Before You Hire a Decking Contractor - Make Sure Your Aware of their Standard Work Hours 

When comparing bids, something you might not think to take into consideration is the hours that your deck contractor will be working. After all, it’s no skin off your back when they do their job, right?

But it can have an impact on your day-to-day living, and it can say a lot about how the contractor views you and your project. If your contractor wants to work weekends and evenings, then you may find yourself facing these issues.

You should ask them beforehand what are their standard work hours.

You’re not the first priority.

This should go without saying, but this contractor is taking care of another job that they consider more important during the regular work day. So if there’s a choice between handling an emergency on your project or theirs, there’s no question that they’ll be addressing the other clients’ needs first.

They’ll be difficult to get a hold of.

If this person is juggling two jobs (and again yours is the lower priority), then if you have questions or concerns, when will they be available to address them? Their availability is likely to be tight.

The project is likely to drag on.

First of all, working only evening and weekends means that there are fewer hours each week being put into your project. But here’s the thing: no one likes working on weekends. So a common scenario is that a contractor will have a personal conflict (like the Redskins coming into town), and they’ll take a weekend off. And then 2 or 3 weekends turns into 2 or 3 months, and you’re left with a partially completed project in your backyard.

You’ll deal with the noise.

If your decking contractor works typical business hours, then it’s likely you and your family will be out of the house at work or school while construction is actually going on. And listening to that racket while you’re enjoying your meal or spending time with your kids isn’t pleasant, especially if you’re dealing with it for several weeks.

You may be breaking local noise ordinances.

Another reason why a good contractor works normal hours is because of neighborhood noise ordinances. Typically, you’re prohibited from making noise from 9 pm to around 7 or 8 in the morning per your HOA. If you’re not sure, check your CC&Rs.

So how do you protect yourself from a contractor working strange hours? The most important thing to do is to discuss it up front. If this is a professional, you can expect them to have a pretty standard schedule, usually 5 days a week from 8 am to 5 pm. Another way to protect yourself is to ask references about the hours this contractor typically worked on their project. If it’s not regular work hours, ask yourself if it’s worth the risk.

When you’re making such a large investment in your home, it pays to take a few extra steps to ensure that the project is done right, and that your contractor takes your needs seriously.