How To Find a Reputable Deck Builder

It's actually good that you feel that sense of trepidation when faced with choosing a contractor to build your deck, or do parts of the job that you are not comfortable attempting on your own if you are building a deck. That apprehension will serve to help you choose carefully, and anyone working on your home should be chosen with great care.

With the tips on this page, you'll not only become more confident in your ability to choose, your experience with a deck builder will be a pleasant one that eases the tension of all the decisions you face to make your new deck a reality.

Check Their Credentials

The leading authority on decks is the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA). At a minimum, any contractor you choose should be a NADRA member in good standing. Most reputable contractors will be members of multiple trade associations, but any contractor serious about deck building will want to at least be a NADRA member.

See the list of Pennsylvania NADRA members.

We live in an age of the Internet, and this is a great tool to use before you ever call a contractor. In addition to the membership badges you see on contractor sites indicating their credibility, use Google to see what you can find with any contractor you are considering. If they are not treating people correctly, it's very difficult to hide that fact on Google.

Don't trust just the testimonials you see displayed on a contractor site either. Although they are most likely legit, it's better to see what you can find on Google+ and other places where reviews might show up.

In fairness to the contractor, some people specialize in being impossible to please. A negative review isn't always a reason to dismiss the contractor. See how they respond (or even if they respond) when someone has expressed dissatisfaction with them. You can usually tell if the reviewer is being unfair, especially if everyone else is giving positive reviews.

Do They Specialize In Deck Building?

It's certainly an advantage if the company only does decks (maybe), but even though it's not necessary for them to do decks exclusively, it should be a significant portion of their business. Choosing a company that lists decks as one of several services they offer is not the most recommended course of action.

How Much Experience Do They Have With Decks?

If the company has been in business any length of time, this one is fairly easy to determine. Requiring experience may seem unfair to new startups, but it's not. A startup company is usually run by someone with several years already in the field. It's better to deal with a well established company, but a new company with a well experienced staff is fine too. It's the guy who thinks he should try deck building after getting fired from his job that you need to watch out for.

Look At Their Portfolio

This one may seem a bit obvious, but look at pictures of decks they have built. A company web site will showcase several examples of previous work, and if the images are limited or too low of quality to see the detail, you should probably move on. A company that takes pride in its work will have lots of examples for you to see.

There is one additional thing to consider when looking at image quality. If the pictures are too perfect, then you should wonder why. It could be that they hired a pro to take them, or have someone on staff that's good with a camera. That's good because it demonstrates a standard of excellence for showcasing their work. But it could also be a marketing ploy so there's no harm in asking yourself if the company is being "real" with their presentation.

Although a portfolio that's too "look ma I did it myself" is a potential sign that the contractor lacks professionalism, it's good to remember that good deck builders are not necessarily good photographers. A nicely polished presentation is definitely preferred, and sloppiness should not be tolerated either, but less than perfect pictures can be a good thing.

Is There a Waiting List?

Obviously you don't want to wait a long time to have your beck built, and you could get "lucky" enough to find a reputable contractor when their work load is below normal, but promises of fast gratification usually result in fast buyers remorse. As a general rule, you should expect at least a 3-4 week waiting period, even longer during peak season.

If the contractor is anxious to get started, you would do well to consider that a warning flag.

Is the Contractor's Pricing Competitive?

This is the fire where many homeowners get burned. It's true you have a budget, and it's good to save money, but that strong allure to save on cost is where the less reputable contractors have become masters of preying on that natural desire we all have in common. The fact is, a significantly lower quote usually results in the highest actual cost.

The operating costs for all the deck builders serving Lancaster County are about the same and they have no ability to control certain costs. Any contractor with a significantly lower quote than the rest is a sign of trouble regardless of the fine sounding reasons they give you for how they can save you money.

You have heard of the horror stories or seen them on the news. When you examine all the homeowner hiring a nightmare contractor stories, the common thread that usually runs through them is the homeowner was getting a good deal.

To be clear, a competitive price by itself is no guarantee of a reputable contractor. But too low a price is an almost sure guarantee that the contractor is not being honest.

Getting Quotes Is Really An Interview

To go along with the pricing principle above, you need competitive quotes to be able to make comparisons. Unfortunately, the advice you usually see on this subject focuses on simply getting bids. The advice to get 2-5 quotes is technically accurate, but that alone cheats you out of a key element in your strategy.

You should not be getting bids, you are better off conducting interviews. Your goal is to find the right company or person to build your deck. Find out if they are right for the job. See how they react to your questions and concerns. Determine how helpful they are in providing the most ideal solution to your needs.

The only time you would truly be just "getting bids" is if you hire a deck designer or architect who has everything planned and specified. In that case, you would be comparing the proverbial apples to apples with competitive bids. When you are interviewing deck builders, it's less about price and more about being sure they are right for your project.

If you approach the quote process with this perspective, you'll be much more confident when you make a decision about who you will be hiring to build your deck.

Get Referrals If Possible

If you know someone who has had a deck built, find out if they recommend the contractor they used. It's best not to ask someone who has had the work completed less the 2-3 years ago. There are a lot of homeowners who are very pleased initially only to experience the painful results of shoddy work that show up later. The real test of customer satisfaction is when they are happy years after the deck has been completed.

Trust Your Instincts

Your gut is amazingly reliable. Usually, if something isn't right, you'll have at least a mild sense that something is wrong. Don't ignore that. It may not even be something actually wrong. It could be that you and the contractor are not a good fit with neither of you being wrong, just different. Choose a contractor that you feel comfortable with. Whether it's just a personality clash or your Spidey sense is picking up dishonesty vibes from the contractor, don't let the excitement of a new deck cause you to dismiss your intuition.