How to Interview Deck Contractors

The 5 Revealing Questions Shady Deck Builders Don’t Want You to Ask

Choosing between a handful of deck builders can be tricky. Heck, even if you have narrowed it down to just 2 possible candidates, you can still flip a coin and make the wrong decision. So just how do you interview prospective deck builders for your backyard project? What questions should you ask?

The following 5 questions are mandatory when choosing from several deck builders for your outdoor living experience project. Ask these questions and follow-up where you can, and you can’t help but choose the right deck builder for your pergola, gazebo, above ground pool deck, screened in porch or backyard deck project.

1 – Find out how long they have been in business

I don’t know about you, but given similar job estimates, proper licensing and no other way to choose between deck builders, longevity wins. If I am looking for a way to choose between 2 nearly identical deck contractors, I am going to take the company with 35 years of experience over the individual in business for just 10 years.

2 – Deck contractors should be insured and licensed. Is yours?

We mentioned licensing above. And honestly, the first question you should ask your prospective deck contractors is if all their paperwork is in order. Are they licensed to do work in your area? Are they insured properly? Do the employees that will be driving to your job site have valid driver’s licenses? Do not be afraid to ask these questions. And as far as licensing and insurance are concerned, ask to see at least a copy of the paperwork yourself.

3 – Get some local references.

The best way to handle this is to work outward from your home’s location. First ask if the deck builders you are interviewing have built any similar projects in your neighborhood. If the answer is no, find out if there are any decks they have built within a few miles of your house. Finally, ask how many outdoor living experiences they have created in your city. Then ask them for the contact information of those customers.

4 – A picture is worth 1,000 words, so ask to see some.

All smart, proud and highly skilled deck builders will take pictures of their final products. Decking contractors are craftsmen, and you could even call them artists. Watch the reaction you get from deck builders when you ask them if they have any pictures to show off their work. You can see genuine pride of ownership in the eyes of a talented and skilled deck builder when he is showing off pictures of his previous creations.

5 – Pin down a time-frame for the job.

Listen, you understand that things happen. Your life is crazy-busy and hectic. Things sometimes arise out of the blue that you neither anticipated, or planned for. The same thing happens to deck builders with the best of intentions. But that doesn’t mean they should not be able to give you a reasonable estimate of when they will finish your job, give or take a few days.