Hiring a professional to build your deck is not always an easy task. This is due to several factors…

First, there are many people out there who call themselves Deck Builders. Look under ‘Decks’ in the phone book and you will see what we mean…there are tons of deck builders listed in each area. Also, there are often ‘underground’ deck builders that are out dropping business cards and trying to get customers. Many times these are individuals who work at various other home service jobs, but offer their services as deck builders on the side.

Second, the barriers to calling oneself a professional deck builder are small. People don’t necessarily need a lot of fancy equipment or tools to start a deck building business. Therefore, individuals that have hammered a few nails before can try to trick you into believing they are a highly skilled and experienced deck builder. If you have a truck, a tool belt, and a business card you could fool a lot of people! This is especially worrisome considering that decks are structures that often support many people and are tied into your existing home. A poorly built deck could result in injury or structural damage to your home.

Finally, there is the fact that companies that build decks often offer a wide range of other services. Some deck builders’ main business may be installing windows or siding. This can make it confusing as to who really has the experience to build the perfect deck for you.

So what do you do when looking for a Deck Builder?

We recommend:

• Asking your friends and neighbors to see if they have had good or bad experiences with local deck builders. Simply knowing that another person has had a good experience with a deck builder prior to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have the time, call a few deck builders to look at your project. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price, you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself “why?”.

• Make sure the company or individual has insurance. Building decks usually involves power tools and plenty of opportunities for injury. As mentioned above there are many fly-by-night deck builders that may not be insured. Ask them for their insurance company’s phone number and call them to prove they are insured. If you skip this part you could be held liable for an uninsured deck builder’s injury while working on your house. They should also have liability insurance. If they do something that ruins part of your house they should be insured to pay for their mistakes.

• Ask the deck builder to help you determine the best design for your deck. If you are looking for an extremely low price, keep in mind that the deck builder may loose some quality in products or labor to meet the low budget. It is worth the extra money to make sure that your deck is done right…otherwise you will pay more money in the long run. Ask to see examples of finished decks they have built.

• Determine whether you will want to seal or stain your deck. Some people also prefer to leave the wood alone and let it age naturally.

• Always get a statement of work to be performed in writing. Keep this filed away. Make sure the document clearly states what work is to be performed.

• Ask if your deck builder’s work comes with guarantees. Make sure you get these things in writing. These are all factors to weigh when looking at the estimates left by different deck builders.

• Some deck builders require an upfront payment. If you have hired a smaller deck building service, they may require money upfront to help pay for materials. Make sure you have a refund policy stated in your agreement if they end up not working out. Also, this upfront amount should never be over 30% of the total cost of your job.

• Check in on the deck builder’s progress regularly…try to catch potential problems or misunderstandings before it is too late.

Good luck with your Deck Building needs!

Jim works for The Super 7- a company dedicated to helping homeowners search for, and hire, good home service contractors. More information on this effort can be found at super7contractors.com/RaleighDurhamDecks.html” target=”_blank Raleigh-Durham deck info.

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