Residential project, San Clemente, CA
Two more helical deck piers let a hillside backyard deck grow by about 12 feet.
A San Clemente hillside home that Dalinghaus had lifted about 16 inches came back on the schedule for two more helical deck piers, so the backyard deck could reach about 12 feet further out over the slope.
At a glance
- Location
- San Clemente, CA
- Home
- Hillside home, lifted about 16 inches earlier and fully renovated
- Problem
- Extending an existing backyard deck about 12 feet further out over a sloped lot
- Method
- Helical deck piers
- Piers
- 2 added on this visit
- Earlier lift
- About 16 inches
- Date
- August 2024
On video
01
The challenge
This home sits on a San Clemente hillside with the backyard falling away behind it. Dalinghaus had lifted it about 16 inches before the property was fully renovated, and later installed helical piers in the backyard so a deck could be built out over the slope.
The owner then decided to extend the deck by about 12 feet, which meant two more piers to carry the added span.
02
The approach
The crew returned in August 2024, with Ryan Reyes as project manager and foreman, to add two helical deck piers beside the existing deck. Each pier is a galvanized steel shaft with a helix plate at the tip. The crew hand dug a pit at each location, set the lead section, and turned it into the ground with a hydraulic drive head, adding extension sections as it advanced.
On a slope, plumb matters. A level stayed on the shaft through the drive. The whole operation ran off a portable hydraulic power unit.
03
The result
With the two new piers in place, the deck could be extended about 12 feet further out, adding living space over the sloped backyard. Mark Cook walks through the original lift and the first deck in the video above.
Crew
Project manager and foreman Ryan Reyes. Project design specialist Mark Cook.
Planning a deck over a slope?
If your deck plans run out over a hillside, we can look at the site and explain how helical deck piers would carry it. Start with a free evaluation.
From the site
From the hand dug pit to the driven pier.
What this means for your home
Building or extending a deck on a hillside?
Helical deck piers carry a deck that reaches out over a slope. They go in by hand with a portable drive head, the way the two on this project did, so the yard does not have to take heavy equipment.
Tell us what you are planning and where the yard drops away. We will look at the site, explain the why and the how, and give you a straightforward recommendation. Schedule a free evaluation to start.
