Questions to Ask Your Deck Builder Before Hiring Them

When you are interviewing possible candidates to build your deck, it’s important to get logistical questions out of the way – such as ensuring they are insured – but you also want to get a sense of what it will be like to work with them.

Depending on the complexity of your deck project, you may be working with this firm and their crew for weeks. Since it’s an outdoor project, decks usually require fewer interruptions to your normal daily life, but it can still be a major hassle to not have complete access to your outdoor space.

A Decking Contractor Should Be Well-Versed in Pulling Permits

If you’re going to have a deck built in your backyard, regardless of whether it’s attached to the house or a standalone deck, you’re going to have to get a deck permit. This is something required by law, and if you build without one and get caught, you’ll likely have to pay a big fine and may even be required to tear your new deck down, whether it’s partially built or completed. Basically, it’s not something that you want to have to go through.

How much of a deposit is required to start work on a residential build in Maryland, Virginia, or the District?

Your contractor may have an impeccable resume and winning smile, but if he or she asks for all the money for your project up front, that’s not only a major red flag—it’s illegal.

How to get your deck ready for spring after a harsh winter

Deck owners rejoice! After a long Maryland winter full of ice, snow, cold, and freezing rain, decks everywhere are primed to be reclaimed from mother nature. While there was little that could be done to help our outdoor living spaces in recent months, rising temperatures and increasingly-present sunshine are ready to join your quest to reverse the havoc caused by foregone seasonal elements.

Building a rooftop deck in the Washington, DC, area is a great way to add style, sophistication, and value to your home, but the permit process can be challenging and, at times, frustrating. So, how long should a DC homeowner anticipate waiting for permits on a new rooftop deck construction, and what factors affect that wait time?