Unique Deck Builders Inc.

Joel and his team did a fantastic job. Joel responded promptly to my intial inquiry and personally came out to review the job. He provided a drawing within a few days - which was very helpful to allow me to visualize his ideas...none of the other companies that I spoke with provided the visual renderings of the work that was to be done. Joel was VERY patient with me, as I hadn't done this before and he provided at least five different design versions of the deck for me to choose from, as we worked through each decision. I was very slow to make decisions, but Joel was patient, accomodating and understanding. His bid came in on the high end of the three companies we looked at, but when I gave him my budget, he helped me find ways to reduce the cost without sacrificing the quality. We were SO pleased with the way it turned out, the quality of the work was phenomenal - the structure was built with such precision and the design was exactly what we were looking for...something unique, yet practical and functional. The team that did the job were professional, respectful and knowledgable...they kept things very clean each night to not be in our way or our neighbors way. They were incredibly fast and very flexible, as I changed my mind part of the way through the job to add a seating area to the deck. They finished the benches in a day and wanted me to review the design and dimensions to determine if it was right, offering to make any changes that I desired. They were accomodating and also offered several suggestions with all of their experience. Joel helped select lighting for the deck and the color of stain for the deck floors - both of which were perfect for our style. Our deck was completely transformed and is exactly what were had hoped for. The cost was well worth every penny - the quality and professionalism of Joel & his entire team was well worth it.

Joels crew did a great job. They started and finished on Schedule. Joel took responsibility for every detail of the work, even some things that needed to be re-done because I was unavailable to give direction at certain points. I knew when I started the project I had a couple other things to add-on because we were still designing, and Joel was very reasonable on the additional work pricing when he could have tried to gouge me on change orders. I was able to trust him to do the extra work without an agreed price and not get ripped off. Great Job, Very responsive, Knew we would be very picky about the detail and took the job on confidently. Our Deck and Pool are beautiful, everyone loves it. Joel is a man of his word. Thanks Joel

Joel gets a low grade because he bid on our job and committed to do the work, and then when it was time to start the work he went off the grid, never returning our phone calls after repeated attempts. Our job was fairly small (<$6k), so I suspect Joel got a bigger job and blew us off. The reason I suspect this is that during the bidding process Joel made several comments that this was ?not a big job? and ?he was not going to make any money on it?. Before work was to begin we requested a minor change that Joel quoted $1,500 to complete (30% of his original bid). Another carpenter made that change for less than $400. When I asked Joel a few questions about the change and why it would cost more than the carpenter, he responded in an annoyed tone, "Ok, Mr. Insurance Company." (referring to where I work). We ended up hiring George Krinninger and Sons out of Libertyville and they were very responsive and we were very happy with their work. They pointed out that they way Joel proposed to install the screens (staples and wood stops) was not likely to hold up over time and we would have ended up with loose screens. If you ask Joel to quote on your project, make sure it is large enough to capture Joel?s attention and commitment.

Joel was punctual and very nice. He seemed professional, brought samples and made recommendations about what type of material should be used for the project. He came by on a Friday and promised the estimate by the following Tuesday. I did not receive the estimate on Tuesday and called to follow up on Thursday. He returned the call and promised that I would have the estimate no later than the following Monday. That was three weeks ago and I never received an estimate from him or heard from him.

they were very professional and fast with the proposal. Just on a high side, so I didn't use them. I have a background that allowed me to design and speck out the deck on my own. I also submitted all my drawings and received my own permits before obtaining a quote. Not all companies provide "just labor" quotes and UDB was one of them. Its all or nothing with UDB. The price was much more then other companies. Example if the door installation. I have been quoted $350 to $450 from other companies. here is the estimate i received. Deck and Frame: $19,600.00 Plus the door and rail installation : Door Install: $1,800.00 Rail Install: $2,800.00

Like most people reading this, I went to Angie?s List to find a Contractor for this project and basically requested proposals from the top 6 builders. I was a little astounded to find how slow people were to get back to me?except for Joel. Joel was very responsive from the get-go and continued to be responsive as the plans changed while I finalized details with my architect. I did eventually get quotes back from 3 other builders. They were all fairly close to each other but Joel?s happened to be the lowest. However, by now, I was already sold on Joel's responsiveness and attention to detail. I have found one of the most frustrating things in dealing with General Contractors is communication. Especially during the RFP process. If a contractor cannot find a way to proactively and promptly communicate during the process of trying to earn my business, then you can bet it will get worse once the project starts and money has changed hands. I can say definitively that you will not have this issue with Joel. Even during the down time (the 5 weeks it took to get the permit back from the city), Joel would occasionally check in and stay on my radar. All that said, of course the most important thing is what happens when the work actually begins. This was a fairly complicated deck design with a lot of detail and a ton of IPE (which any carpenter will tell you is no fun to work with). The project took about 4 weeks to complete. During this time Joel would call or email me at least every other day to let me know what was accomplished, if they encountered any issues, and what the next couple days would look like. He was also on the work-site frequently. His crew was very professional and thoughtful. One thing in particular that I appreciated was that if they encountered something in the plan that struck them as odd, they stopped and asked?instead of just plowing ahead and risking having to redo things. In fact we made several changes to the plan in field based on their suggestions. In general, they had a very intuitive sense about how it should all turn out. Joel also did a great job managing the sub-contractors (Gas, Electric, Roofing). Absolutely no issues there either. The final stage included oiling the IPE and Cedar which was a huge undertaking but truly brought out the beauty of the wood. The project is now completed on time and on budget. Both My wife and I are very very pleased and we couldn't imagine how things could have gone any smoother.

Joel was prompt, understood exactly what I was looking for and sent me a design and quote. The final price was in the middle of 5 quotes. Project started and finished on time with professional carpenters who cleaned up daily and did a great job. We could not be happier with this deck.

Joel was very direct and professional. He was upfront, and explained that he would not be the cheapest option, but would do the job right, and not cut any corners. I obtained a few more estimates, that were slightly cheaper, but went with Unique Deck based on the plans provided, and I got a good vibe from Joel. I was not dissappointed. It took some time to set a date for construction. Joel wanted to make sure he got me the best crew for the job. Once the job started, the guys knocked it out. They came early every day, and treated the job like it was their own home. We really liked the crew, and they did beautiful work. Both decks were finished in just over a week. We actually miss having them around. Great guys, and true pros.

Joel and his team did an incredible job taking my idea for our rooftop deck and turning it into reality. The finished product exceeded my expectations. I had three different companies come and quote me. Unique Deck Builders was on the higher end but well worth it. I felt their pricing was still fair. I would highly recommend them, especially for rooftop decks. I plan on using them again in the future and have already recommended them to my neighbors.

The job went fantastic. They were on time, the men were courteous, the workmanship was excellent, and they responded immediately to a questions or problem. Whatever changes were needed to be made were made.

He was prompt and courteous. He was a little expensive however. He told me it would be a lot of money.

Joel was extremely responsive when we first called. He was up front and honest in terms of timing of when the work could start and gave his initial thoughts based on what we were describing over the phone. He quickly scheduled a visit to our home within a few days. When he arrived to assess the old deck and the space he instantly had some ideas that we had not heard from other companies. His focus was not only on design but on the structural components of the roof and deck. We felt instantly that he was someone we would like to work with as he had a very positive, upbeat attitude to go along with his many years experience as a builder. He provided pictures, examples and ideas at the first visit, along with rough sketches. He was quick to follow up with multiple quotes that gave us an idea of the options without overwhelming. He provided recommendations but was not pushy.The work started 2 or so weeks after the initial visit and we felt that he was making every effort to get the work started. As for the crew (Dan, Paul and Ted), they too were a pleasure. They arrived promptly everyday when they said they would and caused very little disruption as the work was completed. They were always willing to answer our sometimes ridiculous questions and provide feedback when they thought it was appropriate. They worked hard through some really hot days and completed the project in the agreed upon time frame. The crew was clearly very experienced and had worked with Joel for a number of years. When there were small tweaks to the design or we had additional thoughts during the process they were flexible in working with us. The attention to detail was phenomenal. Any areas of concern we raised were promptly addressed. The crew and their work was top quality. Joel arranged for the electrician and masonry and both were equally as professional and skills at the regular crew. It was all very seamless from our perspective - this was something we were concerned about having multiple contractors but it proved to be no issue. Joel came by multiple times during the project to check in and make sure things were going well and that we were comfortable with the work. He was always very responsive to phone calls and/or emails. He came by after the project was complete to make sure everything was completed and we were happy. There were a couple small items that we had him look at (very minor) and they were addressed. He was a true professional and a pleasure to do business with. The project turned out better then we could have imagined. We love the new space as it has given us the outdoor living area to entertain or simply relax and enjoy. From start to finish the experience could not have been better. One of biggest concerns was having a company that was trustworthy, reliable and professional. Joel and crew exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Unique Deck Builders.

Unique Deck Buiders did a great job! Their bid was mid-range out of the four solicited, and we just felt like Unique was the most knowledgable and likely the easiest to get along with. All proved to be true. Joel Boyer completed a very professional drawing / proposal and provided cost transparency when asked. The job started on the date promised, and finished on the target completion date. ( About 7 working days start to finish; there were no time gaps or delays; this was very important to us, as we did not want the back yard area torn up over an extended period of time) The existing framing was saved, and new, additional joists were added to provide 12" on center spacing from the previous 24" on center spacing. Joel recommended color rails by Azek, which turned out beautifully. Joel was very careful to point out every detail where there might have been a disconnect otherwise. For example, all decking was to be installed with clips and screws, however, the stairs were to be screwed in place as those planks could not be a grooved product. The primary carpenter installers, Paul & Dan, were very professional and talented. The work place was cleaned every day and debis promptly removed.Finally, Unique fabricated new flower boxes to replace the old ones, and installed a false bottom to reduce the amount of black dirt they would otherwise require. The same composite material was used, and the boxes are perfect! Phone calls and emails were returned promptly at all times, even after the job was complete and paid for. The Village would not sign off on the building permit without a handrail installed for the stairs. Unique returned promptly and installed without question or additional cost. While Unique was not the low cost bidder, we are very pleased with our decision to use them and would highly recommend them to all.

The work was very good. Joel Boyer was very responsive, skillful at planning and preparation of necessary construction plan, and use of excellent carpenters. Joel regularly inspected the status of the work, and managed the timely completion of the work very well. Minor aspects of the work that required review and repair was responded to in a very timely, effective manner.

Joel was very responsive and professional. He's a class act and did great work. He took what we were looking for and added his expertise to build an incredible deck. We couldn't be happier. I looked at several other companies and quotes for this project and I thought that Unique was the best all around package. I would definitely consider using them again in the future and would recommend them to anyone.

The carpenters were very professional and arrived promptly at 7:00 a.m. every day. They answered questions and made minor modifications as requested along the way. The quality of workmanship was superb! Our overall experience with Unique Deck Builders was excellent from our initial meetings with Joel to agree upon the work to be done to the finished product. Joel had numerous pictures of decks they had completed to provide us with options for materials to be used. In addition, he presented us with a proposal and drawing in a timely manner. The work was completed in fewer days than promised which was great considering we had off and on rain all week. We've had many compliments on the new deck in the few weeks since it's been completed. I can't say enough about what a pleasure it was to work with Unique Deck Builders.

It was good. He was very organized and he gave us a good quote and an organized drawing. We didn't go with him because the quote was high.

We had a crumbling old deck that was an absolute mess. We solicited bids from 3 different "A" rated agencies on Angie's List. Joel and Unique Deck Builders was the first to come and assess our deck. After talking to all the builders and reviewing their bids, we came back to Joel who was willing to re-plan to meet our budget without compromising the quality of our deck. Due to other job commitments, the crew was not able to start our job until ~5 weeks after our signed contract instead of the ~2 weeks that was originally anticipated. However, once they started, the crew did meet the time commitment of 1 week to complete our work. Joel was very responsive and kept us informed of the status of our project from the time we contacted him for a bid to the time of completion. We now have an incredible composite deck that is low maintenance and will last us a good amount of time. The quality and appearance is amazing. The only downside is that we didn't contact them sooner in the year to enjoy our deck for the majority of the summer.

I decided not to go with them because of their high price. They were professional otherwise.

I sent an email inquiry and got a call very quickly to schedule an appointment to come out and take a look at my roof top deck. Joel, the owner showed up on time, if not early. Very, very nice man. He looked around and gave good suggestions. It took a while to get my estimate, but it's probably because I told him I wasn't in a huge rush. Unfortunately, the proposal was way out of my budget. I would have liked to use Unique Deck, but they were cost prohibitive. This company appeared to be very good at what they do and I am fairly certain I would have gotten a very high quality deck if I had gone with them.

It worked out fine. It was a three-season room and like an addition. I didn't dislike anything and have used them again. He is actually a couple of clicks away from us. He came and checked on the workers everyday and we didn't have any problems. In fact, I think that my husband wrote a review for them and recommended them on Angie's List. The workers were fine and they cleaned up and everything. I didn't have any issues with them. The work is great and beautiful. We got much better value from him than others. He was responsive and always answered our calls and everything. We were totally pleased. We are going to use him again to have some windows put in.

Work began three days later than originally planned due to bad weather that hampered the previous job. Joel Boyer is a responsible owner who even came to our house on a Sunday to answer some construction questions and review our punch list. The crew was easy to work with and, when necessary, made tweaks and changes. (We did not incur any additional charges, even when several stairs had to be removed and replaced.) The quality of the work is excellent, and we are thrilled with the results.

Couldn't afford the project but would have loved to use them. Great craftsmanship, congenial, and willing to work our payment plans.

Unique Deck did not perform services but did provide a quote for our Trex deck. They were very punctional, professional and overall responsive to our inquiries. Left a very positive impression.

Every thing was here when they said it would be and all went well with the project