Balcony and deck remediation repairs the elevated walkways, balconies, decks and stairs of a building, from the waterproofing surface down to the framing that carries the load. Apex opens, documents, repairs and re-waterproofs these elements on occupied multifamily and HOA property, including work that follows California SB 721 and SB 326 inspections.

Guide: SB 721 and SB 326: California balcony inspection and repair

Balconies and elevated walkways are the one place where a cosmetic budget item and a life-safety item look identical from the ground. A coating failure and a rotted ledger both read as ‘stained deck’ on a walk. In California, SB326 and SB721 turned that ambiguity into a statutory inspection deadline; everywhere else, it is still the exposure that keeps an asset manager awake.

We repair what the inspection found and we sequence it so every resident keeps a way in and out of their home every night. On exterior-corridor buildings that is not a scheduling preference, it is the whole job.

SB721 / SB326
California inspection scopes handled

Occupied
Phased by stack, never all at once

Coatings
Self-performed with documented cure

Scope

What a balcony, deck and stair repair scope includes

The line items we carry on a balconies & decks scope, and what each one actually covers.

Balcony and walkway coatings
Waterproof deck systems installed over a prepared, sloped and tested substrate.

Railing and guardrail replacement
Code-height guardrails and posts anchored into sound framing, not into repaired edges.

Concrete and framing repair
Ledger, joist and post replacement where testing shows the structure is compromised.

SB326 and SB721 inspection repairs
Repair scoped directly against the inspector’s findings, documented for the next cycle.

Stair tread, stringer and landing work
The part of an exterior corridor building that fails first and gets noticed last.

Engineer coordination
Structural repair details signed by the engineer of record where the jurisdiction requires it.

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The Sequence

How balcony, deck and stair repair runs on an occupied property

Four stages, one contract. Nothing here is a handoff to somebody else.

Inspect and test
Visual survey plus destructive testing at the locations the engineer calls, documented before anything is demolished.

Price off the test
Repair scope built from what testing found, with unit rates for the framing repair that is still hidden.

Phase by stack
Units released back in sequence so residents lose one balcony, not a summer.

Coat and document
Coating system applied to spec with cure documented, and the repair record filed for the next inspection cycle.

Repainted balconies and stair landings on an occupied apartment building, completed by Apex

On the ground

Where balcony, deck and stair repair goes wrong, and how we prevent it

Access every night
Phasing built so no unit ever loses its only route out. That constraint drives the schedule before anything else does.

Slope before coating
A deck that does not drain will fail the coating again. Slope gets corrected first, tested with water, then coated.

Documentation for the next cycle
Photos, repair details and materials recorded so the next statutory inspection starts from a file rather than a guess.

Get this scoped on your property

Pricing

What drives balcony, deck and stair repair cost

Two contractors can price the same building a long way apart and both be honest about it. These are the variables that explain the gap — worth asking every bidder, not just us.

What the inspection found
A visual rating and a destructive test produce very different scopes. The repair is priced off the test, not the rating.

Framing repair quantity
Dry rot behind a coating is invisible until it is open. Unit rate agreed before demolition, measured quantity billed.

Railing and guard compliance
Bringing a guard to current code is often a bigger line than the deck itself, and it is not optional once it is open.

Resident access
Every balcony out of service is a conversation. Phasing by stack shortens it; phasing badly triples it.

Balcony, deck and stair remediation work by Apex Contracting Group

Self-performed where it matters, subcontracted where it does not

The trades that decide whether this scope holds up are ours. Everything else runs through trade partners we have used in that market before, on our contract and our warranty.

One project manager and one superintendent, named before award
Weekly reporting against a schedule with real float in it
One warranty at closeout, whoever swung the hammer

Projects

Recent balcony, deck and stair repair projects

Three projects from the portfolio where this scope was the job, or a large part of it.

Browse the full portfolio

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FAQ

Balcony, deck and stair repair: common questions

What is SB 721?
SB 721 is a California law requiring periodic inspection of balconies, decks, stairways, walkways and other elevated exterior elements on apartment buildings with three or more units. It covers elements more than six feet above ground that rely on wood or wood-based load-bearing components. Inspections repeat every six years, and deficiencies must be repaired within set timelines. Apex performs the repairs the inspection identifies.

What is SB 326, and how is it different from SB 721?
SB 326 applies to condominium and HOA buildings, while SB 721 applies to apartment buildings. Under SB 326, an association must have a licensed architect or structural engineer inspect a representative sample of wood-framed elevated elements, repeating every nine years. SB 721 covers rental buildings of three or more units on a six-year cycle. Both require repairing what the inspection finds.

Who pays for SB 721 and SB 326 balcony repairs?
Under SB 721 the building owner is responsible for inspection and repair costs. Under SB 326 the HOA generally pays, often from reserves or a special assessment, because elevated elements are usually common area; your governing documents and counsel settle any disputed allocation. Apex prices repairs line by line against the inspector’s findings so the owner or board can budget and phase them.

We received a balcony inspection report. What happens next?
Send the report to Apex for pricing. Apex prices repairs directly against the inspector’s findings, flags items that need the engineer of record before they can be detailed, and builds a phased schedule that keeps every unit accessible. The repair record is organized so the next inspection cycle can reference exactly what was repaired and how.

Do residents have to move out during balcony or stair repairs?
Almost never. Elevated-element work is staged so every unit keeps a safe way in and out at the end of each working day, and residents are notified before work reaches their balcony or stair. Where a stair must close, Apex schedules the closure around an alternate egress route approved for that building.

How long does balcony repair take?
It depends on how many elements need work and how much structural damage is found once decking and coatings are opened. Engineering review and permits also affect the timeline. Apex walks the property and reviews the inspection report before giving a phased schedule, because inspection reports vary widely in how far they probe below the surface.

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