COMPARING DECK ESTIMATES

Evaluate the Proposals

As spring is here, RSB is busy providing dozens of estimates monthly and it is very common for us to come across situations where homeowners are comparing several estimates for their project. There are some situations that should warrant a red flag being raised to a homeowner.

Beware of Low Bids

The most alarming is when one estimate is greatly lower than other estimates. When this is the case, it is very common that either the contractor does not have enough knowledge on material cost to accurately bid the project or that the contractor is hiring illegal workers and/or doesn’t have the proper insurance. The other contractor might also be using 1099 sub-contractors instead of actual W-2 employees which might cost the contractor less to hire since they don’t have full insurance on their sub-contractors, but that puts the homeowner at risk if a sub-contractor gets hurt on the job. That sub-contractor could sue the homeowner for damages since they aren’t covered under the contractor’s worker’s compensation policy. It’s also important to note that the contractor with the lowest bid might not have enough knowledge about the product to know the labor time involved in the installation which is especially true for Trex^® or TimberTech^® products. These situations tend to end badly especially if the contractor realizes after starting the project that they are losing money because the job is costing them more then they bid for the job. It is situations like these where unethical contractors will walk off the job, not finish the project, or not pay their suppliers. If the suppliers don’t get paid, then a lien can be put on a home. This obviously is a worst-case scenario, but it is important for a homeowner to look at the possible consequences of choosing a particular contractor when looking at the cheapest estimate.

“Beware of unethical contractors walking off the job, not finishing the project, or not paying their suppliers.”

Questions to Ask

Some of the questions that should be asked in this situation or whenever you are comparing estimates are the following:

1. Why are you so much cheaper than another contractor?
2. Have you priced out the material?
3. Where do you purchase material? (If it is a big box store, they probably don’t have the best credit to use a lumberyard to purchase their material and this IS a red flag.)
4. Who is going to do the actual building of the deck? Is it actual W-2 employees of the company or 1099 Sub-Contractors?
5. How many similar projects have you successfully completed?
6. How long have you been in business? (The longer a contractor has been in business the more reliable.)
7. Are you a Trex^® or TimberTech^® certified contractor and can you provide proof? Unless a contractor has a high certification with Trex^® or TimberTech^®, there is not a labor warranty offered by the manufacturer.
8. Do you have a written warranty?
9. Do you have a reference list?
10. Do you have insurance and if I choose you, can I get a Certificate of Insurance?
11. Who is handling the permit? Permits are required on almost every deck project.

“Do you have insurance and if I choose you, can I get a Certificate of Insurance?”

Verify the Details

If there are missing details on the contract, ask questions to make sure they are added and make sure you contractor knows how to build your custom features. This should be done prior to signing a contract and not while the deck is being built.

I know it can be cumbersome to ask so many questions, but building a deck especially a Trex^® or TimberTech^® deck is a large investment. You want to make sure it is done right the first time! Spend the time upfront to know your contractor, check references, and iron out all the details. If you do this, you should be able to sit back in confidence while your new deck is being built and feel proud that you got it done right the first time!