Buffalo and Erie County
Contractor in Buffalo, NY for Decks, Porches, Siding and Remodels
Built To Last Construction is a residential contractor for Buffalo, NY homes and the rest of Erie County, building decks, porches, siding and remodels. Call (585) 689-7484 to begin.
- Free Estimates
- Fully Insured
- Licensed GC
Who We Are
A Silver Springs Company Working in Buffalo
We are based in Silver Springs, in Wyoming County, and Buffalo is the western anchor of the region we serve between Rochester and Buffalo. We travel to the city and its suburbs for residential work, and we would rather tell you that up front than pretend to be around the corner.
Our team brings 20 years of hands-on construction experience, and the business is now in its fourth year. Quality craftsmanship starts with doing things the right way, so every project, large or small, gets precision, punctuality and professionalism at fair rates.
Finding a contractor in Buffalo, NY who understands older city houses matters, because doubles built between about 1890 and 1929 still line many streets. We plan each job around the house as it actually stands, with its settled floors and decades of earlier repairs, rather than around a drawing that assumes everything is square.
Work We Do as a General Contractor in Buffalo, NY
A Buffalo deck has to handle a winter that averages about 95 inches of snow. As a deck builder for Buffalo, NY yards, we plan deck building projects with solid footings, framing sized for snow and railings that hold up, and most of them are built in composite, with wood as the choice when composite is beyond the budget.
Many city houses face the street with a porch, and an old one can sag, rot or pull away from the house. Our porch construction work rebuilds those porches or adds new ones in keeping with the house. We look at the posts, the floor framing and the roof above before recommending a repair or a full rebuild.
Exterior walls take a beating from wind off Lake Erie, and our siding installation service replaces worn siding with a tight, clean finish. Inside, home remodeling updates kitchens, bathrooms and basements in houses that have seen a century of use.
Know the City
Buffalo Doubles, Lake Erie Snow and City Neighborhoods
The Buffalo double, a two-flat house with one unit stacked over the other, makes up about a third of the housing structures in the city, and most were built between roughly 1890 and 1929. Owners often lived in one flat and rented the other. Work on a double means planning for two households, two sets of stairs and an exterior shared by both.
Lake effect snow off Lake Erie is a defining part of Buffalo winters. The lake snow season can start in mid November, peaks in December and fades once the lake freezes, and the November 2014 storm locals call Snowvember dropped more than 66 inches. Exterior projects are planned for that kind of load.
The city has 35 neighborhoods, from the Elmwood Village and Allentown to Parkside, home of the Darwin D. Martin House, and the shops along Hertel Avenue. Main Street divides the East Side from the West Side.
Buffalo Permits and the Erie County Suburbs
In the city, the Department of Permit and Inspection Services reviews permits for additions, remodeling, repairs, decks and sheds, and checks plans against the Buffalo Green Code, adopted in 2017, and the New York State building code. The department encourages digital plan submission and online permitting, and we usually handle the permit and inspections for you, or you can manage the permit yourself.
As a contractor in Erie County, NY, we also work outside the city line, where a suburban project goes through the town rather than City Hall. The Town of Amherst Building Department in Williamsville, for example, requires a permit for almost all work on a property. We also serve nearby Clarence, Akron and Lockport.
Reviews to Read Before You Call
These reviews come from customers throughout our service area, not Buffalo alone. They show what working with us is like.
Reviews from our customers will appear here. To talk with us about your project, call Built To Last Construction at (585) 689-7484.
Buffalo Homeowner Questions
Do I need a permit for a deck in the City of Buffalo?
Yes, in most cases. The city's Department of Permit and Inspection Services reviews and issues permits for decks, along with additions, remodeling, repairs and sheds. Plans are checked against the Buffalo Green Code and the New York State building code, and the department encourages submitting plans and applying for permits online rather than in person.
Can you work on a Buffalo double?
Yes. Double houses, with one flat over another, make up about a third of the housing structures in Buffalo. A porch, deck or siding project on a double has to work for both units, including separate access and a shared exterior. We plan the job around the people living in each flat. Call (585) 689-7484 to talk it through.
Do you serve the suburbs outside Buffalo?
Yes. Our service area includes Buffalo and Erie County, which covers towns such as Amherst, Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Hamburg, Orchard Park and Tonawanda. Permits follow the municipal line, so a project in Amherst goes through the Town of Amherst Building Department rather than City Hall. Tell us your address when you call, and we will confirm the details.
How does lake effect snow affect a deck in Buffalo?
Buffalo averages about 95 inches of snow a year, much of it lake effect off Lake Erie, and winters bring thaws and rain between storms. A deck has to carry that weight and survive the freezing and thawing that heaves shallow footings. We plan footings below the frost line, framing sized for snow, and drainage that keeps water moving off the boards.
Start in Buffalo
Get Your Buffalo Project on the Calendar
Phone (585) 689-7484, Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, or send the free estimate form with a note about your house and the work you want. Tell us your neighborhood or suburb so we can plan the visit. Calling a contractor in Buffalo, NY before the snow season ends gives time to settle the permit and order materials ahead of the building months. To see the rest of the region we cover, visit our service areas page.
