Custom Redwood Side Yard Deck with Privacy Screen

A full side-yard transformation built entirely from California redwood — a low-grade deck connecting house and patio, hardwood stairs, custom redwood railings, a mixed-tone vertical-slat privacy screen, and a matching boundary fence. Photographed at golden hour, finished by ProHands Home Improvement in Los Angeles.

Wide angle of the new redwood deck floor with custom railings — Los Angeles

Project Overview

The brief was to give a craftsman bungalow a usable side-yard outdoor space — somewhere to come out from the French doors, sit, and walk down to a graveled patio without an awkward step. We built the entire envelope from redwood: deck framing, deck boards, stair treads and risers, railing posts and balusters, privacy screen with a vertical-slat pattern, and a matching boundary picket fence. Same lumber across the whole project, so the warm tones read as one continuous architectural element from any angle.

New redwood deck integrated with the existing craftsman bungalow — Los Angeles

Why Redwood

Redwood is the right material for an exposed Los Angeles deck. It is naturally rot- and insect-resistant, dimensionally stable in hot-dry / mild-wet climate cycles, and unlike pressure-treated pine it does not bleed sap, fight finishes, or twist out of flat over time. The heart redwood grain we used finishes evenly under oil-based deck sealers and weathers gracefully if a homeowner ever prefers to let it patina. For a project where the deck is also the staircase, the railing, and the privacy screen, consistent lumber matters — redwood gives you that across structural and finish pieces.

Covered redwood deck looking back toward French doors — Los Angeles

What’s in This Build

Solid redwood deck — joisted framing on concrete piers, screwed-down deck boards with consistent gaps
Redwood staircase with full-width treads, closed risers, and a clean stringer profile
Custom redwood railings on the upper deck — even baluster spacing, mitered top caps, sturdy 4×4 posts
Vertical-slat redwood privacy screen — mixed-width slats with a horizontal panel base, integrated under existing patio cover
Matching redwood boundary picket fence along the side line
End-grain sealing on every cut, stainless and hot-dipped galvanized fasteners throughout
Optional finish coat — clear oil, semi-transparent stain, or solid color, depending on owner preference

Redwood deck stairs head-on view — full-width treads, closed risers — Los Angeles

Detail That Matters

On a project like this, what separates a premium build from a quick install is mostly invisible: post heights cut to the millimeter so railings sit perfectly flat over uneven grade, balusters laid out with a story stick so reveals are even from any angle, stair treads glued and screwed so they never creak, and end-grain sealed on every cut so the wood holds finish for years. We don’t take shortcuts on the joinery you can’t see — that’s why the finished surfaces stay clean.

Redwood deck stairs side angle showing stringer profile and grade — Los Angeles

Custom redwood railings with an access gate — even baluster spacing — Los Angeles

Privacy Screen

The screen is a mixed-width vertical redwood slat pattern with a horizontal panel base — a quiet Japanese-influenced detail that visually softens a hard wall without going decorative. It is structured as a separate element under the existing patio cover so it reads as integrated architecture, not an add-on. The screen serves as visual privacy from the neighboring driveway while letting evening light through the slats.

Vertical-slat redwood privacy screen with horizontal panel base — Los Angeles

Matching Boundary Fence

To carry the same lumber and tone past the deck, we ran a matching redwood picket fence along the side property line. Same boards, same hardware, same finish. From the curb it reads as one continuous project rather than a fence stuck onto a deck.

Matching redwood boundary picket fence — same lumber as the deck — Los Angeles

Narrow side passage redwood deck connecting the house and patio — Los Angeles

Los Angeles Market Pricing Notes

A package like this — a side-yard deck with stairs, full custom railings, a finished privacy screen, and a matching boundary fence, all built from solid redwood — is a premium project in the LA market. We bid each one after a site visit because grade, soil, demo, permit conditions, and finish choice all move the number. Free same-day estimates anywhere in LA, Glendale, Burbank, or Pasadena.

Why ProHands

ProHands Home Improvement is a Los Angeles handyman and renovation contractor focused on premium finish work — decks, fences, gates, railings, restoration. Owner-operated, fully insured, ★ 5.0 across Google and Yelp. We treat outdoor carpentry as architecture, not lumber.

Custom redwood side yard deck at sunset — view from the deck down to the patio — Los Angeles

Planning a deck, privacy screen, or full side-yard build?
Call ProHands for a free same-day estimate — LA, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena.