Deck and Shed Pros

Very professional and courteous. Took the time to answer all questions. Ended up not using as the project became out of our budget and more than we wanted to spend. No fault to MD Deck and Shed, they did everything they said they would do.

I had never spoken with Jim Savanin before last Friday 5/8, and I remain enthralled by the superior service he provided to us on that date. I was exploring Angie's List for companies that could give us an estimate on repairing rotted deck posts for a property we are planning on buying. I left messages with several companies Friday morning. By Friday mid-day, I had heard from only a few and all needed several days to get on-site and/or charged fees averaging $350 to provide estimates. Jim called back within a couple of hours personally, and said he would be happy to come by that very day at no charge. Jim spent close to an hour (between two visits) at the property, and gave me the most thorough explanation of his findings. To add even more credibility to his character, he said this was a job he would not take- it was very complicated and would be costly to us. I hope to be able to work with Jim in the near future; he stood no personal gain from helping us, but rather is clearly driven by providing excellent support, service and overall expertise to his community. Thanks Jim! Rosanna Corbin (Annlynn's daughter)

I cannot say enough good things about Maryland Deck and Shed and its staff. At the first visit when I received the quote I was very impressed with the knowledge, professionalism, and honesty of Randy. He gave us several options and thoroughly explained each of them. Compared with the other quotes I had received it was no contest. Once the work had started I was again struck by the high quality of the workers, their work ethic and their skills. Carl and Tavon were excellent. They worked hard paying attention to every detail. It was clear they both take pride in their work and the final product shows it. Randy did an excellent job supervising the project and I was very impressed with how he handled the changes necessitated when he found carpenter ant damage. He came up with a cost effective solution working with me every step of the way. He also lent a helping hand when the situation called for it working side by side with the crew. The finished deck is awesome. It looks great! Could not be happier! Overall I would rate them as A plus and recommend them whole heartedly!

I got three bids for this deck work. This bid, the last one, was an amazing $1500 less than the lower comparable bid, and they began work THE NEXT DAY, finishing it two days later, compared with start times 4-6 weeks out for the other two bidders. I chose c-select yellow southern pine, the highest grade (no knots) after Steve went thorough the options, including composites. Steve gave me a bid with full specs on the spot. Ted and Jeff did the job efficiently and perfectly, as well as I can tell. They've been building decks for years, often together as a team. They offered me detailed care advice and even fixed the latch on an existing stair gate without my asking. Both guys are real friendly and hard working. The worksite was neat and ended up completely clean. I did have to call them back to schedule an initial visit, because my first call and web-supplied information got lost in their system. Considering how efficiently everything else went, I suspect this was a rare glitch. If you do have to call them back, well, do it! The deck and stairs are beautiful.

The project was handled very professionally and promptly. They removed an old, unsteady deck and replaced it with a new, composite deck with a graceful curve, upscale balustrade and round support columns. The entire effort was started just a few days after the contract was signed and construction was completed within 2 weeks. The team left the job site clean and tidy. I highly recommend them for any deck project.

They built us a deck in 2012. Jim worked with us to get the issues fixed. Honored the contract which states they offer a 24 month guarantee. It took some work to get someone over to finish the work but it's complete. Just waiting on the final building inspection.

Although there was some confusion on the time of the appointment, they came as soon as they were aware that I was expecting them. They gave me a comprehensive overview of my deck which was very helpful. They also made some great suggestions on improving my deck. When I told them that I wanted to find the most cost effective option, they were very straightforward with suggestions for me. They even mentioned that they would probably be pricier than I than I could find elsewhere due to the small scale of the work needed. I value the honesty and professionalism of Maryland Deck and Shed, and I hope to have the chance to use them in the near future.

We would highly recommend the services and work of Maryland Deck & Shed. The finished product is everything we wanted and more. From the owner, Jim, to the guys who did the actual hard work, Rob and Jimmy, they were very professional and accommodating. They quickly responded to our query, came up with a design for the deck, porch, and stone patio that more than met our needs and desires, and had a lot of great suggestions we never would have thought of. Construction work was efficient and Rob and Jimmy couldn't have been more professional. Enjoyed our interactions with them immensely. We could get a little fussy about some of the details, but they were eager to resolve any issues that developed along the way. In the end, there were some punch list issues, most minor, but Jim worked with us to resolve them to our mutual satisfaction at no extra cost. The project was a big one, involving tear out of the old deck, porch, and patio, installation of the new ones, which were larger, and all of this happened during a pretty rainy Maryland summer. We've enjoyed the new porch, deck, and patio immensely during the fall and are really looking forward to using them when the weather gets warmer. We waited to do this review until the late winter months so it would show up higher on the list for those who are looking to do new work this spring.

I consider myself an experienced consumer. This is my third home and 4th deck. I had many questions and demand about the details of construction. Steve, who I met with twice, answered all my questions completely and patiently. I thought his price was very competitive, and with angieslist discount, it was excellent. Without going into too much personal detail, I had to cancel the contract 2 days later. It broke my heart. Steve did not give me a hard time. Instead, he was very understanding and wished me well. Very classy, in my opinion. Several days after the cancellation, I called him to ascertain when I might receive my refund. To my surprise, the check was mailed out on the next business day. Apparently, it was sent to the wrong address. Mistakes do happen, not end of the world. Jim, who actually mailed the check, was very apologetic. He offered to hand deliver the check while I was working. Everything about Maryland Deck and Shed is first class. If my circumstances change, they are the first company I call. I completely trust them. I have complete confidence in their work.

They removed all old material, re-enforced the new deck and installed it professionally without issues. A screw popped due to weather and they immediately came to resolve the issue. The crew was clean and professional at all times and job was completed without issue before completion date.

Great work was performed to perfection. The crew was exceptional and respectful and work was completed on time and clean.

The crew was very professional and hard working and described everything they did day to day. The person who tore off the old deck surface was exceptionally hard working. He was by himself and done within three hours. I've never seen anyone work that hard before. All showed up on the time they said they would. The supervisor Rob went above and beyond what I expected. There was a problem after completion which was resolved under warranty.

This is not the first time I've used Md deck and shed. They have done several projects for me. Every time I have used them , they have been very professional and very responsive. I was reluctant to have them install a concrete driveway as they seem to specialize in decks, additions, porches, and patio's. But Mr Hessler assured me that they were quite capable to install this driveway and that they do much more than just decks and porches. So I went ahead and had them install the driveway and the professionalism and quality of the job was outstanding. I could not be happier with the entire job. Thank you thank you thank you.

Update 11/26/2015. Seven months have gone by. Provider had asked us to wait until past "the season" so he could free up a crew to resolve our problems. Have not heard back from MD&S after repeatedly leaving messages. Their response to this review is a bunch of empty promises. We are at the end of our patience and are considering legal options against this provider. Update 4/20/2015. After writing the first unflattering review on Angie's List, it took less than a week before the vendor contacted us to see how he could make us whole, get this right. He showed good faith for about a 2-month period confirming he would meet our requirements: new project manager, new design, architectural review, rework would be done on vendor's costs, etc. Vendor posted a response to our original review claiming warranty had expired, yet they were still trying to appease this customer. It's hard to imagine that, after spending $15,000, all we have is a rotted shed that's a health hazard an unsafe for children. This vendor has never delivered anything usable to us. I don't call that "out of warranty." I call that fraud, a scam, or whatever other terms you can think of. After Feb 12 the lights went dark again. We tried on several occasions to contact the vendor but to no avail. Owner claims "he doesn't read his company emails" and "only his secretary reads them." We have reached our limit, our patience is up. It is time that the consumer community understands the true nature of this company, of this owner: a fraud.

I have used Maryland Deck and Shed for two of my own outdoor additions. When one of my rental properties needed upgrading, they were the first and only company called. From the initial contact to the final walk thru, Maryland Deck and Shed is honest and thoughtful. I was concerned about a particular latch on the gate regarding ability of young children to open it. They suggested a work around that I never would have considered. I know that no matter what they will stand behind their work. After this job I will not hesitate to have them do any remaining work I need as well as refer them to my brother in law who is in real estate. Thank you again Jim and Steve for making this a stress free project.

Md deck and shed once again designed and built an amazing and impressive front porch to my home which Mr. Hessler again designed and had his crew build it in less then 2 days. I was speechless when first he said it will be done within 4 days, so you can imagine my surprise when it was 100% complete in less than 2 days, and 1 of the days was a Saturday. The quality and craftsmanship is impeccable. I am attaching photos for you to see because I am so proud of the work. Once again I am rating Md. Deck and Shed and their crew with all AAA PLUS' for superior customer service and craftsmanship. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!

Very well. We really like our new deck. The quality of the materials and work done was very good. I want to recognize Steve who worked with me on the contract. He was easy to trust, and provided a competitive price. He worked with me on the details and the work was done exactly like we wanted it done. I would highly recommend this contractor for your deck needs. Scotty was the other person who helped and built the deck. They arrived on time (infact they fit us in to a busy schedule and got the work done a week or two earlier than what we had initially planned). Old deck was removed carefully and the new deck was built well. I would recommend this contractor.

Steven Hessler designed a fantastic flat style roof with pillars,arches and custom scrolls that were hand carved on site along with staining the beams and scrolls. He and his crew designed and built an interior style bar complete with wine glass holders and refrigerator. I could not imagine my deck to be so impressive. It is the talk of the town amongst my friends, family and neighbors. this is the third job that Md deck and shed has done for me. I highly recommend them and they will be my lifetime contractors. I give them an AAAA plus in everything.

In May of 2014, we originally attempted to contact Maryland Deck and Shed via Angie's List and through their web site. After waiting a few days with no response, we made a call to the main office and received a return call to make an appointment for an initial meeting. Normally I would not pursue a company that is not responsive, but the overall ratings at Angie;s list were good and there were many reveiws. We interviewed other contractors, but liked the design that MD Deck and Shed developed. Steve, our project manager, designed the deck and was very knowledgeable, but the first contract presented was short on construction requirements and long on legal requirements of the contract. We requiered they expand on the specific material and construction requirements, then signed a contract on 19 June. Living in PG county we new it would take time to acquire the proper permits to proceed. After a week with no status updates we contacted the project manager and were advised that the permit request was not submitted yet. Finally, on 29 July the permit was issued. A weekly update ws requested and would have been appreciated. The next day work on the deck began and things moved smoothly. The construction team led by Rob was responsive and accomplished work in a professtional manor. We are happy with our final product, but recommend improvements be made managing the initial contact and contract developement/negotiations. The lack of responsiveness initially was concerning and frustrating, but we are pleased with the style and construction of the deck.

Job went very well. Steve (salesperson) proposed a curved outer edge of the deck which has added a significant new sense of spaciousness without actually adding much footage. Proposed price was the lowest of those bid for the work involved. Installation began on time and lasted the full expected two weeks, partially due to the difficulty of digging new footers in exceptionally rocky ground. Chris (the foreman) and his crew were very professional, worked well as a team and had obviously worked together a long time, regularly consulted with us as to progress and next steps and involved us in the entire process. Crew was very respectful, they did not smoke on our property, and they cleaned up very well each day. New deck is beautiful, house is fully repaired from the original water damage. Price was less than expected in that the original price did not include the house repairs (which involved significant wood replacement) but Maryland Deck was finally able to include this work and the installation of the new storm doors at no additional cost over the original proposal, citing unexpected savings in the permitting process. But they did not have to tell us this, and we were fully expecting to pay additional costs for the actual repairs, which could not be estimated until the old deck was fully removed. We would not hesitate to use them again.

In the fall of 2013, we contracted Maryland Deck and Shed to build a studio in our back yard. This was a large project and beautifully designed. Building started on time, and was delayed only a short while during bad weather. The builders were here early in the morning and worked steady throughout the day. The first problem was with the railing. We had special ordered the porch and stair railing; however, the stair railing was not measured correctly and came up short. Only two options were available. Wait another few weeks (well after Christmas) for new railings or have them build flower boxes to compensate for the missing length. We opted for the flower boxes to expedite the building. Building was completed after the holidays. At the first big rain in January, we went out to the studio and the loft floor under the window was soaked. The builder came out about a week later and said someone forgot to caulk the window when it was installed. Then, a few weeks later we noticed a crunching sound when we walked on the tile floor. A closer look revealed the grout between the tiles was crumbling. I immediately contacted the builder via text messages and he stated he would try and come out. I didn?t hear from him for a few days, so I texted again. He asked what the floor looked like. I explained that the grout was crumbling, the tiles were rocking, and it sounded like you were walking on ground glass. He said ?Yea, that?s why I didn?t want to put tile on it.? Text messages continued until it was agreed that we would wait until the warmer weather for them to come out and fix the floor. I contacted the builder in April, and again in May. Each time I was told he would make arrangements to come out. Each time, no results. I then contacted our original salesman, Steve. He stated, via email, that he thought the builder had taken care of it, apologized, and said he would get with the builder and get it all fixed. Never heard from him again. By now, the floor is warped, the tiles in the center of the studio move over every step, and there is no grout holding them down. We had another company out to look at it and they were shocked that a backer board was not installed for the tile to adhere to. The tile was put directly onto the plywood floor. So, here it is, Fall of 2014, almost one year later. I have text messages and emails stating MD Deck and Shed will fix the problem, but no attempt was ever made to come out and fix the problem. Not what I expected from a company doing a $30,000 project, and states on their website they are ?dedicated to providing our customers with the finest quality Deck and Shed construction possible.? What they are really good at is being dedicated to putting off and ignoring their customers. I have repeatedly contacted them and have been given lip service each and every time. Meanwhile, the floor of my shed is ruined, less than 1 year after it was built. UPDATE: Nov 5th, 2014 A couple of weeks after this review was posted, Steve Hessler, our salesman, contacted us. He stated he thought the repairs were made to the floor, and apologized for dropping the ball. He assumed it was taken care of, and should have followed up. Steve came out two weeks ago and took a look at the problem. He said he wanted to make it right, and offered to send his tile guy out to take a look at it. Said they could install backer board, fix the warped floor, re grout and all would be good. I also showed him a few minor issues with other things, and said he would take care of those too. Said the tile guy would call and come out sometime that next week. Sunday morning, 10 am, the tile guy shows up. Unannounced. No problem. My husband brought him out to take a look. Tile guy said the reason the grout crumbled and the tiles are no longer secure was because the floor was never sealed. Said he would get some supplies and come back. Unfortunately, I was not there at the time, but was returning soon. Husband told tile guy Steve had spoken of backer board, and didn't want to sign off on a repair without getting a consensus. Tile guy said ok, and told Husband he would call Steve and have him call us to discuss solution. That was on October 26th. Status as of Nov 5th, 2014 - We have heard nothing from anyone since. The lack of communication is astonishing. Update Nov 17th, 2014 - Sent an email to Steve Hessler on Nov 12th requesting a response of either acknowledgement that they will fix the problems, or a confirmation they will be ignoring the claim and closing the issue. No response as of Nov 17th, 2014 - if you use this company, do not expect any warranty, guarantee, or promise of any type of customer service. You will be your own.

I called MD Deck & Shed and set up an appointment for an estimate a day or two later. Steve showed up, was very professional and courteous. He answered all of my questions and worked up an estimate that I was satisfied with. My wife and I discussed it briefly that evening and I called Steve back the following day to begin the process to have them build us the deck. My wife and I signed the contract, returned it to MD Deck & Shed along with the 1st payment and waited for things to start, which began fairly quickly, though there was a hiccup because of a fault on my part, because of a permitting issue. The permitting issue was taken care of and work began. Scotty, the foreman, showed up the first day and made me aware of everything that was to take place to begin, and along the way. A couple of minor hiccups aside, I was very satisfied with the work performed by MD Deck & Shed. After completion of the deck a final inspection was completed and I was satisfied with the workmanship, materials used, etc. Scotty the foreman was very professional and always kept us informed of what work would be being performed each day. There were a couple of questions along the way about what I had wanted, and Scotty was always quick to ask us and do whatever it was that we asked.

Deck built a year ago with poor workmanship and quality. I would never use or recommend Maryland Deck and Shed due to the poor workmanship and follow-up. We purchased our home in June last year with the new deck installed by seller prior to sale by Maryland Deck & Shed over the existing frame with a 2 year warranty. It had cost more than $14K.. Recently, we highlighted the poor quality and workmanship to the Maryland Deck & Shed Owner and 2 of their employees. After several meetings with verbal assurances and acknowledgement of issues there has been no subsequent follow-up. Given the poor workmanship, safety concerns, and lack of follow-up we are now paying a licensed contractor to repair the railing. Specifically, the issues include: 1. Main part of deck railing held together by one nail (response by owner/employee -"it was a mistake". there should be more than 1 nail. I don't know why they did that). 2. Parts of deck railing missing nails causing buckling (response- "its buckling because there are no nails there- there should be. I don't know why they did not put a nail in") 3.Gaps in side of deck leading into the house enabling water entry on (i) both the main deck and (ii) bedroom balcony deck (subsequent significant water damage caused by the holes not caulked from the bedroom balcony deck. Response by employee- "I am not paid to caulk the holes-it?s not my job to caulk". There was only one side caulked for both the main deck and balcony deck- while each other side was not caulked leaving an open entry into the house. 4. The deck railing itself is not straight/ tight but a zig zag pattern (response by employee- ?you just have to push it here and there to straighten up?- after doing so it went back to the zig-zag pattern. 5. Parts of the deck flooring show buckling 6. Other observations include poorly chosen pickets which had large knots which are weaker and could readily break In some ways, we should have known the deck would have been an issue as they had to come back 4 times at the start to glue caps on the posts of the railing and each time they kept gluing the caps with the paper label still on the under surface of the cap- so it would not adhere. I had pointed this out each time and they assured me that this was normal. I would never recommend this company. We could not take the risk of further poor work or waiting for a response given the lack of accountability by the owner and his team. We decided to pay out of pocket to have the job done properly to be safe given we have young children. I have pictures of their work should anyone want to see the quality of their work in the event you are considering them. FOLLOW-UP James Sarazin, the owner of MD Deck and Shed has conveniently ignored/avoided the feedback review of the deck/railing with the above stated QUALITY ISSUES. The technical issues such as one nail holding up a deck railing, missing nails from deck, absent caulking, redoing of post caps are reflections of the POOR QUALITY of work performed on this deck/railing. I have documented PHOTOS for each of these issues and had shared with James. If anyone would like to see these before considering this company then we would be willing to share. The owner has never disputed these POOR QUALITY ISSUES but notably fails to acknowledge below. He offered remediation based on these DEFECTS and that he is UNDER OBLIGATION WITH THE WARRANTY associated with the contract. However, we could NOT TRUST THE QUALITY of his work and advised him that we would prefer to pay a licensed professional to rectify. We were being generous in our review- what is not mentioned is the manner in which his employees spoke to myself and my wife. As professionals, a physician by background, and my wife as a dentist, there is nothing more important than quality, and the way we treat people. James may be a very nice, charming salesman but we would NEVER TRUST HIM or the company based on the quality of the work.

I had originally contacted MD Deck and Shed for a quote in April and at the time selected a different contractor. Prior contractor did not work out so I called MD Deck and Shed again. I worked with Steve and once we agreed on pricing I submitted the plans to my homeowners association for approval. After providing MD Deck and Shed with my homeowners association approval, MD Deck provided me with an estimated start date and the work began on time. The lead project person assigned to my project was Rob and he was fantastic - I would request Rob if at all possible (at this point Steve drops out of the picture). Both Rob and his partner (I think it was Jimmy) arrived on time every day for the two week project. They told me what was planned for the day and answered any questions I had for them. I left for work and if Rob needed me for anything he texted or called. Rob was professional and informative and on more than one occasion he mentioned that their job was to make the customer happy. The work was completed timely and I am extremely pleased with the final product. Many of my neighbors used the same contractor (the one I had originally signed with) and comparing my finished porch/deck to others in the neighborhood, I feel like I have a better quality product than most of my neighbors.

He took the time to tell me what my options are and what kind of products I should use. He offered to come out and look at it for me, but I did not want to waste his time. He answered all of my questions and was very helpful and knowledgeable. He talked me through how to test my deck to make sure it was structurally sound.