Dedicated to Craftmanship and Customer Service
DECK FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BUILD A DECK?
The cost will depend on the size of your deck, height off the ground, features like roof or out door kitchen and the decking and rail material.
Buttondown Remodeling’s experience, small low decks can cost $15,000 but the typical range is $25,00 to $75,000 price range and some have exceeded $100,000.
WHAT TYPE OF MATERIAL DO YOU RECOMMEND IN A DECK PROJECT
In our environment, composite decking is essential. Also lighter color do not heat up as much in the sun. There are many good brands and styles to choose from and they change every year. Railing can be composite, rough sawn cedar, metal or a combination of them. Rough sawn rails do much better than smooth wood in our hot sun.
WHAT FEATURES SHOULD I PUT ON MY DECK?
It depends on your budget and style. We use a lot of low voltage lighting. Do you have the space for an outdoor kitchen? If your deck faces south or west, you may want to consider a roof or other shade protection. Lights and speakers can add to a roof.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A DECK?
It all depends on the size, height and features in the deck. Before we start we prepare a daily work schedule for your project.
DO I NEED A BUILDING PERMIT?
Yes, Buttondown Remodeling always obtains a permit for a deck. Permits are required by the township or county to protect homeowners. All of the electrical, plumbing and building work will be inspected to insure that they meet current code.
WHY DO I WANT A PERMIT WHEN IT COSTS ME MONEY?
The purpose of a permit is to protect you as a homeowner and to make sure that the contractor does things properly.
DO YOU WORK EVERYDAY?
YES, Monday through Friday weather dependent. Before we start the job, we schedule every day of the project, lining up materials, inspections and subcontractors. We won’t start a job until this planning is complete.
HOW DO YOU PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED?
Good planning and experience prevents most surprises. Remember, we have done over 1,000 projects and dozens of decks, we are rarely surprised. Since we can see almost everything, there should be very few surprises.
HOW ARE CHANGES HANDLED?
There are two types of changes, customer changes and hidden conditions.
First our contract is very detailed as what is included in the project. As projects progress, customers sometimes see new opportunities for their project. We will price changes for the customer before any work begins. For small changes, we may agree to do the change based on time and material. In either case, you should not be surprised by your final bill.
There are very few hidden items with a deck. With our experience, we anticipate most things, We do not like surprises either!
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A DECK PROJECT?
Everything except cost of the permits is included. We bill you the cost of the permit as change order without any mark-up. As a full-service general contractor, we include every aspect of the project, including construction material and labor.
WHAT ARE ALLOWANCES AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
Typically, we don’t have allowances for decks since we have you select the decking rails and other features before we go to contract. These items will be specified in the contract.
WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL PAYMENT TERMS?
Our typical payment terms for a deck project are:
10% upon signing the contract
20% upon the start of construction
30% upon passing the framing inspection
20% upon halfway through the decking and rails
15% upon substantial completion *
5% upon 100% completion
* Substantial completion is when the project is complete except for a small punch list of items or if we are waiting on delivery of an item.
ARE YOUR SUB-CONTRACTORS INSURED?
Yes, Buttondown Remodeling requires all subcontractors to carry current liability and the required worker’s compensation insurance. We keep a current copy of their insurance certificate on file.
WHAT IS YOUR WARRANTY
Our warranty period is one year for material and labor. This is the standard warranty for the industry. I will call you after 6 and eleven months to make sure there are not warranty issues.