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(717) 779-1782
Our Location
23 Kellocks Run Rd, Hummelstown, PA 17036
Custom Deck Builder Serving Hershey & Hummelstown, PA
Veteran Deck Builders designs, resurfaces, and builds custom decks for homeowners across Hershey, Derry Township, Hummelstown, and the broader Capital Region. The company works in Trex capped composite, cellular PVC, and pressure-treated framing, and its documented scope covers covered decks, screen rooms, porches, pergolas, gazebos, and outdoor kitchens.
Call (717) 779-1782 to schedule a design consultation and project estimate.
Custom Decks Engineered for Central PA Topography
Capped Composite Decking (TrexPro Gold)
The company holds TrexPro Gold installer credentials and works with Trex Transcend and Trex Enhance. Documented board selections include Cinnamon Cove, Tide Pool, and Toasted Sand. One completed configuration pairs Cinnamon Cove around the perimeter with Toasted Sand through the main field, a picture-frame layout that changes how perimeter cuts, stair transitions, and board ends get finished. Railing systems documented on past jobs include black powder-coated Trex aluminum with low-voltage lighting at stair risers and post caps.
Advanced Cellular PVC Decking
Cellular PVC gives homeowners a second synthetic surface option alongside capped composite, without exposed natural timber at the walking surface. Material selection still comes down to deck exposure, board color, framing layout, fastening method, stairs, railing, and budget. Any heat-reduction or cooling claim for a specific PVC product should get checked against that manufacturer's current data sheet rather than applied across every PVC deck.
Encapsulated Substructures and Flatwork
Composite and PVC decking don't remove wood from the structure. Pressure-treated lumber still carries the deck through posts, beams, joists, and stair framing on most projects. Veteran Deck Builders wraps exposed structural posts in PVC trim, and on steep lots, replaces long straight staircases with L-shaped or switchback stairs terminating on poured concrete landing pads. The company has also built curved walkways as long as 125 feet connecting a deck to a driveway.
Serving Hershey From a Hummelstown Operating Base
Veteran Deck Builders operates as HFDH, LLC, incorporated May 3, 2017. The company runs a dual-facility footprint in Hummelstown: administrative correspondence routes through a commercial suite at Hershey Square on Mae Street, while equipment staging and material handling happen from a property on Kellocks Run Rd, Hummelstown, PA 17036.
That base serves projects in Hershey, Derry Township, South Hanover Township, Harrisburg, and the surrounding Dauphin County communities. Deck construction moves lumber, composite boards, rail systems, and concrete materials between a staging location and a job site in sequence, so proximity to the service area matters as much as the address on the estimate.
The company is led by Merrill D. “Bud” Miller, President and Principal Contractor, who built his background across residential construction and 16 years in the Army National Guard, including service as an Infantry Battalion Company Commander.
Derry Township and Hershey Deck Permit Guidance
Hershey-area properties commonly fall under Derry Township, which runs its own zoning and permit process separate from the building permit itself.
Zoning permit: Derry Township requires a zoning permit for decks and patios regardless of size or material. The submission needs a plot plan showing property boundaries, proposed deck dimensions, existing structures, easements, and impervious coverage.
Building permit threshold: Per the Derry Township deck submission checklist, a UCC building permit is required when the decking surface sits more than 30 inches above finished grade. An uncovered deck below that elevation may follow a different building-permit path, though the zoning permit still applies either way.
Permit package timing: Veteran Deck Builders prepares preliminary designs and submits municipal permit packages within five business days of contract execution. That timeline covers preparation and submission only. Municipal review time depends on the reviewing authority and isn’t a guaranteed approval date.
Documented Central PA Deck Work
Harrisburg Trex deck, structural and drainage work: A 500-square-foot elevated deck in Trex Enhance Cinnamon Cove. During demolition, the crew found a failing EPDM roof membrane above an under-deck storage area and replaced it before closing the deck back in. The job added redesigned L-shaped stairs, a poured concrete landing, composite-clad storage doors, and a 125-foot curved concrete walkway, staged across five construction days over two consecutive summers.
Picture-frame composite work: Layouts using Cinnamon Cove and Toasted Sand in contrasting perimeter/field configurations, which change how the framing has to support the finished board pattern.
Hummelstown and Central PA resurfacing: A regional portfolio of resurfacing jobs involving composite replacement, rail upgrades, privacy structures, and retained structural framing, useful as a direct comparison against full new construction.
Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor Registration
Veteran Deck Builders operates under HFDH, LLC and holds Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor registration PA154450 through the Office of the Attorney General. That registration confirms compliance with the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act. It isn’t a general contractor license, a state certification, or an endorsement of workmanship, and homeowners can verify the number directly with the Attorney General’s office.
The written construction agreement, not the registration number, is where scope should get locked down: decking and railing materials, demolition, post wraps, gutters, concrete work, electrical connections, payment milestones, punch-list completion, and any labor warranty terms. A labor warranty on workmanship is separate from a manufacturer’s material warranty and needs to appear explicitly in the signed contract if a homeowner wants it covered.
Complete Outdoor Living and Deck Resurfacing Services in Hershey
Custom Deck Building
New decks get planned around the house rather than forced into a standard platform. Split-level homes and sloped yards need particular attention here, since deck elevation drives post height, stair count, railing lines, and how the structure meets the yard.
Deck Resurfacing and Substructure Salvage
A worn deck doesn't automatically need full demolition. Resurfacing starts with an evaluation of the existing joists, beams, posts, and ledger connection. Sound framing stays in place while deteriorated boards and railings come off, which cuts the amount of new structural lumber a project needs. Covering damaged framing with new composite boards is the mistake this evaluation step is built to catch. If the ledger shows decay, joists have lost capacity, or the new design adds load beyond what the original frame carries, the project moves toward a full rebuild instead.
Covered Porches, Screen Rooms, and Hardscape Connections
Covered decks carry roof loads that an open deck doesn't, which changes the beam, post, and foundation requirements. Screen rooms and three-season rooms add a layer on top of that, since footing movement can throw off door and window alignment. Documented service range here includes covered porches, screen rooms, three-season rooms, timber-framed patio covers, pergolas, gazebos, outdoor kitchens, and saunas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Request Your Hershey Deck Design Estimate
A useful estimate covers more than square footage: deck footprint and elevation, existing framing condition, material selection, stairs and railing, yard slope, drainage, covered sections, concrete landings or walkways, and Derry Township permit requirements.
Veteran Deck Builders
HFDH, LLC
23 Kellocks Run Rd, Hummelstown, PA 17036
PA Home Improvement Contractor Registration: PA154450
Phone: (717) 779-1782