SIGNATURE DECKS

Left two voicemails. No response.

In a word, Bruce Ferraro and his Signature Decks craftsmen are "superstars!" If you need a deck and you have the opportunity to hire Signature Decks, just do it--you won't be disappointed. We waited seven years to rip down an old set of wooden stairs off our kitchen to the backyard since we bought our 1939 Cape in 2003. This Spring we decided was the time to put on our deck. I interviewed two other deck contractors before Bruce, but when I met him it was supremely evident that he was head and shoulders above all the others for the following reasons: - Superior domain knowledge in the area of deck construction; Bruce isn't just the president of the company...he's was on the job doing the work each day. Because of his experience, he has a great design eye and helped modify the original design I proposed so that the stair placement wouldn't impede the traffic pattern. - Professional through and through: he did what he said he would do when he said he would do it - Punctual: He and his master carpenter (Tom) were at my house every day from the start of the job at 6:45 am ready to work at 7:00 until the very end. - Great Communicator: Bruce kept me in the loop each day from in-person morning discussions to end-of-day updates by phone. We put up two panels of lattice for privacy and Bruce made sure to get my input on the height, width, and placement before it went in. - Personable, Fair, & Reasonable: Bruce is just a nice guy. He never made me feel silly for asking questions or that I was bothering him; he put me in touch with a land surveyor that he uses frequently for his jobs who was priced much more reasonably than others I contacted; he also helped me decide what stain/sealer I should use to protect the Ipe deckboards and the Cedar railings and lattice once it was complete. I also want to give a shout out to Tom, Bruce's master carpenter. All of the things that I just said about Bruce also apply to Tom. He was a super nice guy and extremely skilled at what he does. When you hire Signature Decks, you're not just getting a run-of-the-mill deck contractor--you're getting true professional craftsmen.

They were very professional. The company just couldn't do the work in the time frame we needed it to be done in.

Though the circumstances didn't allow us to work together, Bruce called me back promptly after I left a message. He was very open and honest with me in describing his availability. However, where he really impressed me was after we realized our timelines weren't going to match up he still spent over 10 minutes on the phone with me giving me advice on what to look for in a deck and contractor and what to avoid. He proved very helpful and friendly. I unfortunately can't speak to the quality of his work but it seems pretty obvious to me that he'd be great to work with.

We contacted Bruce late in the fall of 2009 to rebuild our 20 ft. by 16 ft. deck. The deck was over 25 years old and had held up well, but was getting to the point that it needed to be replaced. The deck has only about 1 foot of ground clearance and once Bruce saw the deck he immediately ruled out using Ipe decking, which had been our first choice. He said if he used it he guaranteed we would have problems with the wood due to a lack of airflow. He then went over the alternate options and we chose to go with ?old? cedar in 6 inch widths with the floor boards angled. The existing deck had railings all around with 2 openings to exit. He suggested that we consider going with no railings to open up the deck to the backyard and, once he had the deck finished, we could then decide whether we wanted benches and/or planters built and installed. We decided to take this route, but the bad weather in the fall intervened and Bruce told us we would be the first job he would do in the early spring of 2010. True to his word, Bruce contacted us in February 2010 and the deck was rebuilt during the week of March 8th, 2010. He was able to use the pressure treated existing supports since he found the stringers to surprisingly be in as good condition as they were 25 years ago. Once the deck was completed, we decided to have 3 foot by 3 foot benches installed on the 2 front corners, but decided against installing permanent planters. Bruce suggested we seal the deck with Olympic Maximum with cedar toner because the new wood begins to lose color quickly. We were able to get 2 coats on the deck right away in the small window of good weather in between the rainstorms in March. We are pleased with the results and the workmanship that Bruce and his crew displayed. He showed up to start the work on the day promised and kept us informed as the process moved along. We highly recommend Bruce and Signature Decks. Just a word of thanks to the Angie?s List members who made us aware of Bruce and Signature Decks.

Bruce came by with samples and photos. Very professional and amiable. He gave a clear quote for the job and the number of days required to complete it. We were really taken with his professionalism, right down to the correct screws to use, his workmanship and his perfect on-time execution. Our deck is used three seasons and is a key part of our summer enjoyment. We are thrilled with the results and continue to recommend Bruce highly. Trust him - he's simply the best.

Bruce was very good at communicating with us from the start and helped us to pick the right wood for us. He started the job exactly when he said he would and did an amazing job. The deck is gorgeous! I was also impressed with how much Bruce really cares about his projects and puts 100% of his effort into what he does. We are very happy with the results and would highly recommend using Signature Decks for any deck project.

Bruce did a great job. He arrived on time to provide an estimate, followed-up to see if we had questions, and exhibited great patience with us when we changed our minds mid-stream on the layout of the deck. He would have completed the deck on time if not for the changes we made and he stuck to his original estimate even though he did extra work. He took good care of us and wanted to make sure we ended up with a deck we would enjoy for years to come.

The deck on the house we purchased was almost 20 years old and falling apart, so we interviewed a number of contractors to remove the existing deck and create a new one for us. Bruce at Signature Decks impressed us from the first meeting. Not only was it clear that he really knew what he was talking about, we felt he was very trustworthy. He created a nice design for a deck (which unfortunately we weren't able to use due to permit issues, but that wasn't Bruce's fault) and gave us a fair quote, so we accepted. We would have liked to go with the Ironwood decking, but it really wasn't in our budget; Bruce suggested knotty cedar, which looks much better than the standard pressure treated and wasn't significantly more expensive. Bruce and his team removed the old deck and built the new one in about a week. The end result exceeded our expectations; several neighbors have commented on how nice our new deck looks as well. Signature Decks was a very easy company to work with, and the quality of their work is top-notch; if we need to build another deck, we wouldn't hesitate to use them again!

They were great. They were wonderful, friendly and very professional.

This is exactly why you go with Angies List to find guys like Bruce and Co. I got multiple bids and Bruce stood out immediately. His logic for the best solution to our decking needs turned out to be spot on, going with Ironwood as opposed to synthetics or cedar. Prior to the job, Bruce kept me informed of the long range time frame and the short range as we neared the beginning. Kept me updated at work with the daily progress reports. His crew was super pleasant and easy to work with for multiple days. Craftsmenship is outstanding and we have ended up with a deck more beautiful and fitting to the environment than I thought possible. Designwise, Bruce came up with the idea of omitting railing along the back end that integrated with the hill behind our house, really putting the whole project over the top. And Bruce is a great guy. One of those home improvement things where you're kinda sad to part ways. In short, Total Pro. Great Craftsmenship and Design, Good Folks. Definitely one of those cats you want in your Home Repair Corner.

excellent, only weather delays

This has been the most satisfying experience I have ever had with a contractor. Bruce was immediately responsive to my request for an estimate, provided a detailed blueprint for my consideration (no other estimates I received did that), and once I signed on, set a schedule that he followed faithfully (except, of course, when bad weather set in). He asks for no deposit until the work begins, one-third at the start of construction, another third at the mid-point, and the final third upon your satisfied completion. This company's attention to detail is superb. Bruce took extra effort in hand selecting the wood boards for our deck at the vendor, and Tom, the major carpenter on the project, took exceptional care in putting them into place. Bruce makes sure that all town codes are met, which could come into play should we sell our house. Our previous deck, installed by our home's previous owner, was far out of code and was an issue when we negotiated the purchase. We couldn't be happier with the final product, our deck looks better than some of the cabinetry in our house. Regarding our price, we chose the higher options, such as Cedar railings, benches and IPE (ironwood) for the deck. If simply choosing pressure-treated wood, it would have been some $4,000 less. Bruce even did some minor work on our brick walkway for no extra charge. At the end, they did a complete clean up. There was no damage whatsoever to my lawn or landscaping. I wish they did more than decks, I'd use them again for carpentry in a heartbeat.

I couldn't be more pleased from the beginning to the end of the process. The first day Bruce came to look at the job and I wasn't really sure what kind of materials I wanted used (thought I might want composite) Bruce educated me on the advantages of Ipe (Ironwood) and that's what I decided to go with. When he saw the space he potentially would be working with, Bruce made some design suggestions that in the final product totally exceeded my expectations. All along in the process I was kept apprised of what would be done when and the follow through was always there. Bruce and his carpenter, Tom, displayed an attention to detail that I believe would be second to none and daily left the job site immaculate.

He quoted the deck. His price was very competitive and better than some New Hampshire contractors were pushing. He finished the deck on time as promised.

AT OUR FIRST MEETING BRUCE BROUGHT WOOD SAMPLES, OFFERED A LOT OF HELPFUL ADVICE ON DESIGN AND EXPLAINED IN DETAIL THE WORK INVOLVED. HIS PRICE WAS RIGHT. BRUCE HELPED ME IN A COMPLICATED TASK OF OBTAINING TOWN ZONING PERMIT, AND PROVIDED A GOOD AND VERY REASONABLY PRICED SURVEYOR. BOTH BRUCE AND HIS CARPENTER AL WERE PROFESSIONAL, FRIENDLY AND VERY EFFICIENT. THE JOB WAS DONE WITHOUT DELAY AND WITH NO MESS. IT WAS A REAL PLEASURE TO WATCH THEM WORK, AND I AM VERY PLEASED WITH MY NEW DECK. I RECOMMEND THEIR SERVICES VERY HIGHLY.

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