How to find a deck builder?
Nowadays it is easy to just Google the term "Deck Builder" and randomly select a few contractors to get quotes from. This is not a bad thing, but there are many things that one should take into consideration before selecting a contractor for their job. The key factors to consider when selecting a contractor are experience doing the work, price, scheduling, workmanship, and (most importantly) personality.
The skill set required to design, manage, and execute a deck project are often difficult to find. There are reasons for this. The first is that most rough or finish carpenters are not particularly good at designing and managing projects. Similarly, most good designers and managers are not very good when it comes to delivering the type of quality one would expect from a craftsman. Our business has the perfect blend of both. Our lead carpenter has more than 12 years of relevant deck building experience and our manager has a BS in Construction Management from Eastern Michigan University. Not to mention that our design expert has a working relationship with a structural engineer.
As far as pricing goes, you do not always get what you pay for. Many contractors inflate their price when they are presented with a project that does not fall within their typical scope. Similarly, these same types of builders often make the mistake of estimating too low. When this happens they often try to make up for it by taking short cuts, using inferior materials, and charging for changes and extras that they should have know to be more specific about before an agreement was made. We will be the first to admit that we are not the cheapest. However, we believe that our customers get the most for their money.
It is not uncommon for schedules to be delayed in our industry. The large amount of variables welcomes ambiguity. To combat this, we keep all of our customers informed of any delays due to weather, inspections, or deliveries. We want you to know exactly what is going on.
Our workmanship is second to none. We invite you to visit some of our projects. If you contact us during the deck season, we will invite you to come and take a look at our current job. You can learn a lot about the builder that you are considering working with just by looking at their job site.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, do not work with a contractor you do not trust. You should feel comfortable with your contractor. If they ever make you feel silly for asking questions, they are not the contractor for you. The importance of an open communication line between the contractor and the homeowner can not be stressed enough. Similarly, we will not work with people who we know have lied or deceived us in any way. Our goal is to work with as many good people as we can.
The skill set required to design, manage, and execute a deck project are often difficult to find. There are reasons for this. The first is that most rough or finish carpenters are not particularly good at designing and managing projects. Similarly, most good designers and managers are not very good when it comes to delivering the type of quality one would expect from a craftsman. Our business has the perfect blend of both. Our lead carpenter has more than 12 years of relevant deck building experience and our manager has a BS in Construction Management from Eastern Michigan University. Not to mention that our design expert has a working relationship with a structural engineer.
As far as pricing goes, you do not always get what you pay for. Many contractors inflate their price when they are presented with a project that does not fall within their typical scope. Similarly, these same types of builders often make the mistake of estimating too low. When this happens they often try to make up for it by taking short cuts, using inferior materials, and charging for changes and extras that they should have know to be more specific about before an agreement was made. We will be the first to admit that we are not the cheapest. However, we believe that our customers get the most for their money.
It is not uncommon for schedules to be delayed in our industry. The large amount of variables welcomes ambiguity. To combat this, we keep all of our customers informed of any delays due to weather, inspections, or deliveries. We want you to know exactly what is going on.
Our workmanship is second to none. We invite you to visit some of our projects. If you contact us during the deck season, we will invite you to come and take a look at our current job. You can learn a lot about the builder that you are considering working with just by looking at their job site.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, do not work with a contractor you do not trust. You should feel comfortable with your contractor. If they ever make you feel silly for asking questions, they are not the contractor for you. The importance of an open communication line between the contractor and the homeowner can not be stressed enough. Similarly, we will not work with people who we know have lied or deceived us in any way. Our goal is to work with as many good people as we can.