Things to Look For in a Deck Builder

Dear John,
Sam and I wanted to express our heartfelt thanks for the wonderful deck your employees built for us. We are so pleased with the final result. It looks really wonderful and I will forward some photographs soon for you.

I wanted to especially thank Carol and Raymond for answering my numerous phone calls and questions. Joseph, Ivan, and Melvin, and the other young man )I never did ask his name, who drove the truck and trailer) were always polite, respectful, and courteous. They all did a wonderful job. My neighbors kept asking how you built the deck so fast? We didn't tell them your secret. I appreciated the help coordinating the hot tub delivery with Spring Dance Spas. Ivan and Melvin were a big help when the hot tub was delivered and they both did a great job cleaning up our yard when the job was completed.

Any time you need a reference or if a potential customer asked to see a deck, we will gladly vouch for your work. We are pleased and have been enjoying the deck.

Again we thank you for your excellent service and craftsmanship.

Sincerely,

Kimberly K. and Sam D.
(We didn’t list their full names here on the site, but let us know if you want to talk these folks or any of our other past customers.)

Try to Find Someone Specializing In Decks

Decks R Us, for example just builds decks. Their specialty is deck building only. Day after day, week after week, 51 weeks out of the year. (We take the week between Christmas and New Years off). We have resisted offers to get into additions and home remodeling because we don’t want to dilute what we do best- building decks - patio decks, outdoor decks, above ground pool decks, deck planters, deck restorations ... truly ... Decks Are US! Most prominent and established home builders have experienced deck crews but some of the Jack of All Trades may not have the hands on experience and product knowledge to give you the deck you want.

Always Get a Detailed Rendering of Your Deck

Before anyone builds a deck for you, make sure you get a detailed rendering or sketch of the deck. You should know exactly what the deck will look like before any work is done. We’ve heard stories of decks being built that were entirely different that what the home owner had planned.

Don't Let this Happen to You...

In Amy’s blog about her transition from being a city girl to loving the country, she tells how she went with the cheapest deck company and was disappointed when the material for her deck was dropped off on her property but (get this) she had to wait another 2 weeks- with all the stuff out there- until the deck builder could arrive…seems as if the deck builder bumped her job to go after a more profitable one. Sorry Amy!

With Decks R Us, you’ll never have materials arriving weeks ahead of your construction date. Our truck will pull up, your crew of Amish Craftsmen will get out, and start working on your deck and not leave until it’s finished! (Well…they will go home and sleep and stuff, but they won’t leave your property looking like a trashed work site for weeks on end.) No port-a-potties, soda bottles and trash blowing into your neighbors yard when you select true, professional craftsmen.
Some of our decks are actually completed in 1 day!

Some Examples of a Deck Builder Who Knows What They Are Doing...

The foundation is secure.

We know of some outfits that just nail the deck to the house instead of putting lags or bolts in. If your deck is not property secured to your house, the chances of it leaning then eventually collapsing are greater.

Water Protection

You’ll want a deck builder that uses flashing so rain water runs out and away and doesn’t go behind the ledger board

“You’d be amazed…since we do so much work for our customers getting all the needed permits, I talk to a lot of building inspectors and they’ve told me some crazy stories!

There are guys our there-building decks- who aren’t even putting concrete under the deck! Can you believe that?

We working on a job just outside Philadelphia, and I was waiting on the local inspector to show up- something we always do with our customers because they both worked full time.

Anyway, when the inspector arrived he told me he was running a bit late because he had to shut down the job site he just came from. These other guys just slammed the support beams into the ground and didn’t even know to pour concrete into pre dug out holes! “

-John, Decks R Us owner

At Decks R Us we do not use any subcontractors to build any of the decks; they are all done by our own crews, which by the way are mostly family members.

The only “Subs” we use are Electricians and screen guys. We have always tried not to use subs because we never know what the quality of work is going to be. But with our guys- and mostly family- it’s a lot easier to make sure they are doing the job right. Come to think of it, you may want to check with the deck builder you are going with to find out if they use subs on their jobs in areas other than the real specialized stuff like electrical work.

Decks R Us crews always dig a 18 “ round hole –a little bit bigger than normal but better safe than sorry –then pour concrete in the hole. This way the concrete and the post form one piece and the post is actually sitting IN concrete rather than just the ground.

“AND, we use a 6 x 6 post which is a little larger than most, (smaller posts could lead to your deck sinking) so instead of a small post sitting directly into the ground you have an 18” big concrete foundation.”- Joe, Foreman of one of our Crews.

Smaller Outfits and Smaller Prices

You may come across an ad for a small 1 or 2 man crew that “moonlights” building decks in the evenings and on weekends. This may be the best option for you, but just consider a few things before you sign a contract:

· They length of time to complete your deck will be longer

· Your property will be a torn up “work site” longer

· They may not specialize in just decks

· They may not know how to get all the required county, township and municipal permits

· They may not offer you a blue print rendering to make sure you are getting the deck you wanted

The Details Can Make... or Break Your Deck

Ray from Decks R Us: “One of the things I tell our new crew members is you can spot a good deck builder by how much attention he pays to the details of a deck. You can use one of the cheaper-lower quality building materials, but a good deck builder can make it look fantastic by the attention he pays to all the hundreds of smaller points. On the other hand-you can select the most expensive material money can buy but it’s going to look crummy if these details are overlooked.”

Standard Payment Policies

Trusted, certified and reliable deck builders like the ones listed on www.decks.com usually follow the same payment rules. Here’s a guide that can help and maybe raise a red flag if you hear anything different:

A 30% deposit
30% due on 2^nd day of work
40% due upon completion.

Now, for larger decks, the % may change slightly- but this should give you a general idea of what a reliable deck builder’s payment plans are.

The point is to be aware of deck builders that want anything more than 50%. If they do, you may want to check for some references.

We have close to 50 different customers who will give you a reference on our work. If you want a few people to call, let us know.

Make sure they are insured

Always ask for proof of insurance before a deck contractor or deck builder starts working on your property. They should carry general liability insurance, as well as workman’s compensation insurance. If your builder does not carry both of these, and someone gets hurt-the homeowner could be responsible. Yikes.

If a zoning or builder inspector should stop in if he sees signs of work going on –and your deck builder doesn’t have proof of insurance- he can shut down your job site and issue a fine in the blink of an eye.