How To Choose The Right Deck Builder To work With

When it comes to completing any small or large construction project in or around your home, knowing who to trust to undertake the work can be difficult. With decks, it can be all the more daunting because, in some cases, issues with a poorly or improperly built deck might not immediately be apparent. Rather some issues of negligence could crop up months, or years after the shoddy work has been completed and your bill has been paid.

One example of this was a client of ours located in Chisholm who had a huge, ground-level deck built by a local decking company. While the deck looked lovely at first, when we came onto the scene four years later, the deck’s joists were completely rotten as the original deck builders had used H2 blue pine, which is intended for dry applications only and is not suitable for exterior use.

Our clients had a whole host of issues that made the deck unsightly, unusable and unsafe. Unfortunately, this is just one example of poor workmanship that we have encountered with deck builds in our community.

While decking projects are one of our favourite projects to work on, we don’t want the lovely members of our community to fall victim to subpar work, so we have compiled a few questions you can ask prospective deck builders to ensure you have selected the right business for the job.

Vetting Prospective Deck Builders

Look Into Your Deck Builder’s Reputation

With the internet and social media, finding out about your deck builder is easier than it has been in the past.

Before going ahead with any prospective deck builder, it is important to thoroughly look into their reputation and this doesn’t just mean looking at their Instagram or other social media profiles. It’s important to look at Google and Facebook reviews as well as independent review websites like Trust Pilot and Product Review.

Because issues with deck builders can crop up months or years after the initial build, we highly recommend looking for decking specialists who have reviews that mention the age of the deck and have been left sometime after the completion of the decking project.

Here at Squarepegs Handyman, we regularly follow up with our clients at 6-months, 1-year, 2-years, 3-years and 4-years (we have been in business for 4 years now) after each project that we work on. At each touchpoint, we invite our clients to leave public reviews for the work we have completed for them in the past. This allows prospective clients to see the full picture of the work that we do and the lasting quality of our craftsmanship.

Questions to Ask Your Deck Builder About Their Reputation

• How many years have you been in business?

• What is your process for quality inspection throughout the deck building process?

• Who will be my direct contact throughout my deck build?

• What type of warranty does my completed deck come with?

Check Into Your Deck Builder’s Quality Of Past Work

Getting past clients’ thoughts on their experience with your prospective deck builder goes a long way to helping ensure you are working with the best person for your decking project. For this reason, it might be good to start by checking a deck specialist’s online reviews. 

If possible, take the time to reach out to past clients to find out what their experience was with the deck builder you are considering for your decking project. Facebook is a great avenue for finding contact information for past clients the business has worked with. A simple search of your prospective deck builder’s Facebook will likely show comments and post replies made by individuals who have worked with the deck builder in the past.

Questions To Ask Your Deck Builder’s Former Clients About The Quality Of Their Work

• Did they complete your deck on time?

• Was the quote/estimate for your deck the same, or similar to what your completed project cost?

• Were you pleased with your completed deck?

• Was the deck builder reliable and easy to work with?

• Was your deck builder flexible when it came to changing requests and accommodating you?

Trust Your Gut Feeling About Your Prospective Deck Builder

When it comes to ensuring you have chosen the right deck builder for your project, it’s important you are comfortable with them and that your gut feeling about them is a positive one.

Consider your entire experience with your prospective deck builder right from your initial contact with them and their business. Were you treated fairly and listened to? Was your prospective deck builder responsive and polite? Did you feel respected and heard throughout the quoting process? Was the quote you received straightforward and easy to understand?

The above are all questions you should ask yourself when deciding on the right decking expert for you.

Questions To Ask Yourself

• Does the deck builder seem friendly and invested in my project?

• Did the deck builder communicate well and answer my questions freely and openly?

• Is the deck builder active and invested in their local community?

• Does the deck builder and their team have a close-knit family feel?

• If you were looking for work, would you work as a part of this deck builder’s team?

When it comes to ensuring you are choosing the right decking specialist for your project, your gut will likely be your most reliable guide. If something feels off about the business you are considering working with for your decking project, something likely isn’t quite right and it is best to steer clear.

Small Decking Businesses Have Integrity

In general, smaller decking businesses tend to have more integrity than larger companies. This is often a result of being a small business with fewer team members and employees, so you will likely be working with the same decking professional from the start of your quote through to completion of your deck.

With larger businesses, often you become a faceless job and once the decking team leaves your home, you are no longer their “problem”. They will likely not be the ones who will be sent out if you have issues with your completed deck and they won’t be the ones undertaking any follow up so the accountability tends to be minimal.

As a small, family-run business, we might be biased, but we definitely think small, local businesses are the way to go!

SQUAREPEGS HANDYMAN DOES Decking

Whether you are looking to have your deck cleaned, sanded, oiled, stained or completely refurbished, or your are looking to have a brand new deck built from scratch, Squarepegs Handyman is here to help. We work with our clients to find the best decking solution to meet their needs and that will fit best into their lifestyle.

We also ensure we are following up with our clients to ensure they are beyond happy with their deck for years to come. We believe each project we work on is more than a job - it is an opportunity and a privilege to be trusted by our lovely clients and our vibrant community.

To organise your free estimate with Handyman Sean, aka The Newcastle Deck Guy, contact us here. We cannot wait to work with you!

WHERE WE WORK

You’ll find Squarepegs Handyman in and around Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, the Hunter and beyond. Contact us to find out if we service your area. 

We cannot wait to work with you!

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