Deck waterproofing: finished sand-textured walking deck over living space with a view of the San Fernando Valley
Licensed & Insured · CSLB #1021284 · Since 2016 · Written Workmanship Warranty

Deck & Balcony Waterproofing Contractor in Lake Balboa, CA

Decks, balconies and walkways in Lake Balboa, repaired, flashed and coated by one licensed, insured general contractor, with the framing fixed under the same LADBS permit and one fixed written price.

Professional, licensed & insuredFixed-price proposalsPermits pulled & closedSB 721 / SB 326 repairs

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Call now · (818) 210-4544
5.0★Google · 45 reviews
57+Permitted projects
12+Years experience · CSLB #1021284
FreeOn-site inspection · fixed written price

Deck and balcony waterproofing in Lake Balboa, CA: Right Image Builders (CSLB #1021284, licensed and insured since 2016) repairs and waterproofs walking decks, balconies, exterior stairs and shared walkways on 1950s single-story tract ranches, typically 1,200–1,700 sq ft on 6,000–7,500 sq ft lots across the tract streets between Victory Boulevard and Sherman Way, the blocks around Beilenson Park and the lake, the Balboa Boulevard corridor and the streets near Birmingham Community Charter High School, with the dry rot and framing under the old coating repaired by the same crew on the same LADBS permit.

ICC-ES-evaluated, Class A pedestrian coating systems over plywood or concrete, flashed at every door, wall and post; SB 721 and SB 326 inspection reports turned into permitted repair scopes. Most single decks take days once the permit is issued; one fixed written price after a free on-site inspection. Office in Valley Glen, about 10–15 minutes from Lake Balboa.

Updated October 2026 · Right Image Builders project team · CSLB #1021284 · 5.0★ Google (45 reviews) · 4.9★ Angi (103 reviews)

Local waterproofing experts

What Lake Balboa Decks Have in Common

Lake Balboa is flat, and so are its decks. The houses across the tract streets between Victory Boulevard and Sherman Way, the blocks around Beilenson Park and the lake, the Balboa Boulevard corridor and the streets near Birmingham Community Charter High School are 1950s single-story tract ranches, typically 1,200–1,700 sq ft on 6,000–7,500 sq ft lots; the decks and balconies on them, and on the garages and second-story additions behind them, were built level. Level is the problem: water sits in the low corner, the coating gives up at a seam, and the plywood beneath goes soft over a few winters.

The other half of the work is the apartment and condominium buildings along Lake Balboa and the Sepulveda Basin: shared walkways, open stairs and stacked balconies that stay in use while we repair them, and the elements SB 721 and SB 326 now require inspected. Those are the jobs that most often come to us with a report attached.

A Lake Balboa deck that leaks usually leaks at the door threshold, the wall or the drain, not in the middle. We open a test section, check the plywood and the flashing, re-slope to the drain, and only then install the system.

Either way we open it up before we price it. A re-coat over sound, dry framing is a small job. A re-coat over wet framing is the same job done twice, and the second time costs more.

Hillside deck waterproofing: cantilevered deck on a canyon lot, posts and framing visible
Where decks actually leak

Six places the water gets in. Tap each one.

Almost never in the middle of the deck. Always at an edge, a transition or a low spot. This is what we open and look at before we price.

HOUSE WALL door ROOM BELOW 1 2 3 4 5 6
  • 1
    Door thresholdA sill set flush with the deck lets water under the door. We raise or flash the sill and run the membrane up behind it.
  • 2
    Stucco wall and weep screedStucco that runs down to the deck wicks water. The wall gets a counter-flashing and the membrane turns up behind it.
  • 3
    Railing post through the coatingEvery post is a hole in the membrane. We flash or sleeve each one instead of caulking it and hoping.
  • 4
    The low corner that pondsWater that sits for days finds a seam. The deck is re-sloped to the drain before any coating goes down.
  • 5
    The ledgerWhere the deck bolts to the house. On hillside decks it is the first thing to rot and the last thing anyone looks at.
  • 6
    Scupper and drip edgeA drip edge that stops short dumps water onto the wall below. We extend it and tie the scupper into the membrane.
Our services in Lake Balboa

Waterproofing Services We Provide in Lake Balboa

A licensed, insured general contractor, not a coating applicator: the flashing, the framing behind it and the coating, under one permit and one contract.

Deck waterproofing: finished walking deck with new sand-textured coating and metal door-sill flashing

Deck Waterproofing in Lake Balboa

Walking decks over living space and open decks over framing: failed coating off, plywood and framing repaired, new flashing at the walls, doors and edges, slope corrected, and an ICC-ES-evaluated coating system applied to the manufacturer's spec.

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Balcony waterproofing: coated balcony with new flashing at the stucco wall and railing

Balcony Waterproofing in Lake Balboa

Cantilevered and post-supported balconies on houses, duplexes and apartment buildings: ledger, joists and post bases exposed and repaired where rot is found, then flashed, sloped and coated so the next inspection passes.

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Apartment walkway and stair waterproofing: coated second-floor walkway with new stair nosings and drip edge

Stairs, Landings & Walkways

Exterior stairs, landings and shared walkways on multi-unit buildings: slip-resistant, Class A fire-rated systems with stair nosings, drip edges and scuppers detailed, phased so tenants keep access.

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Tile deck waterproofing: new membrane under porcelain tile being set on a balcony walkway

Magnesite & Tile Decks

Cracked magnesite walkways and leaking tile decks replaced with a bonded, sloped, waterproof system under a new walking surface; tile reinstalled over a proper membrane where you want tile back.

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Dry rot repair under a deck: rotted joists and ledger exposed, new Douglas fir joists sistered in

Dry Rot & Structural Repair

Because we are a general contractor, the rotted joist, failed ledger, soft post base or loose railing anchor we uncover is repaired under the same permit and the same contract, not referred to someone else.

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SB 721 balcony repair: stacked apartment balconies with scaffolding and one balcony opened to the framing

SB 721 & SB 326 Repairs

Your inspection report becomes a repair scope: we price the exact elements the report flags, pull the permit, make the repairs and close it, so the building has the record the law requires.

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How we work with you

Transparent from the first visit to the closed permit.

Professional, licensed and insured, and we put that in writing at every step, because a deck repair is a trust decision before it is a construction decision.

Licensed and insured, verifiable

California general contractor license CSLB #1021284 (General Building B), active since 2016, with general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Check the license yourself at cslb.ca.gov before you sign anything, with us or anyone else.

A written scope before a dollar changes hands

The proposal lists what comes off, what gets repaired, what gets flashed, which system goes on and which permit covers it. If it is not written down, it is not in the job.

Photos of what we find, before we continue

When the old coating comes off we photograph the plywood and framing and send you the pictures. Anything beyond the scope is priced in writing before the crew continues. You never find out from the invoice.

The deposit rule, in your favor

California law caps a home-improvement deposit at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract, whichever is less. We follow it. Progress payments follow the work, and the final payment comes after your walkthrough.

Permits pulled and closed in your name

We submit, meet the inspector and close the permit. You get the closed-permit record, which is what a buyer, an insurer or an SB 721 / SB 326 file will ask for.

One licensed crew, one phone number

The people who inspect the deck are the people who repair it. No subcontractor hand-offs, no call center; your project lead answers the phone during the job and after it.

The system, layer by layer

Six layers. The coating is the last one.

Every manufacturer-listed system we install is built the same way from the framing up, to the manufacturer’s written specification and the ICC-ES evaluation report. Skip a layer and the warranty means nothing.

01
Framing and plywood, repairedRotted joists, ledger and sheathing replaced; the deck is only as good as what it sits on.
02
Slope to the drainCorrected so water leaves the deck instead of sitting in the corner.
03
Metal flashing at every edgeDoor sill, wall, posts, drip edge and scupper, counter-flashed where the stucco meets the deck.
04
Base membraneThe waterproofing layer, bonded to the substrate and turned up every vertical.
05
ReinforcementFabric, lath or mesh as the system specifies, so the membrane bridges movement and cracks.
06
Wear coat and finishSlip-resistant, UV-stable, Class A fire-rated walking surface in the texture and color you choose.
Deck flashing detail: Sherman Oaks: new metal sill flashing lapped over the membrane at a sliding-door threshold
The detail that decides itmetal sill flashing lapped over the membrane and turned up behind the door, sealed at the top. Caulk alone is not flashing.
Deck coating texture: Sherman Oaks: slip-resistant sand-textured waterproof coating at a railing post with a flashed collar
The finish you walk onSlip-resistant sand texture, UV-stable, in the color you choose; every railing post gets a flashed collar, not a bead of sealant.
Recent work

Drag to see before and after.

After deck waterproofing: new sand-textured coating, slope to the drain and new edge metal on the same hillside deck Before deck waterproofing: cracked, blistered coating, ponding water and a rusted edge on a hillside deck BeforeAfter

A hillside deck: failed, ponding coating and a rusted edge to a flashed, sloped, sand-textured walking surface with new edge metal. Drag the handle.

Permits & inspections

Pulling a Permit in Lake Balboa

Lake Balboa is part of the City of Los Angeles, so plan review, permitting and inspection run through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, from LADBS (City of Los Angeles) at the Van Nuys Development Services Center, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. Replacing a deck or balcony waterproofing system is permitted work, and the plywood, ledger, joist or railing repair found under the old coating is inspected under the same permit. LADBS also holds the property records, worth checking on an older deck or a converted garage where nobody is sure what was permitted originally.

We submit, schedule the inspections, meet the inspector and close the permit before the final payment. Owners of apartment and condominium buildings get the closed-permit record their SB 721 or SB 326 file needs.

Common issues we fix

Waterproofing Problems We Solve in Lake Balboa

  • Converted garages and additions with a flat deck on topThe roof deck over the new room re-sloped, flashed at the wall and coated so the room below stays dry.
  • Flat decks and balconies with no fall, holding water for daysSlope rebuilt to the drain or scupper before the new system goes down.
  • Stains or a drip line on the ceiling belowThe membrane and usually the plywood have failed; the coating is the last thing replaced, not the first.
  • Stacked apartment balconies dripping into the unit underneathFlashed, sloped and coated in a phased sequence so tenants keep access.
  • Soft spots, bouncing, cracked magnesite or lifted tileOpened, framing and sheathing replaced, then a bonded sloped system, not another patch.
  • An SB 721 or SB 326 report, or a city noticePriced element by element, permitted, repaired and closed so the file is complete.
Multi-unit & HOA · balcony inspection laws

SB 721 and SB 326: from report to closed permit.

California now requires periodic inspections of wood-supported balconies, decks, walkways and stairs more than six feet above grade. The inspection is the inspector’s job. The repairs are ours.

SB 721 · apartment buildingsEvery 6 years

Rental buildings with three or more units. First inspection was due January 1, 2026; non-emergency repairs the report calls for are due within 120 days unless the city extends it.

SB 326 · condominiums & HOAsEvery 9 years

Associations with three or more units. First inspection was due January 1, 2025, performed by a licensed structural engineer or architect and folded into the reserve study.

What we do with the reportPrice. Permit. Repair. Close.

Send us the report. We price the exact elements it flags, in writing, pull the permit, make the repairs with a phasing plan that keeps residents’ access, and close the permit so the building has the record the law requires.

Which law covers your building? Three questions.

Three or more units?
Rental building or condo association?
Wood-framed, more than 6 ft above grade?
Answer the three questionsWe will tell you which law applies.

Sources: Health and Safety Code §17973 (SB 721, as amended by AB 2579); Civil Code §5551 (SB 326); City of San Mateo and City of San Ramon building-department summaries, checked October 2026. Confirm the deadlines for your building with your inspector or the city.

What clients say
  • ★★★★★
    Honest, straightforward, and clear. The team was so professional, respectful, and clean. Everything was as planned and within the timeline.Zachary R. · Google
  • ★★★★★
    The fixed-price contract was exactly what we needed. No surprise invoices, no scope creep. The owner personally showed up to every major milestone.David & Sarah K. · Houzz
  • ★★★★★
    Prompt, thorough, and responsive. The price was very fair unlike three other contractors I requested bids from.Sherry C. · Yelp
Why choose us

Why Lake Balboa Trusts Right Image Builders

Licensed & Insured General Contractor

CSLB #1021284, licensed and insured since 2016. Framing repair and waterproofing on one license, one permit, one contract.

Fixed Price, In Writing

One itemized price after the inspection. Hidden conditions photographed and priced in writing before the crew continues.

Written Workmanship Warranty

In the contract, handed over with the closed permit. Manufacturer warranties registered in your name where offered.

Free Inspections

On site in Lake Balboa, with a test section of the old coating opened, not a quote from the driveway.

FAQ

Waterproofing in Lake Balboa: Your Questions

Because a level deck does not drain. Water sits in the low corner until it finds a seam, and the door threshold, the stucco wall and the railing posts are where the membrane was never properly flashed. We re-slope to the drain and flash every transition before any coating goes down.

LADBS, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, from LADBS (City of Los Angeles) at the Van Nuys Development Services Center, 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. We pull the permit, schedule and meet the inspections, and close it before the final payment.

SB 721 (Health and Safety Code 17973) applies to rental buildings with three or more units: the first inspection was due January 1, 2026 and repeats every six years, with non-emergency repairs due within 120 days. SB 326 (Civil Code 5551) applies to condominium associations with three or more units: first inspection by January 1, 2025, then every nine years. Both cover wood-supported balconies, decks, walkways and stairs more than six feet above grade. A licensed inspector performs the inspection; we make the repairs the report calls for and close the permit. Single-family houses are not covered, though the same construction standards apply to their decks.

Yes. Right Image Builders, Inc. holds California general contractor license CSLB #1021284 (General Building B), active since 2016, with general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Verify the license at cslb.ca.gov and ask us for the insurance certificates; we expect you to.

Only when a test section shows the old system bonded and dry over sound plywood and flashing. On most decks that have leaked, the old coating comes off, the plywood and framing are repaired, the transitions are re-flashed, and a new system goes on. A re-coat over wet framing is the same job done twice.

A single deck or balcony is usually days of work once the permit is issued, plus cure time between coats. Apartment and condominium walkway programs are phased over weeks so residents keep access, with the schedule published before the first day.

Everything the inspection scoped: tear-off, the repairs we can see, flashing, slope, the coating system, the permit and the inspections. Anything uncovered at tear-off is photographed and priced in writing before the crew continues, and the final payment comes after your walkthrough. No surprise invoices.

Yes. Multi-unit walkways, stairs and stacked balconies are a large part of the work, usually with an SB 721 or SB 326 report attached. We price from the report, phase the work so residents keep access, and hand the association or owner a closed permit for the file.

Free Deck & Balcony Inspection in Lake Balboa

Protect the deck before the next rain. One licensed, insured crew, one fixed written price, the permit closed.