You’ve finally agreed on a project to tackle this year. Congratulations! Updating or adding a deck to your home extends your living space in such a fun way. Barbecues, parties, relaxing in a hot tub, and even just getting outside more are just a few of the reasons we love building decks. Now’s the tough part! How do you know which contractor will take care of your project the best? What questions do you ask and what do you look for? We hope to help you make a better decision for this very exciting project.
What do their clients say about them? Do they only have a few reviews, or do they provide such stellar service that clients feel more inclined to leave a 5 star review? You want to ensure that communication is frequent and transparent at all stages of the project.
Tip:
You’ll want to find a company that has at least 15-20 reviews. We all know there’s a few impossible to please clients, but overall, their Google rating should be at least at 4.5 stars.
What materials do they use and how do they install them? There are so many [bad] ways to build a deck. Consumers don’t know the difference between them, but let us share a few things to look for.
What to look for:
Look at the stair treads: They should have an opening for you to sweep out snow and debris so it doesn’t get stuck there year after year. Not cutting the fascia to size for the stairs saves contractors an hour or two, but will definitely give you a headache or two down the road.
What kind of wood are they using? The best quality wood available on the market is called Prowood Duracolor. Supporting posts should typically be 6x6 posts instead of 4x4’s.
What type of decking? To be completely frank, just about all of the decking types are comparable. The differences are so minor that it’s really up to the contractor to choose based on what color selections are available and how reliable the supplier is. We’ve used Trex, Fiberon, Envision, and TimberTech. We currently use TimberTech and have loved the amount of options available and the texture/depth of color compared to previous brands we’ve used.
Do you like the people you’re interacting with? If you don’t like the salesman or the office staff, you’re probably setting yourself up for a bad experience. We love working with people who align with our core values! You’ll see pictures of our crew surfing on a company trip, headshots of all the installers, and you’ll meet our friendly office staff when you come in to finalize the contract. The people should set apart the company for you. And we hope you see how much our staff truly enjoys working here.
We hope that helps you make a better decision on hiring a deck company. We look forward to seeing you in our showroom and helping you build your dream deck!
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