Building or restoring your deck is a big commitment. Ensuring you use a quality company can make the difference between having great deck or one that has issues. One of the most important factors in choosing the right deck builder is their experience as designers as well as deck builders and restores. Having an extensive and varied portfolio of completed projects helps for them to show you their experience.
Most deck contractors will help in considering how the space is going to be used to some degree. However, a highly experienced custom deck builder will be far more thorough. They will be concerned with the location, and your overall backyard along with many other factors. Everything from the orientation of the sun to the topography of the yard and orientation of the house on your lot along with neighboring houses are important considerations.
When meeting with potential deck builders, it’s important to gain insight into how the company handles projects from start to finish as well as review examples of their work. It is a good idea to have questions ready that you want to ask to ensure that the deck company you are considering is professional and specializes in decks. A company that focuses on many things may not be ideal in building decks, you want a company that builds more than just a couple a year. The more experience the have the better potential to build your deck the proper way.
Questions to Ask a Deck Company Before You Get Started
- What are your company’s specialties?
- What decking materials do you use?
- Does your company help design the deck or will I need to provide architectural plans?
- What is the lead time for a new decking project?
- Do you handle the needed permits?
- Will you contact public utilities to have any underground areas marked?
- Do you have a business license and the insurance?
- Do you have references to share?
Red Flags
There are a couple of red flags when choosing a contractor. Look for signs that will make it obvious that this may not be the right contractor to work with.
- If they ask for cash only payments.
- Won’t give you an exact estimate breaking down the charges.
- They don’t review materials and material options.
While most deck companies are professional and reliable, there are some people who are not. Do your due diligence in checking out the companies before you start. Ensure you get one with a solid reputation that will do the job correctly for you.
