Creative Fences & Decks Inc

We already were familiar with Creative Fences and Decks, since a number of years ago they built a fence for our neighbor. We really admired that fence so when I saw that they had a good record on Angie's List, I called them. Mitica came out the following day to do an estimate. Although, the price was a bit more than that charged by competitors, since we knew the quality of their work, we accepted the bid. A week and a half later, they arrived and began building. Our yard is a bit difficult, because a drainage ditch runs through it and there is a considerable change in grade . There are also some trees and bushes that brush the lot line where the fence was to be built. We think they worked around the problems beautifully. They worked quickly and efficiently. They arrived on time and the workers worked steadily until the project was completed and they cleaned up all debris. They worked very hard to give us the privacy that we were after. We had to wait a bit for the preservative stain to be applied, because of torrential spring rains that kept the fence wet for over a month, but now that it is finished, we are extremely pleased. When we need work done again...perhaps on a deck, we will definitely contact Creative Fences and Decks to do the work.

Arrived exactly on time everyday. Estimator immediately drew plan and wrote detailed estimate. Estimator arrived with work crew, introduced them to us and explained the job to them. Excellent work. Debris neatly stacked and removed Monday a.m. Work completed on Saturday.

The people from Creative Fences and Decks were consistently prompt, responsive, dependable, and professional from the time of the initial quote through completion of the deck. The pricing was competitive with other high-quality builders, and the focus on workmanship and attention to detail was very evident. They exceeded our expectations and we?ll use them again if the opportunity arises and will recommend them to others who are considering this type of project.

The job took 2 days. They showed up on time and worked fast. They took down the old fence and set the posts on the first day. On the second day they finished the fence cleaned up everything and were done by 3:00PM. The workers were very friendly and came to me with any questions or concerns. They were concerned about not damaging any plants etc. They do great work.

This company is the best - I don't normally give all As, nor rave, but this is an exceptional company. They did a beautiful job, in a reasonable time, at a cost much less than the other three bids I got. Everyone I dealt with from this company was honest and forthright. They have access to hardwood lumber that others don't seem to have, and they know how to use it to make decks of high quality and good design. Again, highly reccommended

He was very responsive and took a look. The estimate came in higher than I was expecting. That may be what the price needs to be, but I wasn?t ready to pay that much. He was professional. He spent time doing a drawing.

I got a couple of estimates and theirs was not the lowest but they were very responsive in scheduling the estimate and getting back to me so I went with them for the work. After calling to let them know I was ready to proceed, I sent in a check for 50% down and expected a call to schedule the work. 6 days letter, the check had been cashed but I hadn't heard from them which was annoying. I called and they promptly got back to me. Came out a day later and had all the work done in 3 days total. They were fast, did some extra work to clear shrubs with only a small add'l charge and the fence looks great.

I was impressed with the quality of the work they performed and feel they used only the best quality materials and building techniques. The job did not go without a hitch however even though I did not "ding" them on it in the ratings since it is not clear exactly how responsible they were or should have been. Overall the job took longer to complete than planed. In a nutshell the deck required no permits because of it's height above ground, but a county inspector stopped their work on the pergola shortly after it started indicating they needed a permit for that work. To obtain a permit required additional expense for architectural drawings and engineering calculations. It appears that permits for deck covers are somewhat fuzzy in the code and depend in part on the total area of the cover. Most often such work does not require permitting. The engineering calculations called for building the structure with a lot more cross supports than originally planned and Creative Fences and Decks did not argue with me about the added material or labor cost. In my view the structure is now over-engineered and as an engineer myself with some knowledge in this area I feel the original plans were more than adequate. I did end up with a much stronger structure. Creative did ask me to pay for the added out-of-pocket costs for the architecture drawings, permits, and engineering work. I feel I would have been within my rights not to pay any more than the original bid amount since the knowledge of the permitting requirements should by their risk. We did come to an accommodation in part because I would have paid such charges if asked to do so up front and because the permitting for this kind of structure is somewhat of a fuzzy issue. I am very happy with the end product and feel the overall cost for the deck and cover were not excessive given the quality of work and top notch materials.

(03/29/2010) We were hoping to hear from this company as the review by the users seemed really good and its website had very impressive looking decks in its portfolio. We called four companies from the Angie's List and this was the only company that didn't respond. They might have been busy, but could have called or emailed to say so. UPDATE (04/04/2010) This is a follow up to my earlier report. Shortly after I submitted the first report (overall experience D), I received a visit from the company representative. The person left a detailed note. I tried to contact this company via "Email this provider" option on Angie's List, which is how I contacted the other companies, but based on the note I received, this company did not get my e-mail. I am impressed, though, that he made a personal visit. Good customer service.

It went great. Constantin came out and took measurements then gave me an estimate. The estimate was higher than the other two I had gotten, but I felt Creative Fence would do the best job so I went with them. I am glad that I did. The workers had a good work ethic and did an excellent job. It took three days to complete. There was only one tiny issue and that was one of the cedar boards still had bark on it and didn't look well. When I pointed it out they agreed to replace it and then it was perfect. I could not be happier and I highly recommend to anyone thinking about installing a fence to spend the little bit extra and hire the best, Creative Fence.

Very professional installation in all but one regard, the installation of a vinyl lattice screen between the main deck supports of my elevated deck in place of the "redwood" lattice screen my contract called for. When the flimsy vinyl screen was blown out by strong winds this past winter, they replaced it with a redwood screen at no cost to me approximately 2 years (March 2010) after the original installation of the deck. In other words, THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR WORK!

The workmen arrived on the set date and on time and proceeded to completely dismantle my old deck (600 sq. ft.). I was extremely impressed with their professionalism. They cleaned up at the end of each day, leaving no mess. Each day it was fun to see the deck coming together. I was out of town the last three days of the job. When I returned home, the first thing I did was look at the deck. It was absolutely beautiful and beyond my expectations. The backyard was completely clean and all scrap wood was hauled off. I had a follow-up visit to confirm I was pleased. At that visit, I asked for a bid to add onto my fence. I was given a bit, accepted it and they were back within two days to complete the work. All very professional. I will use them again when/if necessary.

Mitica telephoned to apologize for not returning my call (see previous report from 2/10) and coming out to do my railing estimate as promised. He explained that every customer is important to him and apologized for not getting back to me as he was preparing to go out of town. I appreciated his candor and sincerity. I asked him to come out to do a deck estimate and he was prompt, courteous, knowledgeable and professional. I thought it was a little rude to call me that late. Gotta be careful these days. Good. I will submit another report if we have the work completed. I might hire this company again.

Excellent! I especially appreciated that when the design was changed during the process of building the fence there were no complaints or hassles. The pricing for the change in design was fair and square. The process of designing while constructing was fluid. From the owners to the worker bees, these fellows will work with the client to make things the way the client envisions the project.

I have used this company once before and they did a great job then. This project came up due to my mother-inlaw and her neigbor hiring a contractor by word of mouth. He did a sub-par job. I called creative and Constanin came out and stated he would help us out even though they do not like to come in after someone else starts a job. He had to replace 4 post (interior) with exterior one add another for the gate. Long story short, to make it work about 40' had to be reworked andthe gate had to be completely taken down and rebuilt.

Schedules were honored and activities completed. Matika the owner and his Romanian crew demonstrated excellent craftmanship.

We got three estimates for our fence project. All were very professional. Creative Fences and Decks was a bit more expensive than the others but after looking at work done, we decided we liked the look of Creative F & D more. Both design details and materials were more attractive and gave the quality of appearance we wanted. We are happy that we chose them. New fence is beautiful. Gate is solid. We are very pleased with the work. Design is handsome. Workmanship top quality. Mitica had immediately provided an estimate for several possible stages of work so that we could decide how much to begin at this time. We are putting off adding a gate across the driveway but have an idea now of how that can be done and the approximate cost. Mitica was generous with his time and always responsive to our questions and concerns during our decision process. Constantine made sure the work proceeded as we wished and that it was completed to our satisfaction. The two men who actually built the fence made sure that they understood the fine details of our wants. They worked quickly and capably and finished the fence in two days. On the third day all the old fence pieces were removed. I highly recommend Creative Fences and Decks for their professionalism and quality of workmanship and materials as well as their terrific customer service.

Superbly. This was the best experience I've ever had with a contractor. Mitica was extremely professional, the workmen, Gregor and Kasmin, were polite, professional, worked extremely hard, and were artisans in everything they did. They make furniture and their craftsmenship can be seen in all that they do. We have been thrilled with the deck since it was finished and have found it to be a gathering point for our family in the summer months. We could not be more grateful to them for what they have created.

Overall it went very well. They promptly returned our call for an estimate and came out the next day. Once they recieved our deposit they called and started within two days. The work took two days. Installing the retaining board required a bit of digging and they did a very meticulous job of it. There was some miscommunication about the style of fence, but I was OK with either a privacy or a good neighbor fence so it wasn't an issue. I delegated organizing this effort to my husband, so that could also be the cause of miscommunication and the lack of clarity for fence style.

They did a great job. They were always on time and worked very hard. Their attention to detail was extraordinary. We chose the most expensive wood, and their price was comparable. We couldn't be happier with them, and would highly recommend them.

Very professional overall. The quote was quick, efficient, and included showing me images of previous jobs to discuss options. The crew asked lots of questions and made sure what they built was exactly what I expected. I've seen reviews of other companies mentioning they didn't bother to pre-mix the cement for the posts, and was pleased (and not surprised) they thoroughly mixed the cement first. Everything about their work was top-notch. They were not the lowest bid, but am glad I reviewed reports on Angie's list to find quality. Since this fence faces the street we wanted something that looked nice and would last.

Mitica met with us on short notice as we had made a last minute decision to include a new deck in our landscape project. We need someone who could get in quick to poor the deck footings since we were getting ready to install a paver patio under the deck. He gave us an estimate the same day with a few railing options. We signed the contract on 6/5. We had someone else tear down the old deck and re-use the wood. George and his son started a week later than expected but we were told he was very meticulous and "worked at his own pace". This became obvious as we watched George build the deck. He does work a bit slowly but it is because he takes a lot of time to make sure everything is perfect. No mis-matched edges or sloppy overhangs. Every piece of wood if mitered perfectly to the next. The two younger guys who sanded and stained also worked at their own pace. It looked beautiful on completion. We did have a slight problem with what looked like a water spot when we got it wet. I had a hard time connecting with Mitica and getting someone to come out and look at it. A few un-answered phone calls and emails until we finally had someone to look at it. I was frustrated by that. It turned out OK as the water spots did not last even after rain.

We could hardly have asked for more courteous and easy to work with contractor. They went over the details of every decision. Final fence looks perfect and had top-grade materials and construction quality. Certainly the best fencing we've ever had. In this case you certainly get what you pay for.

Our house is on a corner lot with a small back yard and a big side yard. We wanted to join the side yard to the back yard to give our dogs more room to play. The side yard faces the street, so we wanted a fence that looked good too. Creative Fences and Decks built our deck last year and our experience on that project was so good that they were the first company we called. Mitica gave us many different options and prices depending on what we wanted to do. It took us a few weeks to come up with a final design. Once the contract was signed it took about a week until they could get us in their schedule and start work. Work started exactly on time on the day scheduled. Constantine supervised the crew and went over the plan with myself and the builders so there were no surprises. The builders were polite, professional and obviously had built a lot of fences. All the materials were delivered on time and the work progressed quickly. The only problem during the build is that our neighbor complained about the height of two fence panels that blocked the light to his dining room. The height was correct, but to appease our neighbor we asked if the two panels could be lowered. The guys said that this type of thing happens frequently with fences and re-worked the panels without any complaint. They did not charge us for the rework. Constantine called after the work was completed and offered to do a walk-through with us, but it wasn't necessary. We had already thoroughly inspected the work and had no complaints. We did look at other less expensive types of fences and other contractors. I think we could have had this fence built for less money but it would not have the same look or quality. For example, the gates swing perfectly and the latches open and close easily. We couldn't find even one fence board with a knot or any noticeable imperfection. It looks terrific and we are happy with the final product and the professional way it wsa completed.

Miticia Leontescu came out and discussed with project with us. He recommended ipe rather than composite, which we agreed with and gave us the option of 2 different types of railing and their prices. He also pointed out the deck (originally 10 x 5 ft) could be enlarged up to 10 x 8 ft without much additional cost. We chose 10 x 7 ft and the deck is now much more enjoyable. Mitica gave us the option of having him obtain the building permit (architectural drawing, engineering permit fees, etc) which is apparently not easy in Lake Oswego or doing it ourselves. This was $1600 of the overall cost and took almost 2 weeks to complete Completion of the project took 2 workers and 9 days. They were considerate of where supplies were put so we still had access to one side of the garage. The cleanup at the end of the workday was actually the best I have seen for a project like this. They also always shut the gate to the back yard each evening, which was really nice (we have a dog.) More importantly the deck & stairs are beautiful and we are very happy with the completed work.