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Serving Highland, CA and surrounding areas. (909) 737-6946
Highland Deck and Fence builds cedar wood decks, wood fences, patio covers, and pergolas for Mentone homeowners. We have served the San Bernardino foothill communities since 2017 and respond to every inquiry within one business day.
Cedar is the right choice for Mentone because its natural oils slow moisture absorption during winter frosts and the occasional hard freeze at 1,800 feet elevation. We build cedar wood decks with footings and post bases designed for Mentone's rocky alluvial fan soil, which requires deeper setting than the sandy valley floor.
Many Mentone properties along the foothills above Highway 38 have sloped or terraced back yards where a single-level deck does not connect the house to usable ground space. A multi-level design follows the natural grade of the lot and creates distinct outdoor zones without leveling the landscape.
Mentone is a community of single-family homes on larger-than-average lots, and most homeowners want a rear yard fence that blocks street and neighbor views without boxing in the mountain scenery. We set posts at the depth required to hold against Santa Ana wind loads, which hit the Mentone foothills harder than most Inland Empire neighborhoods.
A lot of Mentone homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s, and original wood decks and patio covers from that era have typically never been replaced. Freeze-thaw winters and decades of dry summers leave these structures with soft post bases, cracked beams, and loose connections that need professional assessment before they become a safety issue.
Mentone afternoons from April through October are sunny and warm, but afternoon cloud buildups from the mountains can bring brief showers that end outdoor plans without warning. A solid patio cover lets you use the outdoor space regardless of what the weather does in the foothills, and it protects cedar decking from direct UV.
Mentone homeowners who want outdoor structure without fully blocking the San Gorgonio Mountain views often choose a pergola over a solid cover. We build pergolas in wood and aluminum with footings and post anchors rated for the wind exposure that comes with living at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Mentone sits at roughly 1,800 feet elevation at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, and that location creates conditions that simply do not apply to most of the Inland Empire. Winter overnight temperatures drop into the mid-20s Fahrenheit on the coldest nights between December and February, and the resulting freeze-thaw cycle pushes water into hairline cracks in concrete footings and post bases, widening them over time. Contractors experienced only on the valley floor often use footing depths and post base details that are appropriate for Colton or San Bernardino but are not adequate for Mentone's colder, wetter winters.
The soil is also different here. Mentone sits on alluvial fan deposits washed down from the mountains over thousands of years, a mix of sand, gravel, and rocky material that can be hard to dig through and that shifts and settles unevenly under concrete footings. Add to that the Santa Ana winds that blow hard through the foothills each fall and winter, and it becomes clear that decks and fences in Mentone need to be engineered with more structural reinforcement than a standard low-elevation build. Mentone is also within a state-designated fire hazard severity zone, which affects material choices and clearance distances for structures near brush areas. Sourced from CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
Our crew works throughout Mentone regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect deck builder work here. Because Mentone is unincorporated, residential deck and fence permits run through San Bernardino County Land Use Services rather than a city building department - a distinction that surprises some homeowners who assume they are in a city. We pull county permits regularly and know how that review process works for residential outdoor structures.
Highway 38, which locals call Mill Creek Road, runs through the center of Mentone and serves as the main corridor toward the mountains and Big Bear. Homes on the hillside above Highway 38 are typically on the steeper lots with the best mountain views - and the most challenging footings. The neighborhoods between Highway 38 and the Santa Ana River Wash, locally known as Mentone Beach, tend to be on flatter ground but deal with more drainage complexity near the river corridor.
Yucaipa is directly east of Mentone along the foothill corridor - we serve Yucaipa and regularly schedule projects in both communities on the same trip. Redlands lies just west of Mentone along the I-10 corridor and is another area we cover - see our Redlands service area page for details on what we build there.
Reach us by phone or through the contact form on this site. We respond to every inquiry within one business day and can usually schedule a site visit within the week.
We visit the property, assess soil conditions and slope, and walk through your goals before putting together a written itemized estimate. There is no charge for the estimate, and the price we quote is the price you pay - we do not add surprises after the work starts.
We prepare and submit the county permit application - you do not need to deal with San Bernardino County Land Use Services yourself. Once the permit is approved, typically one to two weeks, our crew schedules the build and you do not need to be home for most of the construction days.
When the build is complete, we walk through the finished structure with you and address any questions before we consider the job done. We coordinate the county inspection and make sure the permit is closed out properly.
We serve Mentone and the surrounding San Bernardino County foothills. Call us or submit a request and we will respond within one business day.
(909) 737-6946Mentone is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, sitting at about 1,800 feet elevation between Redlands to the west and Yucaipa to the east. According to census data, Mentone has a population of roughly 8,000 to 9,000 people with a notably high share of owner-occupied single-family homes. The community has a semi-rural character - lots are larger here than in nearby urban areas, many properties include detached garages and outbuildings, and the pace is quieter than the busier parts of the Inland Empire just a few miles down the hill.
The housing stock reflects Mentone's history as a working-class residential area that grew through the postwar decades. Many homes date from the 1940s through the 1970s, typically single-story ranch-style houses on medium to large lots. Closer to the original townsite near Mentone Road, some properties date back to the early 1900s. The Santa Ana River Wash runs along the southern edge of the community, and the stretch near the river is known locally as Mentone Beach - a sandy recreation area that longtime residents know well. Highland to the northwest and Yucaipa to the east are the closest neighboring communities we serve.
Durable pressure-treated wood decks built to last outdoors.
Learn MoreProtect and refresh your deck with professional staining and sealing.
Learn MoreCustom wood and privacy fences installed for security and style.
Learn MoreEnjoy the outdoors bug-free with a screened porch or deck.
Learn MoreWe build cedar decks, patio covers, fences, and pergolas throughout Mentone and the San Bernardino County foothills. Call today or submit a request online.