SIGNATURE DECKS

Our experience with Signature Decks is why we have Angie's List. Under the 100+ inches of snow that fell last winter, our deck collapsed. It was a good-sized deck off the ground floor of our home. We called three different providers, and Signature Decks was the most eager for the job. Bruce, the owner, was prompt in returning phone calls. He came out to the house and took the measurements, even giving me (good) advice about what to expect of contractors, no matter who we hired. We went with Signature Decks based on their availability and the reviews here. We're glad we did. They handled all the permitting requirements with the town. The took away the old deck and, in less than two weeks from start to finish, delivered a great new deck. The crew was courteous and professional. And their pride in craftsmanship was real. When the framing looked done to me, Bruce pointed out a joist that was slightly bowed. That wasn't good enough for him and they took another day--at no cost to us--to reframe that part of the deck. Honestly, I never would have noticed the curve, but Bruce did and fixed it. I was impressed. The new deck looks great and is well made. We're thrilled. We don't anticipate building anymore decks, but if we did, we'd hire Signature Decks to do it immediately!

Bruce and his guys were amazing. They replaced two decks for us and paid attn to every little detail. He was extremely competitive with price, professional, on time, and did great work. I can't say enough about how positive this experience was.

Bruce came today with his carpenter as promised. They repaired the decking and the railing, removed the debris from the damage and it all came in as estimated. Although Bruce said he doesn't usually do repairs, he came through for us. We are most grateful and highly recommend him and his company.

Bruce was great to work with, he was always responsive and punctual. He was able to get started earlier than we had estimated. The deck looks wonderful; Bruce's suggestions on the red cedar and some other touches made the plan I provided turn out better than I even expected. The deck framing construction is structurally very solid, and Bruce went with a two beam approach that looks good and will definitely last. There was minimal impact to the yard leaving no mess after they left. The cost was very competitive, although Bruce only performed the deck work, and we had to hire other contractors to do additional plumbing/electrical and install a patio door. Again, we were very pleased with the entire process and especially the finished product. Would highly recommend.

From my initial contact with Bruce, I was impressed with his knowledge of how to design and construct a first-quality deck and also his interest in making sure that I got just the deck I wanted. He explained the pros and cons of different materials and gave me quotes for each so I had all the facts. The job started on time and moved along on schedule. They worked every day that the weather allowed until the job was 100% finished. Bruce is good about communicating what will be done and setting expectations. Tommy and Donny are very good craftsmen and you can tell by watching them that they have a lot of experience and know the best way to construct a deck. Unlike many tradesmen, all three men were open to any questions or suggestions about how to handle a detail or make adjustments. At the end of each day, the work site was neat and orderly. At the end of the job, they made sure to leave my property in great shape. There was also no nickel-and-diming, which I appreciated. Bruce was willing to do some small extras that made the final product great without tacking anything on to the original quote. Bruce will probably not be the low-cost bidder for your project but I feel like I got what I paid for -- and more. It's hard for me to imagine how the deck could be better. I have worked with a lot of tradesmen over the years and Bruce, Tommy and Donny are among the very best.

Bruce did an excellent job and was very responsive to our needs. His crew was excellent and Bruce himself was there daily. The ipe decking and clear cedar railings and fascia are beautiful. We had to wait awhile for the work to be done, but once they began the job, it was finished in a timely manner. Highly recommend Signature Decks.

This project went smoothly and was completed exactly as specified on the written proposal. Bruce was professional and knowledgeable. He took the time to suggest and explain the best deck design for our home based on position of the slider off our kitchen and where to best position the stairs to optimize the space and flow. He offered us different material options and pricing for pressure treated wood, PVC and IPE with cedar. Bruce explained the attributes, pros/cons of each type of material. He was easy to work with from start to finish. He conferred with us daily during the project either by telephone or on the project site. His crew worked diligently, quietly and left the project site cleaned up. They were all very professional, courteous and friendly. They completed the project in approximately one week. The overall size of the deck is approximately 320 sq ft., the privacy fence is simply beautiful with the tongue and groove style, and the stairs rival a staircase one would expect to see on the interior of a home. It has full treads,risers and a nice handrail. We love the way our deck looks as well as the functional design that enables us to BBQ, dine and have a comfortable conversation/relaxation area. Bruce and his crew are top-notch team. I highly recommend Signature Decks. You can be confident with your decision to choose Signature Decks for your upcoming project.

I was using Angies List to get several estimates for building a big deck on our house. Bruce was super responsive to my phone call and was out two days later. He walked me through some of the options in terms of materials and design, and even opend my eyes to some complications we may encounter due to some wetlands nearby. Bruce said he'd have an estimate to me within a week's time, but it took him two weeks. Not critical, since I was still lining up other builders. Signature Deck's prices were on the high end. For example, an ipe deck with red cedar railing was quoted at $28.5K by Bruce, while a competitor came in at $23K. For Azek decking and red cedar railing Bruce quoted $26.5K, while the lowest other was $21.5K. I liked Bruce's sketch/drawing -- he did it on double long paper and it was very detailed. If Bruce's prices were better, I would have been comfortable using him, but his prices were $5K higher and not worth haggling over.

Bruce came out and gave me a great estimate for a deck/patio in several different materials so that I could make an educated decision. Unfortunately because I live in a condo complex Bruce did not have the correct type of license to do the work, or I definitely would have used him. He did go above and beyond however by recommending someone else to do the project, and I'm now enjoying my new deck area.

It was excellent. Everything worked out really well. He was very informative, communicative. The deck itself looked beautiful.

The contractor kept us informed of the expected daily status and worked closely with us around the details of the construction and any cost impacts of changes we wanted. Overall a very positive experience.

Bruce was very friendly and it's clear he knows his ipe, which is the material we are interested in using on our deck. The ony problem was that he is very popular and his scheduled was booked through November. We have every intention of hiring him in the spring for the project.

Great job by Bruce and his dedicated crew. On time, on budget. No surprises. It's refreshing to have work done in such a straight-forward way. The deck looks great. Highly recommended.

The deck looks beautiful, exceeded my expectations. The ipe wood of the deck is gorgeous, and works perfectly with the clear red cedar railings and steps, and the ballusters are made with decorator's bronze colored aluminum, which gives it class, I think.It was a pleasure working with Bruce and his 2 workers. Tom, his main worker, was very meticulous in his work, and put in long hoursevery day until it was done. There was no interruption of days on the job. It took longer to finish than Bruce predicted, but that wasmainly due to the steepness of the hill they had to work on. Bruce kept me informed thru-out the process, and at one point convinced me to change the design of the steps, which ended up being the right decision, and they look great. He has an excellent eye for design. I'm totally happy and pleased with the results. The beautiful deck has added lots of value to my house, which looks out on a pond - the house really needed an outdoor area, almost above the trees, on which to look at the view. It was a pleasure working with Bruce and his 2 workers, and fun to watch the progress. I would recommend them highly.

The only problem is that Signature Decks is so busy that we had to wait several months before they could start. But they began when they said they would, and once they started they didn't stop until it was done. All told, it took less than a week from start to finish. An excellent experience, and excellent results. In a way, I regret having to give them such an overwhelmingly positive rating because they are already too busy, and their prices can go nowhere but up. But I do appreciate their work, so... I cannot tell a lie.

Bruce and his crew were a pleasure to work with. I talked with a lot of potential construction companies and no one had anywhere near the competency. Bruce knows decks and was easily able to get past all of the design aspects of the project that had been challenging for the other potential ntractors, and therefore we didn't need to also hire an architect or other additional contractors. He also easily connected us with a surveyor when we needed some assistance at the last minute. We found Bruce on Angie's list and this alone made the membership worthwhile.

After 2 years of looking at and meeting with companies/individuals for replacing our rotted and unusable deck, we found Bruce and his team from Signature decks. We were very impressed with the way in which he took time to answer all our questions, provided us with a variety of options for our deck in regards to materials, layout, and pricing, as well as his constant communication during the construction phase. His team of workers, Sean and Tom, were professional, friendly and always punctual. As the weekend approached, and the project was continuing to the next week, they made a point of cleaning up the yard knowing our 2 little ones would be playing there. Bruce reassured us that he would always be available to answer any questions in the future regarding the deck. Lastly, we are very happy with the final product and appreciate the attention to detail that Bruce and his team gave to our deck.

Bruce and his team did an outstanding job in every facet! I can't say enough good things about them. The deck itself is a work of art. If you have never seen an IPE deck you have to take a look at one before going composite. The attention to detail is amazing. Every mitre is cut perfectly, the cedar wrapping and railings are gorgeous, there are no joints anywhere on the decking. We have a built-in bench that came out great. The crew was always right on time, friendly and professional. They did a great job cleaning up. While Bruce had some challenges with his supplier pricing, he stayed committed to his original estimate. He is a man of high integrity!

They did a good job. He is very detail oriented and particular about his work.

Bruce and his crew were extremely professional and great at what they do! We had to go through additional permitting with the city of Waltham for flood plain issues, and Bruce did as much of the leg work as he could. The deck itself is beautiful. They used quality products and werer done on time and on budget. Bruce is extrememly friendly, easy to work with and has great ideas about design and building decks. When the job was finsihed, Bruce pointed out to me they had cracked one of the top rails, though we could really notice it that much. He came back a few days later and replaced the whole top rail without us even having to ask. this guy does it right- Quality is of the utmost importnace to him. We would hire them back without hesitation! We also get compliments when people are on the deck about how beautiful it is.

In addition to being a very skilled craftsman, Bruce is extremely professional and responsible. I interviewed 3 contractors for this job, and I felt that he was by far the most knowledgeable and the most trustworthy. Signature Decks was $1000-3000 more than the other contractors, but Bruce provided higher quality materials and a more elegant design such as angled edges and railings bolted onto the exterior of the deck. After we settled on using Signature decks, I asked Bruce to come out to the house again to help me fine-tune the deck design. Since we were limited to only 19 feet between a bulkhead and a bay window, I wanted to explore options for a half-octagon ?jet-out?. He spent almost 2 hours helping me stake-out multiple options. My wife and I are very happy with the 3x3 cantilever extension on the jet-out. Once work started, Bruce kept me informed throughout the construction and I felt very comfortable with his recommendations and his honesty. His carpenter, Tom, is also very skilled and friendly. Bruce also stands by his work and materials. 2 weeks after the deck was completed, I noticed a few 3 inch splinters on 1 of the floorboards. I called Bruce and he replaced that board 2 weeks later. We haven?t had any other boards splinter on us. The following spring, I noticed that the railing next to our bay window was loose. I called up Bruce and he came out with Tom 3 weeks later and rebolted the loose railing and it is now very tight. Note that this railing was bolted to the house because of the proximity to the bay window. All the other railings that were bolted to the deck never got loose. One big decision after the deck is built is whether/how to treat it. Bruce explained that we could leave the cedar and ipe untreated and it will go grey over time. As per Bruce?s recommendation, I decided to stain the Cedar railing with the ?3-year? Olympic cedar tone stain from Lowes. The red-tone of the treated cedar really accents the deck and looks beautiful especially at sunset. However, once you stain the cedar then you need to restain it every couple of years. If you want to treat the ipe, you need to use a more advanced exotic hardwood sealer, called Mesmer?s. I found it easiest to order it online since they don?t sell it at the large do-it-yourself stores. You need to be careful to follow Mesmer?s instructions to ensure a smooth coat and to properly dispose of any used rags in a water-filled metal container. As per Bruce?s recommendation, I plan to let the ipe ?go natural? after only 1 treatment. It?s been 1 year and the ipe still looks good and is just starting to lighten in color.

Although we didn't end up using Signature, we had a great experience with the assessment and quote. Bruce is definitely a very talented and knowledgable carpenter. Two reasons we didn't hire him was 1) he was slightly more expensive than another contractor and therefore out of our budget, and 2) we would have to wait 6 weeks (which is because he is so good and probably very busy with other decks!). He spent a generous amount of time with us assessing our old deck, our options, and was very responsive to our questions and concerns. If I ever needed carpentry work again, I would include Signature Decks in the quoting process.

Again, I find the service and professionalism excellent based on Bruce's willingness to give me advice knowing there wasn't a job right now.

The project went extremely smoothly; much better than we expected. Bruce was exceptionally responsive. He called us back right away, came over to discuss the design options, and delivered several design options and quotes in a timely manner. He was able to start work on our deck earlier than he initially expected, which was a refreshing turn of events. Bruce pretty much took care of everything, including getting the permits and arranging meetings with the inspectors. Bruce and his crew were always on-time, reliable, and never posed an inconvenience -- which is saying something, considering the temperature during the week was nearly intolerable -- in the 90s, and very humid. In contrast to my prior experiences with other contractors, Bruce was very forthcoming and patient in explaining what our options were, how the construction would proceed, options for how to maintain the deck, products to use on/with the deck, et al. It never felt like he was rushing through the conversation. There were several times during construction that we needed to make a decision, and Bruce always let us know and asked our opinion, so that we weren't surprised. It was apparent all along that Bruce takes tremendous pride in his work. He doesn't just slap together a deck. I could tell that it would pain him to build deck out of inferior materials, or with a design might lack symmetry, and he was clearly anxious that we painted or stained the deck correctly and that we wouldn't put metal on the deck which would blacken the surface. He says he hand-chooses each board, and the result was fantastic - no imperfections to speak of. In the month after the deck was built, Bruce followed up with us several times to make sure everything was okay. He also promises to come by and fix any problems that develop over the life of the deck. Bruce also did a small side project for us, and did not increase his price, even when it turned out to be much more involved and time-consuming than he expected. He also made the deck a bit bigger than originally quoted, with no price adjustment. I rated his price as a 'B' but am not too confident in this rating, because we didn't get any quotes for a similarly-designed deck. There were no surprise costs at all. So the rating might be an 'A' or it might be a 'C', but no matter; we feel that we made the right choice in using Signature Decks. If I had to nitpick (and it is nitpicking), there were two things that would have been nice. First, the railing would look a little cleaner if they had filled the nail holes, which are fairly prominent now but might blend in once the cedar turns gray. Second, after doing a little garden work around the deck we found some buried scrap Ipe. Overall, we could hardly be happier with the outcome, and would gladly consider Bruce again for any future projects.

We are thrilled with how this deck came out! We had originally planned a lower budget job with Trex decking but when we met with Bruce and discussed the pros of Ipe wood (fast-growing, sustainable and extremely durable hardwood), we decided it was the better choice. It is a beautiful red wood and really dressed up the front of the house. Scheduling was a bit difficult because he was quite busy but once they got started the work proceeded on schedule (despite a nasty hornets' nest they uncovered when dismantling the original deck!). Everyone who sees the job they did comments on the excellent quality, right down to the precise pattern of the nail holes. We would definitely use this company in the future!