What to Look for in a Deck Builder in Connecticut (Before You Sign a Contract)

Get three quotes for the same deck and you can see thousands of dollars between them. Usually that isn’t because one builder is greedy and another is generous. It’s because they aren’t pricing the same deck, and they don’t all bring the same experience to the table.

Seth has been a carpenter since 2003, and in 2015 we made decks our sole focus. Since then we’ve built hundreds of them across Tolland County and eastern Connecticut. Here are a few things we’d suggest any homeowner look for before signing.

Make Sure They’re Registered and Insured

Every home improvement contractor in Connecticut needs to be registered with the state. You can check a builder’s registration online at elicense.ct.gov in a couple of minutes. Ours is HIC.0611976, if you’d like to look us up.

Ask for proof of insurance, too. It protects you, your home and the crew if something unexpected happens on the job, so you’re not left covering it yourself. A professional builder will have it ready without hesitation.

A Clear Contract Makes Everyone Comfortable

If there’s one thing Seth, our founder, would tell every homeowner, it’s this: make sure your contract is well written, so you know exactly what you’re getting before you sign.

A good contract spells out:

• The exact decking and railing brand and product line, not just “composite”
• That everything will be built to code or better
• That a permit will be pulled when the project needs one
• Removal and disposal of the old deck
• Any upgrades you’ve chosen, like a picture frame border or stair lighting
• The payment schedule

If something matters to you, make sure it’s written down. That’s why our proposals are itemized line by line. For us, one of the most important parts of any job is that you know exactly what you’re getting and feel comfortable with every part of it before anything is built.

Know What to Expect From Start to Finish

A well-built deck doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from a clear, organized process, and a good builder should be able to walk you through theirs. Here’s how ours works:

• Consultation: We talk through your ideas, your budget and how you want to use your deck
• Proposal: You get a detailed, itemized plan and scope of work
• Preparation: We take care of the permit, scheduling and materials
• Construction: Your deck is built to code or better, with inspections along the way
• Completion: A final walkthrough together, the town’s final inspection, and registering your warranty

When a builder can clearly explain their process, it’s a good sign they’ve done this many times.

Keep Payments Tied to Progress

Big money up front isn’t a good idea for anyone. We’ve all heard stories of a homeowner paying a big chunk before any work starts and then having trouble reaching the contractor.

A deposit that covers design, permitting and early materials is normal. After that, it makes sense for payments to follow the progress of the job. Before you sign, it’s worth asking:

• What does the deposit cover?
• When are the other payments due?
• What will be done before each one?

Our contracts are split into several progress payments, each tied to a stage of the build, so you can see your deck coming together as you pay. We’d rather be open and clear about money from the very first conversation.

We invoice each payment through an online customer portal, so you can see exactly what it covers. You can pay by bank transfer, card, check or cash.

Ask About Permits and Inspections

Every new deck needs a building permit. Between the drawings, the paperwork and the town’s review, the whole process often takes a month or more. Smaller repairs, like replacing a few deck boards, often don’t need one, and the rules vary by town. A good builder will let you know what your project needs.

We pull a permit on every new deck we build. That means the town’s inspector reviews the work along the way to make sure it meets code, so you’re not just taking our word for it.

When a permit is needed, the wait is worth it. An inspector checks the footing holes before any concrete goes in. Here in Connecticut, footings go 42 inches deep, below the frost line, so freezing and thawing ground won’t shift your deck over the years.

Code Is Where We Start

Building code is the minimum, and Seth likes to go a step beyond it. For example, we keep our stair risers within 1/16 inch of each other, even though code allows more. Even steps are easier on everyone’s feet, especially kids and visiting grandparents.

Ask About the Parts You Won’t See Later

Some of the most important parts of a deck are hidden once it’s finished. That includes the flashing where the deck meets the house, the connection to the house itself, and the footings. You won’t be able to see them a year from now, so it helps to know they were done right the first time.

We’ve seen what can happen when flashing is missing. On one job, water behind an older deck had damaged a wall under the second floor, and we had to support the house to rebuild it. You can read that story in The Wall Was Gone: Hidden Dangers of an Improperly Built Deck.

A good builder will be glad to answer any questions you have about how your deck is built. Our owners and crew are NADRA members and certified through NADRA’s Decks Done Right program, which focuses on exactly these details.

Talk Through Your Material Options

When Seth meets with a homeowner, he takes time to walk through the different Trex lines: how they look, how they feel in the sun, what they cost, and how the warranties compare.

Those details matter for what goes underneath, too. For example, some Trex lines need stair supports spaced closer together than the main deck framing, and getting that right keeps stairs solid for years.

As a TrexPro Platinum installer, we can offer the highest level of warranty Trex provides, and we register it for you. If you’re still deciding between materials, our post on composite vs pressure-treated decking in Connecticut breaks down the real cost difference.

Read the Reviews

Reviews are one of the best ways to see how a builder treats people. A few things worth looking for:

• Recent reviews, not just older ones
• Reviews that mention a specific project or town
• How the builder responds when something didn’t go perfectly

Check more than one place. Google is a good start, and if you’re getting a Trex deck, Trex’s contractor directory shows reviews from homeowners who worked with that builder. The Better Business Bureau is another good place to look. You’ll find us in all three.

Some manufacturers also recognize builders based on customer feedback. Trex’s Stellar Service Award is one example, and we’re proud to have received it.

Comparing Quotes

It’s natural to compare prices, and you should. In Seth’s experience, when one quote is much lower than the rest, something is usually left out, and fixing it later can cost more than doing it right the first time.

If one quote is well below the others, it’s worth checking whether it includes:

• A commitment to build to code or better
• New stairs, or reusing the old ones
• Flashing and a solid connection to the house
• A specific decking brand and product line
• A permit, if your project needs one

For a realistic picture of pricing, see How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck in Connecticut?

A Quick Checklist Before You Sign

• The builder’s registration is active
• You have proof of insurance
• You’ve read recent reviews
• The contract is in writing, with materials named by brand and product line
• If your project needs a permit, you know who’s taking care of it
• Payments follow the progress of the job
• You know what warranty comes with your decking and railing
• The builder is happy to answer your questions, and you feel comfortable asking them

Thinking About a Deck in Tolland County or Eastern Connecticut?

We’re a family-owned company based in Columbia, and our name is on every deck we build. We work throughout Tolland County and eastern Connecticut, including Hebron, Coventry, Tolland, Vernon, Manchester, Glastonbury and East Hampton. Whether you’d like a second set of eyes on a quote you already have or you’re just starting to dream up a new deck, we’d love to talk. Consultations are free.

Call us at (860) 803-9972 or request a consultation.