Top Tips On Hiring A Composite Decking Installer

Embarking upon a new project can be daunting, especially if you’re not particularly handy when it comes to DIY. This being the case, you may feel inclined to recruit a professional contractor. Unfortunately, many of us have been around long enough to hear horror stories of shoddy workmanship, incomplete projects and downright dangerous installations. So how do you avoid being a victim of a cowboy builder?

Do your homework! Whilst it may seem time-consuming, doing a bit of background research into your project, material and the contractors you’re considering will save you a whole lot of heartache and financial strife later on.

‘He (or she) who fails to plan, plans to fail’. By measuring the dimensions of your project, establishing whether your deck is to be ground level or raised, balustraded or open you will be better prepared when briefing your composite decking installation contractor. Doing some legwork by obtaining material supplier estimates and understanding the subframe required to install your decking or cladding will enable you to have a better idea as to whether their estimate is fair.

Brief all contractors with the same information so that you can compare estimates accurately and fairly. Choose at least three contractors to quote for the job. If it is a small project, some installers won’t even send you a quote, thinking it not worth their while. The cheapest quote is not necessarily the best, a more expensive quote may involve more contractors but may mean work can be achieved to a far quicker timeframe, which may be more convenient for you.

If you are hiring a contractor that is to be on site for more than a day or two, ensure that you set parameters so that they know how to access the property, where the facilities are, whether they need to remove shoes, what times they are likely to start and finish and how long they expect the work to take. Find out early what payment structure is required so you can ensure that you are satisfied with the arrangements. Very few tradesmen ask for money upfront or in cash. Usually those who do are less reputable and should probably be avoided.

Word of mouth is still by far the best form of hiring a contractor. If a friend or neighbour has had work done and are happy with the quality of the job, the chances are they will be happy to recommend the composite decking installer and pass on their details. Not all jobs are the same so be sure to fully understand their installation so that you can identify differences you may encounter in price, time and quality.

Any reputable, trustworthy tradesman will have experience of installing decking jobs like yours before and so will have an extensive portfolio with images you can look at and contacts you can speak to. Being British we don’t like to appear rude and so are not always keen to be quite so forthright in requesting such things but a genuine professional will not be offended and may even showcase such information on their website or social media.

One-man band, fly-by-nights will not actively seek or display affiliation to a trade association like TrustMark or the Federation of Master Builders. These organisations exist to protect you, the consumer and to give you rights of arbitration should a situation arise that your deck installer is not willing to rectify. In the event that an issue does arise, always seek to allow the trader to remedy it first before seeking arbitration.

One of the things that contractors get most annoyed by is when customers keep changing their minds. These changes may seem small to you but, if not briefed early enough can result in undoing work already completed. If you are thinking of making changes to the brief, try to discuss them before the installer starts work so that these alterations can be properly accounted for.

The very worst kind of trader will offer you everything you ever dreamed of, claim they need all the money upfront and then scarper with your hard-earned cash. Reputable tradesmen have accounts with suppliers and hardware stores meaning that they don’t necessarily need all cash upfront as they have the ability to pay later for tools, supplies and materials. They will also have several jobs on their books at a time so cashflow should not really be an issue.

It’s easy to be impatient and get frustrated by the long lead times of some composite decking installers. But patience really is the key. A busy installer doesn’t need to spend much on advertising, and a good installer and is usually worth the wait. Often, the reason they’re not available immediately is because they’re reliable, popular and provide quality workmanship so it’s well worth holding out until they are available. By contrast, a tradesman who is available with very little notice or who spends a lot on advertising may not be all that they claim to be.