Looking For a Deck? Things to Know When Hiring a Deck Builder Near You.
- Bocan Residential Improvements
- Jan 31, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 17, 2024
While you are going to take in a large amount of information in this blog post, we are going to speak about a couple of main topics.
When to Request Quotes near you and the Scheduling Process Should Work for Deck Builders. (*Important Legal Information*)
A) Process of the Quote
B) Process of Scheduling (legal information)
2. How your Deck Should/Will be built.
A) Support & Materials
B) Who will be Working on your Deck?
When to Request Quotes near you and how the Scheduling Process Should Work for Deck Builders
Process of the quote
Upon the client filling out a form on our website or calling our phone, (412) 378-3536, we will get in touch with the client to schedule a free site-review.
When coming out for our site-review, we will take a moment to talk with you, the client, and get a further idea on what you are looking for, as well as getting to know you. Next, we will begin to take measurements, offer expert suggestions, explain how we function as a business, and we will work together with you to make your dream project come to fruition. This will complete our site-review segment of our quote process.
After the site-review, Bocan Residential Improvements (BRI) will then gather material and labor cost for your project. While BRI does not specify cost per item on the quote we send to you, we will provide you with the overall cost to build your deck and we will explain our process in detail. BRI will specify the details of how we will build your deck, and we will specify the materials that will be used to build your deck.
Process of Scheduling (*Legal Information*)
BRI's scheduling process is first come - first served. This simply means that the next/first person to accept a quote of ours will slide into the next open slot on our schedule. We recommend that as soon as you know you would like a deck, you should begin to request quotes. If you wait until the beginning of deck season, chances are you will either be scheduled very late in the season, you'll have to wait for next season, or you could run into worst case scenarios and only find available contractors that aren't up to your standards. At this time BRI is scheduled out into late July/Early August.
After the client has accepted our quote, BRI will then send our agreement so that the client can reserve their spot in our schedule. In order to make the quote a fully legal contract between homeowner and BRI, our contract has been reviewed by an attorney to ensure it meets all legal requirements. This will not only help BRI, but it will also help the client. Having a legal contract means that each side is legally obligated to fulfill what they have signed and agreed to. Believe it or not, there are contracts out there that are not up to the legal standard. Contracts not fulfilling the legal requirements make it difficult on both parties whenever a potential issue occurs. A couple of things that make our contract meet legal requirements are the Office of the Attorney General Home Improvement Contractor Toll-Free Hotline: 1-888-520-6680, and BRI's insurance information. The agreement is inclusive of the scope of work, the schedule for work and the schedule for payment, among other items that are to be contained within the agreement to coincide with Pennsylvania's Homeowners Protection Act.
How Your Deck Should/Will Be Built
Support & Materials
At Bocan Residential Improvements, we take great pride in our builds. When you have BRI build your new deck you will be receiving top-quality professional craftsmanship. We make sure that your deck not only looks beautiful, but it will be incredibly safe and strong. Our support system starts with big 6"x6" posts being placed 3 feet into the ground with concrete surrounding. BRI will then use a saw to cut L's in the top of these post. Depending on the size of the deck, we will then create a beam with either doubled/sandwiched 2"x8" boards or doubled/sandwiched 2"x10" boards which will sit in the 6"x6" L cuts and support your deck joist. When connecting these beams to the 6"x6" post we will use galvanized 1/2" through bolts. When using a ledger-board, (attaches to your home), BRI will use 1/2" bolts and lateral tension ties. Lateral Tension Ties are an up-and-coming requirement that not all deck builders use and not all municipalities require. These Lateral Tension Ties are very strong, and we make sure to include them in our builds. Above the beams that BRI installs, sit the joist. Every joist will connect to the beam by either a galvanized hurricane tie or a galvanized bracket. On top of every joist, BRI uses black waterproof joist tape made for decks. This joist tape helps to slow the rot that occurs overtime in the top few inches of joists. To visit our deck page, to see a picture of and to read more information on how Bocan Residential Improvements builds your deck, click here.
In regard to materials used to build your deck, BRI can install any material you would like whether it be composite or wood decking. We have installed both composite and wooden decks. We are also able to install Trex RainEscape per your request. We do carry samples of some composite boards and if you would like to see these samples, you can request that we bring one during our site-review. Composite decks are known for their no-maintenance feature, but they do require additional work and materials. Composite decking requires additional joists due to the boards being a little weaker than wooden boards. Therefore, rather than building on 16" joist spacing, it is better to use 12" or 14" joist spacing for composite. By clicking here, you can see other decks Bocan Residential Improvements has built as well as fences, porches, and structural repair jobs.
Who will be Working on your Deck?
At BRI, we the owners and master craftsmen, will be the ones to build your deck. The same people who talk to you from the very first phone call, the same people who get to know you and how you would like your project built, and the same people who conduct themselves in a very professional and caring way. These are the same people who put your contract together, build your quote, and who genuinely look to build a positive relationship with their clients. If you request a quote from us, you will see Tucker and Trent Bocan every step of your deck process. While you do see BRI's owners every step of the way, we also require some help. Everyone who is included on a BRI project conducts themselves in a professional manner. If you're looking for more information on BRI's owners, click here.
* Bocan Residential Improvements uses The Healing Tree, a center for healing and personal growth for massages and treatment to make sure that we stay in top form during our grueling season. The Healing Tree is located in Indiana, PA.
Bocan Residential Improvements is the premier custom deck builder in Westmoreland County, if Bocan Residential Improvements has a business location near you, we would be happy to assist you in building your dream deck.
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