Benefits of Hiring Patio and Deck Builders:
- It can get dangerous building a patio or deck on your own, a professional patio and deck builder has the knowledge and experience to handle the task safely from start to finish. Safety should always be a priority concern whenever understanding a home and yard improvement project. If you have significant experience with wood construction projects and have some friends or family members equipped to help you undertake a patio or deck build then, by all means, go for it. But the truth is for many, this type of project is new to them and when it comes to safety, no one knows how best to follow the regulations than the professional patio and deck builders who have been doing the job for decades. A professional team will ensure that you have a safe demolition, if necessary, of any existing material and then a safe build of your new patio or deck.
- It can be difficult to know where you should start or even end your new deck or patio, but a professional will ensure the process goes smoothly from start to finish. On paper, building a deck or patio might look easy. You just need to get a couple of boards and some nails, right? Wrong. Building a deck or patio is a big task in which you will have to know where to start, what best decking materials to get, how to configure any steps, how to ensure you are building on level ground, ensuring you have a strong foundation, and so much more. When you hire a professional patio and deck builder, they tackle getting the right materials as well as ensuring those materials get made into a deck.
- It can be difficult to transform an idea into reality, but a professional deck and patio builder will ensure you end with a high-quality product. Building a deck is one thing, building a high-quality deck that will last for years and years to come is a whole other ball game. This huge benefit pairs well with the aforementioned point but deserves double-downing on. Even if you have some decent carpentry skills and know-how to read a plan to create a deck, it’s important to note that local factors will always play a role and where professionals really come in handy is when there’s a need to adapt the plans or change the environment to meet those plans. For example, you might have a type of soil or sand that’s not right for the type of deck design you were considering, a professional with experience across environments and types is best able to assess your yard, your home, your budget, and your desired design and use those factors to turn around and give you a high-quality option specific to your needs. When you hire a professional deck and patio builder, you’ll get assurance that what you’ll end the project with is a high-quality, beautiful deck that will last you many years to come.
Questions to Ask Patio and Deck Builders Before Hiring
- Do you have a material or style you specialize in? An increasing number of patio and deck builders will only work with a couple of different types of materials for decking. This has allowed them to specialize in their preferred materials to ensure their clients get the lowest costs and high-quality builds to that specialization. However, this also means that you might not want to hire a certain deck builder if you have a specific material or type of decking in mind for your project.
- Do you have a staff or do you subcontract out the work? We generally recommend avoiding any deck or patio builder who subcontracts, in other words hires out for another company or group to complete a deck-building job on their behalf. While this may make sense for larger-scale commercial projects when it comes to your own deck or patio, it’s often best to keep accountability numbers to a minimum and here that means hiring a person who has their own staff and will be more accountable for that staff.
- What is and isn’t in the quote? Always read through the entirety of a contract and make sure that you understand any costs that aren’t listed in the quote. It’s especially important to be on the same page about how many people will be working on your deck and whether you will be expected to pay for any labor if the job goes longer than projected.
- Are they licensed and insured? If they don’t say “yes,” then walk away. Deck and patio building can get dangerous, you’re dealing with big tools, near your home and if something happens, then it should be their responsibility. Any patio or deck builder you are considering should be able to provide a copy of their business license, insurance certificate, and any applicable local work safe credentials upon request.
- Do they have a warranty? Decks and patios built by a professional should be expected to have a long lifespan. Ask your potential deck or patio builder how long they expect their products to last and whether they will provide a warranty to back up that claim.
What to Expect When a Patio and Deck Builders Come to Your House
The first time your patio and deck contractor comes to your home, it will be to assess the location and help ensure that everyone is on the same page in regards of what material you want for your deck, what style you want, and where you want it. This is when a professional patio and deck builder will consider whether any extra tasks will be necessary to ensure your yard is prepped for the right foundation. Once this has been satisfied, it will generally be their task to obtain a permit for the project.
When construction begins, you can expect your deck and patio builders will bring everything they need for the project to your home. This includes restroom facilities for the workers as well as all of the practical stuff such as decking materials, tools, and equipment.
What Type of Training Do Patio and Deck Builders Get
While some experienced contractors may have gone to a trade school to learn a skill like carpentry or electrician work, and a very select few may have an architect degree or construction management degree, there is no degree program designed specifically for patio and deck building. This is a trade that people learn only through hard-work and experience. The more experience one has, the more apt they are going to be to deliver a beautiful, high-quality deck or patio.
As you start researching different patio and deck builders in your area, instead of asking about specific training or education a builder might have undergone, ask instead of what type of experience they have and their team has. Remember, most patio and deck builders will specialize in one to three types of decks, but they most all will have general experience of a wider array of types, materials, and styles. If you’re unsure of any deck or patio builder, ask them if they have a portfolio of previous work or whether they can offer any previous work references that you can talk to and determine whether they are the right fit for your project.