Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQ
We service the Greater Metro Detroit Area / Southeast Michigan – including the following cities and surrounding areas: Canton, Ypsilanti, South Lyon, Ann Arbor, Plymouth, Northville, Novi, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Southfield, Waterford, Hartland, Howell, Brighton, Commerce, Wixom, Chelsea, Saline, Milan, Dundee, Monroe, Dearborn, Livonia, Brownstown, Romulus, Belleville, Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, and many other Greater Metro Detroit Area / Southeast Michigan cities and townships, etc.
We go:
- as far northeast as Rochester, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights, and Southfield
- as far north as Fenton, Linden, Lake Orion, White Lake, Highland, Hartland, Clarkston and Commerce
- as far northwest as Howell and Brighton
- as far west as Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Brooklyn
- as far southwest as Saline and Tecumseh
- as far south as Milan, Dundee and Monroe
- as far southeast as Brownstown, Southgate, and Dearborn
How long will my new composite deck last?
If built properly, composite decks should last at least 25 years. There are many ways to build a deck to avoid premature rotting and failure. Passing a city’s deck inspection doesn’t always mean that protection is there. We engineer our decks above the minimum standards of building code to provide a product that will last for decades.
Yes. We stand behind our work.
We have a 3 year workmanship warranty. If anything happens to your deck, call us and we’ll be there to fix it. We’re a licensed and insured local Michigan company.
Trex also has a 25 year manufacturer’s warranty.
You’re part of the family now, we’ll take care of you.
The overarching consensus of contractors is a terrible lack of communication. We’re different. Besides returning phone calls and emails within 1 business day (usually much faster), showing up to appointments on time, and providing you the direct phone number of the owner Phil ((734) 822-6141), we truly take a passion in building a quality product that we’re proud to stamp our name on. Our ultimate goal is for you to love your new deck so much that you’ll tell your friends and family about us. Before and throughout the building process, we’ll also explain to you why and how we build our decks so you’re a more-informed homeowner. We treat every customer’s home as if it was our own home, not rushing through the project, but building it right. Besides meeting the minimum Michigan building code requirements, we have our own in-house stringent quality standards, and build in extras the other guys don’t or can’t include. Call, text or email any questions you have at any time, we’re here to help. Learn more about how we’re different.
A typical deck can be installed in approximately 2 weeks. Each project requires up to 3 building inspections by your local municipality (we’ll coordinate them all) which occur between installation days.
We offer a free, no-obligation phone estimate designed to be an exploratory call to learn more about what you’re envisioning for your new deck. It is during this call where we usually can provide an estimate for your project’s total investment.
If after discussing your project over the phone, and you’re comfortable with the estimate, we’ll set up a time to create 3D renderings of your new deck for you. Each project varies in cost depending on size, complexity, and materials chosen. By keeping our overhead low and buying in bulk, we’re able to keep our costs down and offer very competitive pricing.
With that said, an average size deck of approximately 300-350 square feet that is 3’ off the ground with standard features comes at an average total investment of $19-$29,000. This can vary up or down depending on deck design and material selection.
Composite decks are one of the highest value-added home renovations one can add to their home. Homeowners typically see a 60-80% return on their investment by installing a properly designed and built composite deck in the southeast Michigan area.
Yes. We have partnered with a number of financial institutions to offer competitive rates for financing. Good or bad credit, you’ll receive a response within a few minutes of applying, and you’ll have the funds available usually within a couple of days. There are multiple financing options available depending on your credit profile. Checking the financing interest rate does not affect your credit score.
We do NOT charge any additional fees for financing. Finance just a portion of your project or the entire build – completely up to you.
Our wait list will vary throughout the year, where it typically ranges between 3-10 weeks. Call us at (734) 931-6700 and we’ll let you know our current estimate. During this time though, we’re actively preparing your project for a smooth installation – we create the construction drawings of your project, submit them to your local municipality, secure the permit approval, and order materials so we’re ready for your job asap.
Absolutely – we install decks year round. We use specialized equipment to be able to dig past the frozen ground (in Michigan that’s at least 42” down), to ensure a safe deck that will not move. Concrete should never be installed directly on top of frozen ground (it cannot cure properly), so we do avoid installing decks during any “polar vortex”.
We will contact Miss Dig to detect public underground utilities prior to starting build. If there are lines, they are marked with paint or flags which tell us where we can and cannot dig. Please note though, Miss Dig cannot determine, and so therefore does not mark, any locations of private underground lines such as irrigation lines, sprinkler heads, sump pumps, landscape lighting, etc., so please let us know if you have any so we can try avoid them.
To ensure the ultimate safety of your finished deck, we’ll secure a permit and get your local municipality’s building inspectors to inspect our work multiple times as the job progresses. We’ll work with your city or township to secure the permit for you. We’ll also coordinate the inspections. You do not need to be present for the inspections, but are always welcome to. If you live in a homeowners or condo association, we’ll also work with them to secure necessary association approvals, if applicable. We’ll take care of all of this so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
One of our full-time Project Managers. You will have a single point of contact throughout your entire project with one of our project managers. Your project manager will work directly with you and will be overseeing your entire project.
On top of that, if you have any questions or concerns at any time, call me (Phil the owner) directly at (734) 822-6141.
No. Since we pay sales tax on the materials from our suppliers, we do not charge another tax to you.
Decks
Capped composite decking is a no-maintenance material designed to eliminate the upkeep of standard wood decks. With capped composite decking, there is no more sanding, painting, or staining – EVER. Your deck stays looking brand-new year after year.
Capped composite decking is also scratch and dent resistant. Even dragging heavy metal furniture over your deck won’t scratch it easily. The composite decking we install comes with a 25 year manufacturer warranty guaranteeing that your deck won’t stain or fade in the sun. Don’t worry about your guests spilling red wine or dropping mustard on your deck – just rinse it off with water within a week of the spill and you won’t notice any stain.
New capped composite decking (compared to uncapped composite decking popular before 2009) prevents mold and mildew as well.
Because we’ve partnered with the best brands and biggest manufacturers and suppliers in the area, we have the largest selection of decking materials, decking colors, patterns, and railing options to choose from. From deep browns to modern grays, realistic colored grains to tiled stone – there is a color and grain pattern to match your home and your style. For railings, we install everything from metal balusters to modern steel wire and full glass panels. We’ll give you a full magazine of all of our options during our initial consultation.
With the current technology for composite decking, we don’t recommend installing a pressure treated or cedar wood deck. Although it may be initially less expensive, it will not only cost you more money in the long term (considering both maintenance expenses and an expected life of less than half that of composite decking), it also requires ongoing maintenance hours every year. Composite decking will look as new as the day it was installed for years to come.
Depending on the brand of composite decking, dry composite decking is no more slippery than a wood deck. For example, Trex and TimberTech will be less slippery than Fiberon. Deckorators offers a composite board that is best in class in slip resistance. Certain PVC decking is much more slippery than composite, and for this reason, among others, we generally recommend to stay away from PVC. We’ll talk about material options during our in person consultation, and provide samples to you as well.
On a hot day in direct sun, nearly any surface will get uncomfortably hot. Lighter colored boards tend to be slightly cooler than darker composite boards. In extensive studies, it has been found that the color of the decking board, regardless if it’s made of wood-plastic composite or made of wood, is the most significant factor in the “heat retention” of the board. In these studies, pressure-treated wood stained the same color as a composite deck was actually hotter than the composite deck in the same test conditions.
- A cantilevered shade umbrella is a great option
- Pergolas are a good way to provide shade for your deck or patio, they offer a structure for climbing or hanging plants, and help create the feeling of a separate space from the rest of your deck or patio.
- If you’d like to utilize your backyard space even in the rain, another option is to add a roof to a pergola. This opens up the possibility of adding a covered seating area, creating a beautiful outdoor extension of your home.
A gas fire pit or fireplace looks and works really well on a composite deck since there are no sparks or embers from burning logs. We can either build a deck with a gas fire pit now, or we can design a deck with the idea of adding a gas fire pit to it later. If you’re looking to install a wood burning fire pit or fireplace, we’d recommend putting this in your yard, or on a patio, away from any combustible materials.
Composite decking is maintenance-free: there is no annual or bi-annual sanding, staining, or painting. There also won’t be nail pops, board cracking, splitting, warping or rotting. In order to keep your deck looking as new as the first day it’s installed, it only requires an occasional rinse or wash using a regular garden hose and maybe a deck scrub brush. If anything gets really stuck on there, try using warm soapy water (Dawn dish soap) or some Simple Green cleaner (some brands recommend other cleaners, so check the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning guide first).
We take great pride in the work we do. Our ultimate goal is for you to love your deck so much you tell your friends and family about us. We care about the safety, quality, and longevity of your deck more than just our immediate bottom line. And for those reasons we build in the extras that neither the Michigan code requires nor do our competitors add. Call, text or email any questions you have at any time, we’re here to help. Learn more about how we’re different.
