Why Should I hire a Professional?

One of the first pros you can contact when you need a deck built is a local deck building contractor. They have the skills necessary like accurately sawing, nailing, framing, and spacing wood to deal with everyday challenges and requests like uneven ground, steep slopes, and deck crawl spaces.  While there’s not a deck-building license, your pro would need a contractor license to build a deck. To get one, they’d need to pass a trade, business, and law exam and have insurance, a surety bond, or both. Also, some states require years of work experience as a builder or remodeler.   And they’ll be up-to-date on any building codes, ensuring your deck complies with all the latest deck building requirements for the deck’s structure like the railing, ledger board, and stairs by the International Residential Code (IRC). 

Do You Charge For a Consultation?

No, we do not charge for a consultation.  We meet you at your home, at a time & day that works with your schedule.  Why not? For us, the first meeting is used to meet you, understand your wants and needs, get the full scope of the project (pictures and measurements) so we can give you an accurate estimate.  If we are contracted by you, then this time is included in the overall pricing of the project. 

How Long Does it Take to Get My Quote?

Under normal circumstances, we will have your estimate to you no longer than one week after our consultation, but certain times of the year can cause us to take longer to get your estimate to you.  If we start with 3D renderings to get your approval, then the estimate will take a bit longer as we want to make sure the layout and design is what you are looking for.

Why Do I need a Building Permit to Build a Deck?

  1. If you disregard the code or don’t give the building department an opportunity to examine your deck’s design, the structure you build may not have a sufficient level of seismic resistance.
  2. To make sure that the deck is safe. Decks constructed in violation of the building code might be unsafe for occupants.
  3. Not following the code may leave your deck vulnerable to many risks, while non-compliant stairs or guardrail systems can pose a serious fall hazard for your family and a strangulation hazard for your children.
  4. To make sure the deck construction doesn’t damage your home. When decks are attached to a dwelling, a penetration of the building envelope occurs. When such a penetration is made without following relevant codes, ensuing errors can allow air, moisture, and water to find their way into your home. Further, since an attached deck is connected to, and supported by the structure of the house, additional loads are added to the home. Done incorrectly, such an addition may compromise the home’s structural integrity.
  5. To ensure occupant safety, envelope continuity, and the structural integrity of your home, the Building and Residential codes provide standards for deck construction. Local agencies need you to follow these as you build your deck and enforce compliance by requiring permits for this type of work.

What is the Process of Getting My Deck Built?

      So, what exactly goes into building a deck? Let’s look at a our building process. 

  1. Consult: We will meet with you at your home to discuss the details of your deck with you, look over design options, and give you information on decking material & railing.   Answer any questions you may have.
  2. Design: Based on everything discussed during the initial design phase, you may get a 3D color rendering of your deck (depends on if more detail is involved). If you’re satisfied with the results, you’ll get a detailed project proposal, breaking down everything included in the quote and any additional information you may need. 
  3. Permits: We will send your deck plan to apply for any building permits you might need. 
  4. Prepare: This stage involves getting the site prepared for your deck. Some preparation steps they take are digging holes for the footing, outlining the area with strings, and preparing the soil. 
  5. Build: We will start building your deck at this point. Some steps you can expect are setting the footing, installing the ledger board, support posts, joists, and nailing boards. We will also install any add-ons you want during this stage. 

     **Not every project is the same, so variations of the process & timing may occur**

Do You Offer Financing?

At this time, we do not offer financing.  Forms of payment that we accept are: major credit cards (a 3% convenience fee will be invoiced to you which cannot be paid by another credit card), ACH Bank transfer, or personal or bank-issued check.  

What Are Your Contract Terms?

Our contract terms are as follows:  50% of contracted price will be due on start date and remaining 50%, plus any overages, if applicable, will be due upon completion.  For every 10 days past due date, a 5% interest charge will be applied to the amount due plus any other interest charges that were incurred.