If you contract with a deck builder to build a deck on your home, you pay them to buy the deck materials.  (Just like you paid your mechanic to buy the water pump he put on your car.)  But you pay a marked up price for the materials. Typically there is a 40-50% markup, sometimes a lot more.
 

Click sun room photo to enlarge Click here to view sunroom plan and deck plan George Stevens Reference Information See next sunroom photo in George Stevens sunroom series. Click here for next porch in series.

If total deck materials cost about $8.00/SF (this is a good average cost as of the fall 2011 for PT decks, then you pay an extra $3.82/SF to your deck contractor to get him to do what you could do:  Answer a phone call from our supplier who calls you to arrange for payment.  On an average pressure treated deck of 600 SF, that means you would save $2292 for taking the phone call!  On an Ipe deck, you'll typically save over $5200 for just paying for the Ipe materials yourself!

In addition, you get to keep any left over wood... or call the supplier for pickup of extra wood and receive a refund)   My firm will allow you to act as your own General Contractor and save this money. 

But we make it even easier for you because we will call in your order for you and the Material Supplier will call you to arrange for payment and delivery. We use and recommend only one Material Supplier for all pressure treated wood, fasteners, concrete and miscellaneous building materials because the one we found has the best prices, absolutely sweetest looking wood, and exemplary service. For Ipe and all other exotic, tropical hardwood decks we automatically use our one of a kind Network of Ipe Suppliers who will competitively bid on your Ipe wood materials thereby saving you a TON over what the local lumber yard would charge you (because they buy from our suppliers anyway).

Incidentally, Mr. George Stevens acted as his own General Contractor on this beautiful glass sunroom and deck that you've been looking at.  He did it to save a great deal of money and yet not risk quality.

In addition to this, you know and I know that no one works for free.  If I come out to your place and design a deck, porch, or gazebo for you, I will factor into your price the value of my time.  Time is money, and it's the buyer who
 

Click glass sunroom photo to enlarge Click here to view sunroom and deck plan See next photo in George Stevens sunroom series. Click here for next porch in series.

pays for this time. But nobody sells everybody.  The average is one out of three.  Therefore, if I spend three hours with a neighbor, and two hours with another neighbor, then three hours with you and you buy but they don't... guess who pays for the eight hours of my time plus travel expenses to and from each appointment?  You do. The buyer pays. Remember: Nobody works for free... nobody.  I don't.  You don't.  My competitors don't.  Everyone has to factor into their prices these expenses because they are real expenses. But you do not have to incur these expenses.  If you and I work together and I design your deck, porch, or gazebo from the comfort of my office so that I never have to leave my fax machine and computer, I will pass an additional 10% savings on to you.  10% of the contract price is a typical commission paid to in-home Designers for this type of work. If the average deck is 600 SF and we normally charge $25.48/SF (in-home design, full service price), that means you save 10% of $15,288 or $1529 more or less depending on the size of your project.  Not bad for a very little work on your part. 
 

Click to enlarge sunroom photo   Click here to view sunroom and deck plan See next photo in George Stevens sunroom series. Click here for next porch in series.

How much work is "very little"?  We need four things to start including a rough sketch of the back of your house such as this sample below, along with a copy of your House Location Survey (your "plat"... normally kept in with your house closing papers) so I can see if you have enough room to build without infringing into zoning setbacks... and we're in business! 

       Home Phone (540) 786-xxxx       
       Work Phone  (703) 690-xxxx (John)

  ......Dear Mike, 

     We entertain 10 to 15 folks at a time, and also do lots of outdoor barbecuing.  We also have a toddler. Can you put a gate at the top of the steps and keep the handrail pickets about 4" apart?  Also, can you design in a sunken octagon at the southern corner of the deck to hold a future spa? 

     I read on your site that you and your wife bought a spa from ThermoSpas.  We're also thinking about buying one. Factory rep meeting with us on Saturday. How do you like yours? 

     If the money holds out, how about an overhead trellis over the octagon?  And we REALLY like that new maintenance free GeoDeck composite you folks like even better than Trex. According to your Excel Price Worksheet, I should be able to afford Fairway Vinyl Railings and white vinyl trim all around.

 

     Also, we have about $30,000 to spend on this deck project.  Our VISA information for the $500 Design Fee Retainer as well as house photos and House Location Survey have been inserted into your Client Worksheet. 

     Please, email back your custom design asap.  Also, I understand that my $500 Design Fee Retainer will be credited toward my contract when I contract with one of your deck firms.

                                                        Thanks,

                                              John & Marsha

PS - By the way, thanks for the link to your CAD program (DesignCAD Express 15)! It was easy to figure out and actually fun to use. We measured where our windows and doors are on each wall and drew them to scale in DesignCAD. Then we just put in our ideas about the deck, hit save and attached it to our email. You have a gift for empowering people with just the right tools to really help them. Thank you so much.

 

FORGET THAT CRUMMY
DECK DESIGNING SOFTWARE

After I've got the initial design drawn up in my computer's CAD program, I will email it back to you for revisions. You save a LOT of time, still get the benefit of a first class Designer (me), don't have to put up with pushy salesmen who make you mad and sweat all over your dining room table. And you save a lot of money.  So, let's review and conclude this so you can fill out your Client Worksheet and email it to me.

You'd better leave right now! Not without your money!

   This works out to an average of $19.11/SF actual cost to you ($11.11/SF labor and $8/SF estimated materials) for a professional and well thought out design, a computer generated set of Building Plans, no surprises with materials, and some of the best workmanship money can buy... deck firms I sell for.  We charge you only $11.11/SF (labor) for a typical pressure treated deck (as of 8-22-11).

Incidentally, there are two very good reasons why I can afford to give away $4321 on an average deck... money that other deck firms are not able to give away... and I will tell you both reasons shortly. (Don't you just love it when the anticipation builds?) Impatient are we? All right. Jump ahead and read the Consulting Services & Prices page. You will find it there.

Click to enlarge sunroom & deck photo Click here to view sunroom and deck plan Click here for next porch in series.

"We Frame - U Finish"

Want to save more?  If you're pretty handy with a hammer, you might want us to do everything except the decking and railings (the easy part).  In that case, we will charge you only $7.50/SF "labor to frame" and you will save another $3.61/SF or $2166 on an average 600 SF pressure treated deck. Check out our new online Deck-Porch-Sunroom Calculator. Along with giving you costs of pressure treated, composite and Ipe materials, it will also give you the Labor to Frame. For a real life example of how this worked for one gentleman, see "The Bautch" porch and deck plan. This smart homeowner figured out how to get a composite porch and deck for $4600 LESS than pressure treated!

   You won't find a better deal anywhere.  Check out the "We Need 4 Things to Start" list below so we can start working on your design.  Hint: Print out this page so you can use the sample sketch above as a guideline to go by.

Want to save still more?   You might be able to barter (swap) a portion of the deck price if you have an item of value that Mike would like.  "Are you serious?"  Yup.  I've done it many times and it works like a charm.  Click on the Deck Barter link to see why and how.  (And, yes, it may seem a little "hokey"... and, no, it's not for everyone... but you know what?  It's just what some of us are looking for in order to comfortably afford that new outdoor project... so stop chuckling and start thinking about what you have of value that you've been wanting to sell or get rid of.  Ask me.  I might surprise you and work out a deal.  Awhile ago a lady called and rather tentatively asked if I would consider trading a portion of the deck cost for something they owned.  I admit I was a little surprised, but after thinking it over I said sure!  So think "outside the box".  Be creative and inventive.