keeps looking good without a lot of ongoing effort. For a space this size, that matters.

The finished deck gives this home a real outdoor living area - elevated views of the yard, plenty of room for seating and entertaining, and a staircase that connects everything down to the patio and fire pit below. It's the kind of space that actually gets used.