You would think that having a deck built would be a fairly easy thing to do. Not in our world it seems. We started planning for a deck a year ago. Last November I started speaking to a contractor who had been recommended by a neighbor. We were excited about the fact that he said he could start the deck in May or June of this year, and his prices were unbeatable. There were a few red flags along the way, but you know how it is…when you’re anxious to do something you tend to ignore the obvious sometimes. Well, that got us nowhere, because in June, after 7 months of wasting our time, he told us he didn’t know when he could start and that we should find someone else. UGH!!
Which, thankfully, I did. We really wanted to be able to use the deck for at least a couple of months before winter settles in so we didn’t waste any time interviewing a few contractors. I got three quotes and one was very low and the other two were fairly close to each other. As it turned out, the contractor with the low quote gave us a price without actually pricing out the materials. When he got around to doing so, his price actually turned out to be the highest of the three.
Here’s how the negotiating process went and how we saved around $5,000. After receiving the three quotes, I asked each of the contractors what portion of the quote was labor and what portion was for materials. Two of them quoted us around $8,000 for labor and another $4,000. Then I asked them if they had a problem with us ordering the materials. None of them did, and since I had a good feeling about the contractor who had the lowest labor bid we went with him. I had also seen his work at another house in the neighborhood and it was clear he knew his stuff. He seemed to really want the job and after the fiasco with the first contractor, that was important.
Buying the materials yourself gives you control, and you know exactly how much things cost and you can compare prices with two or three retailers if you like. Also, contractors typically ‘build in’ hidden costs which may or may not be necessary in the end, but the homeowner pays for it anyway. If we had taken the original bid of labor+materials, we would have spent another $5,000. It’s a bit more work, but not much. In fact, in our case the contractor used his own account with the retailer which also saved us shipping charges.
Here’s a sneak peak at the deck which was just finished yesterday! We had a small bench built with some leftover materials and we can also store some things inside like small cushions, charcoal, etc.
I wanted part of the decking to be installed on an angle. I think this helps to designate the sections of the deck and helps break up the expanse.
We wanted the tops of the railings to be functional, so we had regular boards installed there which are large enough to put a drink or small plate on.
If you’ve been following along, you might remember I was undecided what material to use and I asked for opinions in this post. We ended up going with Trex, which surprisingly was a little less expensive than Home Depot’s composite brand, Veranda. An added bonus was Trex had a much better color match for the house. The decking goes almost perfectly with the siding, and we choose a darker color for the rail spindles to add a bit of contrast. It’s a basic deck, nothing fancy, but I’m soooo happy to finally have it. It measures 12’x32′ which is just large enough for a table and an area to lounge in, and as happy as I am about the deck, I’m equally excited about the area underneath which will eventually be closed in and will function as a much needed storage area.
There are still lots of details to tend to. We need a table umbrella, chaise cushions, some electrical installed, the landing at the bottom of the steps needs to be finished, we need to stain the framing and get a new grill. Next year we’ll start to enclose the bottom part and maybe get the rest of the yard up to snuff.
I’ll post about it again when most of the details are done and, of course, come over anytime and see for yourself :).
Diane Massey, Broker/Realtor, Berkshires & Hilltowns says
Nice Job and thanks for the tips.
Cindy Eikenberg says
Hi Doreen – you can’t believe how timely and helpful this post is to me, because we absolutely need to replace our deck! Fabulous tips!!! Your deck looks wonderful and I’ll be looking forward to seeing all of the finishing touches. Thanks so much for sharing and have a great Monday!
Soiledrotten says
Awesome job Doreen!
Angela says
Oh, Doreen, it turned out fantastic!! I know you must be “over the moon”!! That extra storage is going to be fantastic, as well! I love the Trex and wish we had it!! We’re getting ready to stain our deck…..no fun! Great job!!~~Ang
Denise says
Beautiful job, Doreen. The deck looks amazing, but my favorite part is the money saving. That’s always a huge goal of mine. Enjoy your deck. xxDenise
Andi says
We have to decide this week which materials we’re going to use for our deck. I really want a composite, but I know it’s a lot more $$ than treated lumber. BUT, treated lumber is a maintenance albatross! I really want composite…
Your deck is gorgeous!!
-andi
Doreen@househoneys says
Thank you Andi!
You may want to click over to the other post and see some of the feedback about trex vs pressure treated.
Here’s a couple of things to consider:
How large will your deck be? Of course, the larger it is, the more money it will cost up front, but it will also be more expensive to maintain. If you do it yourselves, it will be more time consuming as well.
If you go with pressure treated, do not paint it. Just stain it. That will last a bit longer and look better in the long run.
The worst part of maintaining a deck is staining the spindles. Consider using a different material for this area. You could use iron which never needs maintenance, or clear plexi which is especially nice if you have a view. You can see different options on display at most home improvement stores. It’s a good compromise which you will not regret.
Consider how long you will be in your home. After around 10-15 years, even a deck that’s been well maintained will start to look time worn. You want to try to avoid doing it again at all costs!
Good luck!
D says
Fabulous looking! Well done. Can’t wait for the Barbie great savings
Doreen Sargente says
OMG! You finally made it over here! Lol Way to go GF!
xxxx
Cynthia says
Wow Doreen, the deck turned out gorgeous and save a lot of money. You got a good deal on the Trex too. Hurray for your girl!!
Cynthia
Judy Clark says
Doreen – Your deck looks fabulous! With that Trex, you won’t have to do anything to it ever. It turned out so pretty and I’m sure you’ll get many years of enjoyment out of it. Smart thinking on the buying your own supplies.
Judy
Ceciia says
I’ll be there in a bit…can you have some coffee ready? Maybe a snack too? :o)
It looks great, Doreen. I bet you’re glad that’s done. I know you will get lots of use out of it!
hugs,
Cecilia
Doreen Sargente says
Daahhhlinng…you could have my world famous chocolate chunk cookies for starters, and anything else your little heart desires. I’m Italian, you know…we can’t help but feed everyone! 😉
Ceciia says
Yum, yum…on my way (I wish!)
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
Wow! The deck turned out great! It looks huge. I wish we were neighbors. Haha! You saved a great deal of money too. Savvy lady! 😉
Al says
Beautiful! It looks so nice and spacious. When we did our landscaping, our contractor gave us the option of getting supplies ourselves (which we did) and it saved us a lot too. It was especially exciting in the end when we returned the extra supplies and got a bit of a refund.
Thistle says
What a great post! We have had so much work done around the house and I never thought of ordering the supplies myself!
Have a wonderful day!
karianne