Deck and Shed Pros

8/8/13 Update: Maryland Deck and Shed have taken care of all the remaining issues and we are now satisfied with the job. Thank you for standing behind your work. The owner estimated the job and the work started with no problem. I was generally pleased with the completed job however there were some remaining 'punch list' items which needed to be handled and I emailed my contact, Steve, with the requests. Specifically, the post caps were not what I wanted (plastic) and they needed to be replaced with wood ones, some trim board was missing, two pieces of siding were damaged during the installation and needed to be repaired, and the white quarter round molding was damaged in many places and needed repair. On April 10th, I emailed a request to the owner and Steve to have these items addressed. I received a reply the next day asking for final payment and assuring me that one of their contractors would be out to complete the repair items. I made the final payment, in hindsight, a big mistake. After two weeks none of the items had been addressed so I called my contact person to follow up on the delay. I was asked to email the job supervisor directly with a list of the items and the name of the paint for the siding. On April 25, I emailed the following to the job supervisor, Troy: 1. I need the lighted post caps on the deck replaced with standard post caps as shown 2. Install post caps on the balcony. 3. Repair or replace, re-attach, and caulk & paint as necessary, all white trim located between the deck and the house 4. Install and caulk missing white trim on balcony 5. Finish caulking on the deck attached post nearest to the driveway. Currently there are big gaps where it meets the siding 6. The exterior trim color for the two damaged siding boards is Sherwin Williams "Butter Up" Yellow. I believe it is exterior flat paint Another week passed and I did not receive a response to my email or a phone call and no work was completed. I sent another email on 5/2/13 to the owner, Jim, and Steve and Troy: Jim, I sent this email one week ago and have not received a response from anyone nor has anyone come to finish the job. I made my final payment three weeks ago and the issues I outlined below are still outstanding after multiple calls and emails to you, Steve, and Troy. I would appreciate knowing what your plan is including dates this will be completed. It took a few more weeks, but finally they came out and finished the work around the end of May. I was selling my home and on 6/17 I wrote an email to the owner, supervisor and my assigned contact to let them know that my home was going to be sold to new owners and all of the post caps were coming off. Hello Steve and Jim, The sale of my house at 148 Treehaven St will be completed Monday morning. On Sunday, the new buyers discovered that all of the post caps were glued on and are not secure. This is because they all had paper labels inside and the glue is holding to paper label to the post, but nothing holds the paper label to the post cap. They are all currently unattached. Will you please send one of your people by to secure the post caps with nails? This needs to be done on the deck as well as the balcony. Thanks for your help. I will give the new owners your contact information in case they need to follow up. After settlement on 6/24, I emailed to let Jim, Steve and Troy know the following: They have $400 of my funds in escrow, and the repairs must be completed in 30 days or I will loose that money. They really need the post caps to be nailed or screwed on. Also, some of the caps are already damaged by weather. There are 3 or 4 extras still remaining in my basement which you may be able to use Steve emailed back to say he would handle it personally, but the new owner discovered that someone came out at an unscheduled time, re-glued the post caps, and they still did not stick. On 7/12/13 the new owner of my home emailed Steve to complain about the poor response and workmanship and to let him know that the post caps are still not secured.

I had heard about Angie's List and decided to give it try in search of reputable deck builder. I found Maryland Deck & Shed was local to my area and had great reviews so, I decided to call for an estimate. I spoke to Jim who was easy to talk without pouring on the sales pitch. He sent Steve Hessler out to survey my property and learn more about what I wanted and how I envisioned the final product. Not only did he have great pictures (examples) of completed projects for inspiration, Steve was able draw freehand what my vision for a custom deck would actually look like and provide additional ideas about architectural details that really made my vision standout. Steve got back to me later with an estimate. However, I am a firm believer in getting more than one quote. I got two madditional quotes and Maryland Deck & Shed had the best price and ideas for my vision. I signed the contract and they started and finished on time. The quality of material and workmanship was excellent and the crew was professional and detail oriented. Most importantly, they didn't mind making slight adjustment to the plans if I didn't quite like something without additional charge, even it meant re-doing some of the work. I am extremely pleased with their service and my wife loves her new living space. Anytime I'm looking for her, I know where to find her - she's right there enjoying her new deck. Bob Richardson 12732 Lime Kiln Rd Highland, MD 0777

The inital response to my inquiry was very quick. Jim, the owner came out as scheduled to provide me with an estimate for replacing my existing deck and installation of a new fence. Jim was diligent with measuirng and drawing out the plans on the spot. He quickly said that the deck could be extended, where as the other companies said it couldn't be done. Samples of decking were brought to the appointment, which was great for a visual. There was a continuous lapse in corresponding with Jim via email; which became frustrating at times. He did deliver the paper work in person; which I appreciated. I was then in contact with the salesman/contractor for the project, Steve Hessler. Steve was on top of things and we corresponded frequently as to the time frame, cost and questions that I had. There was a wait time for my association to approve the project and in the interim Steve pulled the permits and all the necessary information, so that the job was ready to go when scheduled. I was appreciative to Jim and Steve for working with me to defray costs, in that we removed the decking ourselves. Rob Blanton headed up the work crew and it was obvious he was very experienced and knowledgeable. The crew came early each day and worked a 12 hr day the second day to finish up early on the 3rd day; because it was very hot weather; in the 90's. I appreciated their courtesy and patience with all my questions. Rob and the crew obviously took great pride in their work. I've received many compliments from my neighbors and one said they couldn't believe that the project was done so quickly! Definitely would recommend to neighbors and friends.

The work looks great. They showed up on time. They were time efficient. However, I didn’t appreciate the smoking in the backyard. But at least they cleaned up after themselves.

I think the work went well. They used subcontractors for some of the work. They were respectful of our property. They even pulled out some shrubbery for me that was next to the deck. The work area stayed clean. They were respectful of our property. I would hire them again.

Steve Hessler from Maryland Deck and Shed came out and surveyed our backyard. We needed a one-step deck and I wanted it to look nice. He gave us a picture of a custom job he had done before with flower boxes built in and benches, a European style. We liked it and he priced it. The price was for a standard #1 pressure-treated wood style but Steve upgraded it for us for free. When the workers came, they did the job quickly and professionally. When it started to rain, they worked as long as they could but then had to quit when only the platform was completed. This was a real downpour, so three days passed before they could get out and when they did, they went right back to work. Over the three days I had asked Steve for a design modification to have the deck open out to a different side from the original design. Steve approved it and it was built into the final deck design. The workers finished the deck in one day, spray-cleaned it, took up their tools, and were off. They were punctual and polite, and did the job very well. We love the deck and the custom design is really outstanding. Kudos to Maryland Deck and Shed! Glad we chose them.

The guys arrived early and stayed until the job was done. Initially the fence looked a little blocky. The guys thought it through and made some adjustments. I wanted to have some privacy and not block a view. They created a beautiful lattice. They were thoughtful, creative, hardworking and good natured. I am really impressed.

Steve Hessler helped with the design, which greatly added to the appearance. The crew worked like a well-practiced team throughout the day, and they arrived on time and stayed late to complete the job. The work site was left clean and safe. We wouldn't hesitate to use Maryland Deck and Shed again, or recommend them to others.

I hired this company to build a deck using treated lumber with a set of stairs. They have a DIY plan where they will do as much as you ask them too and you can complete the rest yourself. All the lumber, concrete, and hardware was provided within the price quote and delivered to my house just prior to them starting the project. They came as scheduled and completed the work within a day and a half. I finished the remainder of the project myself and overall it saved me $2000 using the DIY plan. The company was very easy to work and I felt they cared about the customer and they certainly produced a quality project which I am very happy about. My only negative comment would be communication with them. A few examples would be the original deck plans they provided had the deck boards laid down perpendicular to the floor joists. I clearly told them I wanted a herringbone pattern on the layout. I told the project manager and he said not to worry. Well the crew came to build the deck and even after explaining it to the foreman they did not lay the center joist in the correct spot. This caused them to have to come back and fix the problem (which they did without any problems doing it) and lay down the center board correctly. The deck inspector noticed one small detail to correct and I called the company to come out and fix and they did immediately. Overall I have recommended this company to my friends and neighbors and they are first on my list to contact again if I have any work to be done they specialize in.

I called and talked to Jim and we set up a time for him to come out and give me an estimate.He mistakenly put me on his calender for the day following our agreed date.When he didn't show I got an e-mail that night.He explained his error and apologized. The next morning he called again,apologized a second time and we set up a new time.He showed up on time,was friendly and professional. yAlthough I wasn't inconvenienced by the first missed appointment ,Jim wrote me a check for 100 dollars,stating that his company policy was to compensate the customer for lost time for missed appointments.I received an estimate within 24 hours.We didn't have the work performed but,all in all, he runs a classy organization based on my experience.I would certainly hire him to do work for me in the future.

Maryland Deck and Shed installed a new pressure treated wood deck and fence onto my town home. The whole process was smooth and seamless. I received 3 quotes for the job, but ultimately went with them due to their responsiveness, professionalism, and willingness to accommodate my construction requests. The entire job,once I received approval from my HOA, took less than 5 days. I could not be happier with the results, and wish I would have done this sooner. I would recommend them to anyone considering building a deck or fence.

We initially contacted them through their website, and received a reply within 1 day. This was followed up by a phone call. I sent the project specs by email and received a bid within a week. The work was scheduled for the following week, but was delayed waiting for the siding, which had to be ordered. We dealt with Steve, who was prompt, courteous, and always responded immediately to any question or concern that came up. Once construction started, it took four days to complete the shed. Rob, the crew boss, was extremely polite, professional, and hard working. He answered any questions we had along the way, and addressed any issues we raised. The only one worth mentioning was a concern with how the footers were poured: our contract specified 30 inches below grade, but none of the footers were dug that deep (although most were close, a couple were barely half as deep as required). More importantly, the footers weren't aligned correctly, so that the vertical supports barely caught the edge of some footers, and in one case, would have completely missed it. It wasn't until I said something that they stopped building the shed, removed what they'd assembled, and redug and repoured the footers. I should point out that they not only addressed this issue it to our satisfaction, they made it even better than we had envisioned. When we started this project, one of our major concerns was that it remain stable and secure (it's on a slope). It's so well built, it's like a little house, so we have no worries there. While we're generally pleased with the overall final product, we've noted several issues in the two weeks since then: 1. We contracted to have the shed wrapped in tyvek under the siding. In addition, I specifically reminded Rob of this during construction. Unfortunately, I wasn't there the final day, when the shed was completed, and apparently they did not install the tyvek. 2. When the ridge venting was installed, no end plugs were inserted. The result was that rain and insects were easily able to enter through the gaps. We purchased two end plugs for about $4 each and installed them ourselves in a few minutes. It boggles the mind that they would skip such a simple step. 3. At least one of the gutter downspouts was not installed properly (they just tucked it behind some siding instead of actually attaching it) and the strap broke free during the first rain storm we experienced. 4. The strikeplate on the doorknob was not installed correctly (it wasn't screwed in place). This is so minor that I'd normally just chalk it up to an oversight, fix it myself, and not mention it, but combined with the other issues, I felt I should. As I mentioned at the outset, we've worked with a number of contractors in recent years, and I'd say that this one is on par with the others. Very responsive, but you have to pay close attention to them as they're working. They did a very good job of fixing the issue with the footers, and I'm currently awaiting a resolution on the other issues (and will update this review when I get one). The crew did a thorough job cleaning up after the work was done, so no complaints there. Despite the issues we encountered, we remain pleased with the overall product. The bottom line (and this is true with any contractor) is that you need to be actively engaged with the project, check on it frequently (and at all critical stages), and speak up immediately if anything seems amiss. If you do that, I think you'll be happy with this contractor. UPDATE: After we pointed out they hadn't fulfilled their contract, they did offer to come out and remove the siding and put up the tyvek. We decided we didn't want that done, since the siding probably would be worse for wear after being removed. They came out about two weeks later and took care of the other items on the list.

The design and quality of craftsmanship was extraordinary. A special thanks to Steve Hessler and Rob. I truly appreciate their professionalism and commitment to meet my expectations.

I had an excellent experience with Jim. I called the company at 9am on a Thursday, and Jim was at the house less than 3 hours later. (He had an appointment in the area and made time to stop by and look at the home I'm purchasing, on top of his busy schedule.) Jim not only provided an opinion on the issue I was concerned with (improper nails were used on the joists, and are now rusting), but also provided feedback on other ways that the deck safety could be improved. He let me know that the various projects were relatively small and could probably be performed by a handyman; he did not push his services at all. He also gave me a ballpark idea of what it would cost to build a new deck, when I'm ready to do that in the future. Maryland Deck and Shed was a pleasure to work with - highly responsive, professional and customer focused. I would certainly consider hiring them in the future.

They did a beautiful job. The deck came out fabulous. Randy and his crew were outstanding and they worked in a very frigid weather. The materials they used were of outstanding quality. I would recommend them in a heartbeat. Randy came out to give an estimate and went over everything priot to the start date. We have received many compliments about the work. They were able to finish the project before Christmas as promised. Jim the owner followed up many times to make sure we were satisfied. We were extremely pleased with the project and they were great.

We were very pleased with the responsiveness and the quality of the work. Everything was done on time and to our satisfaction, and communication was excellent.

Met with Steve Hessler and went over the design plan of what I was looking for. Steve knew exactly what I wanted and gave me a price that was very reasonable. The crew who put up my deck were very professional and friendly. They care about my two dogs having away to gain entrance into my back yard which I thought was great. They cleaned up each day before they left. The thing that really impress me was on the last day everyone was excepting this big storm to come our way, those guys stay until midnight to ensure the job was finish...Great!. I'm hoping Steve put before and after pictures on their website so everyone can see the great job Maryland Deck and Shed did. I'm looking to have them come back and built my shed.

We contacted Randy last spring to assess our deck, which seemed to be drooping on one end, and had shaky railing, despite another company having come to "fix" it a few years back. We discussed replacing the entire deck with composite versus simply addressing the underlying issue that was causing the instability. I was impressed with Randy's immediate assessment of the problems, and certainty in solving them. There were several other projects that I got estimates on with the company (concrete work in front, new walkway, storage system under the deck), and I think this may have overwhelmed him a little. After the initial estimate, I emailed back to ask some questions and never heard back (May of 2012). After having several other companies assess the deck and offer their opinions on the problem, I decided to contact Randy again this month. We decided to just repair the main deck area and railing, and Randy was available quickly. They finished the work today and the quality is excellent. Just looking out the window, it's obvious that the entire deck is now level, and the railing is straight. The whole rail is now solid, and with the new posts and footings, I believe that this solution will last.

Maryland Deck And Shed's response time was very quick and the advisory of what products to use was above average.

Everything went well, and they did a good job with installation.

Was considering on building a shed for extra storage space so I searched companies in Angie's list and came across Maryland Deck & Shed (MDS). I visited MDS's website http://www.marylanddeckandshed.com/ and was impressed with the under deck sheds and the under-decking water proofing system. I contact MDS via Angie's list and the company owner, Jim Sarazin, contacted me to schedule an estimate. Jim sent, Steve, an MDS representative, to provide an estimate. Steve was very knowledgeable and was willing to work with me to cut down costs. I also wanted Steve to include in the estimate the construction of a wooden box around the utilities section given that after hurricane Sandy and previous several caulking attempts water was coming in from that section. I was happy with the cost so proceeded to sign a project contract. During the construction, the crew was extremely professional and hard working. Sararzin, who I spoke with on several occasions came by when the work was completed to close the contract. He explained and made sure everything was done to my satisfaction. MDS could not garantee the underdecking system and the wood box to be waterproof. Only one gripe, the crew could have done a better job cleaning up after the work was complete. Nevertheless, I highly recommend MDS.

I found Jim and Randall to be very friendly and extremely true to their word. The work that was completed is exceptional. I will use them again and reccomend them to my neighbors.

I highly recommend Maryland Deck and Shed. The crew was extremely professional and hard working. We love our deck!

The experience was great. I got 6 bids for this job. I threw out the high and the low. Maryland deck and shed seemed to be the most responsible and competent company in the "middle 4 bids"- so i chose them. Robert Altendorf was both my sales guy and my construction manager for the job. He was excellent. His knowledge and his demeanor were exceptional and I felt very calm with him handling the job for me. I felt that both Robert and the company ownership cared deeply that the job was done right and i was impressed with the owner of the company Jim Sarzin, who I spoke with on several occasions. Robert was at the job daily. He emailed or texted me with updates every afternoon. He was easy to reach and reasonable to deal with as the job was going on. The ownership of the company showed up to check on the job a couple of times as well. The owner also called me at the conclusion of the job to make sure everything was done to my satisfaction. I know they are interested in keeping their super service award status with Angie's List and they are very customer service oriented as a result. This is a win win situation for Angie's List customers and the companies that benefit from great reviews. This is a company that i would and have recommended to friends and family. My experience was great. Hire them.

Overall, it was amazing how efficiently the crew worked. It seemed that everyone had a task to perform and there was no downtime. The storage shed was built in a day and a half. Truthfully, I did not need to be there. I was so impressed.