Building a new deck is an exciting prospect. You can expect your entire domestic experience to change for the better and you’ll also enjoy the added market value the new deck will bestow upon your house. Most of the benefits of a new deck however, are dependent on the quality of the deck you have installed. If you’re not careful in your selection of the decking company you could wind up with an eyesore or something the building inspector orders you to pull down. In this post we’ll look at 5 things you should discuss with any prospective deck contractor before handing over money.
Making Sure You Wind up With a First Class Decking Company
There are a lot of companies out there today that claim to be masters of the modern deck but many of them will simply not hold up under close examination. Before you sign a contract and fork over the deposit it’s in your interest to get as clear a picture as possible about who will be building your deck.
- Are you licensed? – Contractors in Toronto and various surrounding towns must be licensed. Different towns have different requirements so you’ll want to check on that before talking to the contractor. If it turns out they’re not licensed you should probably take a pass. There are plenty of fully licensed contractors out there so there’s no need to endanger your project.
- Do you carry liability insurance? – No liability insurance no deal. It’s as simple as that. If you hire a decking company that is not covered for liability and someone gets hurt on the jobsite the financial onus could land squarely on your shoulders. It’s just not worth it. If they claim to have liability coverage ask them nicely for proof. If they can’t prove it, don’t take the chance.
- How many decks have you built? – You very well may want to make this question #1. If this is their first deck it’s probably a good idea to take a pass. You want an experienced builder on the job because deck collapses are no laughing matter and usually occur because a novice builder forgot something important. Again, it’s just not worth taking the chance.
- Will you provide references? – Like liability insurance this one is black and white. No references no deal. End of story. If the decking company does provide you with phone numbers and the like make sure you follow up. If the other customers will allow you, you should stop by and take a look at the quality of the design and workmanship as well.
- Will you put your price in writing? – You may feel like you can work with a contractor and be willing to take them at their word that the price is the price. But that’s no way to operate really. You could, and in all likelihood will, wind up getting burned. Insist on having the price and all the specifics down in black and white before handing over any cash.
It rarely if ever pays to take a contractor at their word when it comes to large scale projects like a backyard deck. There’s too much time, money and heartache involved if they mess things up. If you’re in the market for a new deck for your home call the backyard professionals at Toronto Custom Decks and let us help. We’re fully licensed and insured and will gladly provide you with proof, as well as copious references. Once you get to know more about us we’re confident you’ll see there’s no more qualified decking company in the GTA to bring your backyard dream to life.