| Throughout the year, many of us naturally turn to | | | | There are plenty of great resources online that can |
| the outdoors for entertaining, and this inevitably | | | | help you decipher this little trick of the industry. Some |
| creates a very high demand for decks, arbors, patio | | | | of the best info is available is from the University of |
| covers, and other outdoor living spaces. | | | | Oregon website where you can find comparisons of |
| Unfortunately, not all deck builders are equal and | | | | western red cedar, inland cedar, northern white cedar |
| choosing one can sometimes be a stressful | | | | and Chinese and Japanese cedar. Terms like "real |
| experience. Here are a few tips to help you choose a | | | | cedar" or "certified by" are created by trade |
| builder that will not leave you hanging after you've | | | | associations of lumber manufacturers who are trying |
| invested time and money in a project. | | | | to protect their market share in an increasingly |
| First, look for a builder who requires little or no down | | | | competitive market. These terms rarely tell you |
| payment. Too many times we have heard the | | | | anything about the quality of the lumber you are |
| stories about a friend or family member who gave a | | | | getting. |
| contractor hundreds or thousands of dollars, only to | | | | Fifth, find out what additional services are being |
| end up being left with a project that was poorly built, | | | | included with your project. Some companies are |
| or even worse never completed. A reputable | | | | there simply to build the deck or other project. Most |
| company should be able to cover its operating | | | | will help with design, but only some will help with |
| expenses without needing your money, and most | | | | things like homeowner's association submissions or |
| good companies today will rarely ask for a down | | | | finding qualified contractors to help with plumbing or |
| payment of any size. | | | | electrical work involved in the project. Some |
| Second, look for a company who is licensed in your | | | | companies do perform all of these services, but |
| city. Oftentimes a company will procure a license in a | | | | generally they are simply contracting the work to |
| small city and use it to piggyback into larger areas. | | | | another company and adding their markup to the |
| The problem with this is that small cities rarely have | | | | actual cost. The best companies will usually help you |
| the stringent requirements and oversight for licensing | | | | find the right contractor for the job, and help with |
| procedures that are common in larger cities. Another | | | | coordination of scheduling, but will allow you to hire |
| issue at hand is that different municipalities have | | | | the contractor directly. Try to remember this; |
| different rules which can result in confusion during and | | | | carpenters are not electricians or plumbers. Don't |
| after the building process. Being fined or asked to | | | | take an unnecessary risk on the word of a |
| take down a deck or other structure can and | | | | contractor. As a side note, ask about your |
| sometimes does happen. A properly licensed | | | | contractor's insurance coverage. A contractor who |
| contractor should have no problems pulling the | | | | maintains insurance should be able to provide you |
| required permits for your project. | | | | with an up to date insurance certificate if asked to |
| Third, ask your potential builders if they provide any | | | | do so. |
| third party inspections. Companies who are doing the | | | | Sixth and finally, read the fine print about the |
| work properly won't balk at being asked to subject | | | | warranty being offered on the project. Many |
| the project to a third party inspection. Some | | | | companies will say that they offer anywhere from a |
| companies may pass the cost of this along to you, | | | | five year to even a lifetime warranty on their |
| but the best companies will have this procedure | | | | products, but unfortunately these extravagant claims |
| performed by a licensed engineer who will then | | | | are usually contingent upon so many pre-requisites |
| provide you with a report that you can keep for | | | | being met that they are virtually worthless. Most |
| your records. Whether or not this service is offered | | | | companies will require a sealer on any outdoor |
| up front can be a great indicator of a company's | | | | project in order to honor their warranty, and this |
| building practices. | | | | makes sense, but any further conditions should be |
| Fourth, look for a company that controls its own | | | | looked at closely. A "lifetime warranty" that becomes |
| supply chain. This can be complicated, but don't | | | | invalid for any reason really isn't a lifetime warranty; it |
| hesitate to ask questions about where the company | | | | is just a sales tactic. Also be wary of warranties that |
| gets its material from. Building material costs swing | | | | require service charges. Even good companies may |
| wildly, so from a value standpoint, you can usually | | | | require a small trip charge, but be careful of hourly |
| get more bang for your buck by choosing a | | | | service charges for warranty work. If warranty |
| company that owns and controls its own supply | | | | service costs are able to accrue without your direct |
| company. Also, particularly with decks, try not to get | | | | control, then what you will get is a service contract |
| caught up in the rhetoric about different species of | | | | and not a warranty and it should be represented as |
| cedar. The only real cedar comes from Lebanon, | | | | such. |
| everything else is a subspecies of the cypress family. | | | | |