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 at this time (prices adjusted 5-27-05)), then you pay an extra $3.60/SF to your deck contractor to get him to do what you could do:  Pick up the phone and order materials.  On an average deck of 600 SF, that means you could save as much as $2160 for making a phone call! 

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. 

And now we make it even easier for you because (with your permission) the Builder will call in your order for you (thereby assuring you get our Virginia Decking Contractor Discount) and the Material Supplier will call you to arrange for payment. 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 and they don't even charge a delivery fee. See http://www.composite-decks.com/discount.htm for more details.

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.

But there's more.  If your deck company obtains your Building Permit, you can bet they aren't doing it for free.  We know that actual permits cost anywhere from $50 to $100 typically.  Therefore, we charge $500 to cover the cost of the permit itself and to pay someone to get the permit.  Why not drop the permit information off at the county (or in some cases, walk it through) and save yourself another $500?
We will provide you with everything you need to get the Permit including a computer generated set of extremely clear Building Plans and House Location Survey with deck drawn to scale.  You drop it off (or walk it through in some cases), and save money.  Be there at 8:00 am Monday-Thursday and in Fairfax and Prince William, you'll be out by 9:30... Permit in hand.

But wait, there's more.  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 12)! 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 can either email it back to you for revisions... or we can go really high tech and finalize the design together online in real time using Microsoft NetMeeting. (This is awesome, and it sure beats sitting down with 3 or 4 ugly contractors night after night!) 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 won't leave without your money.  And you save a lot of money.  So, let's review and conclude this so you can put your rough sketch together and fax it to me:
 
 
 

   This works out to an average of $18.00/SF actual cost to you ($10/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 $10.00/SF (labor) for a typical pressure treated deck.

Incidentally, there are two very good reasons why I can afford to give away $4000 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 $6.75/SF "labor to frame" and you will save another $3.25/SF or $1950 on an average 600 SF deck. Check out our new online Deck Cost 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.