Getting Accurate Building Deck Estimates

The first step in the process is to decide where you want to put your new deck or patio. Most people prefer to have a deck in their backyard, but you can also build a deck on the side of your house and even on the front.

Next, get some ideas as to what you want your new deck to look like. The more detailed ideas you have, the better the estimate you will get for the cost of the deck. Drive around your neighborhood and look at other decks. Ask the homeowner if they would mind if you took some digital pictures (always ask permission to take pictures of someone's home!) to give to your builder. You can get cheap prints made for less than fifteen cents from digital cameras. Look in trendy home magazines for more ideas for your new deck. Or, you can even sketch out your own ideas onto a piece of paper.

Determine the final size of your new deck or patio. It may be helpful to stake out your deck area with wooden stakes so you can get some idea for the size and scale of your new deck. You can lay a string or garden hose between the stakes so you can truly see the size of the new deck. Leave these in place for the builder to look at when he comes to measure for your estimate.

Go to the local lumber yard or home center and look at the different choices of materials that are available for your deck. You can usually choose woods like redwood, cedar, or pressure-treated pine. But you have further choices with composite and recycled woods and the newer plastic lumbers available for building decks. Discuss with your contractor or builder what you would like to use so they include the right materials on your quote.

Lastly, get at least three quotes from different builders or contractors. You may like the personality of one builder better than another. Or, one builder may be too busy to finish your project in time. Ask about their time frames and whether or not they use subcontractors or not. Also, find out whether or not the price of the building permit is included or not.

The more detail that you give your builder will help him estimate the job more precisely. No one likes surprises and most contractors don't enjoy presenting their clients with a large bill for overages and change orders because you didn't specify a certain detail about your deck. So the more information you provide upfront, the closer your estimate will be and the better your project will turn out.