J R'S CUSTOM DECKS

After over a week of waiting for the estimate, JR left me a voicemail and said he would not be able to bid on the job because one of his masonry contractors was not available to do the work. I appreciated the call to let me know.

I met J.R. the week before the job and he outlined a design and explained what he would do. He is very honest and his quote was very reasonable. Most materials were delivered the week prior to the job start. J.R. and his crew arrived at 9 AM the day of the installation. Very professional - the job was completed in 3 and 1/2 hours! The cedar arbor and rail caps look great. I would recommend J.R.'s Custom Decks to anyone who wants a professional, fairly priced product.

I thought this would be an easy job, but there were a number of complications that JR pointed out to me when he first came out to give an estimate for the job. One complication was that Tamko quit making the railing system that had originally been used and so it would be hard to get a hold of replacement materials. Another complication is that the stairs would have to be a little thinner on the side that they were being moved to which meant trimming all of the boards on both sides in order to keep the lighting elements centered. Also, it was just a little more complicated of a job in terms of taking things apart and reassembling than what I was envisioning just because I don't know much about this particular product or decking construction in general. J R seemed a little hesitant to do it, but the Tamko sales rep was able to locate a supplier of the discontinued materials and J R agreed to do the job. I was in a bit of a time crunch to get it done, because I didn't want to hold up pool construction and J R was able to move me up to a little earlier date than we had originally discussed which was great. Two guys showed up to do the job on Thursday. They appeared to be guys that J R contracted the job out to, and J R came out that morning to help direct them on what to do. J R left after an hour or so and the guys got to work. They worked most of the day Thursday and got the stairs moved, but still needed to replace the railing and the skirting on the side that they had moved it from. J R also came out at the end of the day to look at the work. In between, one of the workers asked if he could take a shortcut which would save him some time and effort, but in the end, I didn't think I would like the look of what he was proposing so he did it the way I wanted. The next day, they showed up bright and early to finish up and around noon, the crew and JR called me over to take a look at the work. I pointed out two issues that I wanted cleaned up, 1) there was an exposed wood post on one side of the stairs that was exposed due to the unlevel grade. Originally, I had told them it would be okay, but I decided I would rather have it covered with the skirting material which they did promptly. Also, in one of the corners of the deck where the old railing met the new one, they had not created a perfectly flush joint. I asked them to fix that and they touched it up and made it better, but I was surprised that they had not taken care to do it just right in the first place and in fact I would have expected J R to notice that and point it out and make sure that it looked nice. I paid J R and then of course I noticed another issue after everyone had left. There was a part of the skirting that is applied as a thin strip underneath each step and it looked really worn. I called J R about it and the following week he came and took a look. J R basically said that the crew had just basically put the same material back in place and that it must have been like that originally. I had taken pictures of the stairs before they started and was ultimately able to confirm that J R was correct, the worn pieces were like that originally. Those pieces and some other parts of the skirting were starting to flake and crumble and J R said that he could help me with any warranty replacements. Unfortunately, when I called Tamko to ask about warranty replacement, I was informed that the warranty was only valid for the original owner unless transferred in the first 5 years and transferred within 30 days of closing. That was a bummer. Overall, the guys did a good job. There were some little issues that bugged me at first, like extra holes in some posts where an adjoining part had been removed and relocated, but it was basically either that or pay to replace the entire part and since I was trying to do the job for a reasonable price, I had to compromise. I suspect they are issues that wouldn't bother most people and I suspect that I myself will not even notice or care after a while. The new parts look a different shade than the old ones, but that will change over time. The stairs feel very solid and the lights work. The crew left the old concrete anchors for the stair posts, but I was told that the pool builders will be able to rectify that since they will be in my back yard anyway with heavy equipment and will be digging it up as well as putting in new pavers for the decking. As far as the grades I gave, I gave a C for cost because it was more than I was expecting to pay. I had a quote from a pool builder who said they would do it for $680 (but that was also a part of a much larger pool build) and a quote from another contractor who said he would do it for $800 plus materials which would have been an overall cost of about $1000. I gave a B for quality because overall they did a good job, but there were a couple of relatively minor issues which I have mentioned. I gave an A for responsiveness because J R was very good with calling me and communicating with me and being willing to work with me to resolve any issues. I gave a A for punctuality because J R and his crew were where they were supposed to be when promised. I gave a B for professionalism. J R was extremely professional, but the crew was a little less so. I would definitely consider using J R again should I need future repairs or service to this deck although I would still solicit estimates from other contractors as well.

JR came over to review the preliminary outline for the job and provide a quote. He was always on time, very professional, and most importantly, honest. I did receive three other quotes and decided to go with JR's Custom Decks because I felt confident that the job would get done correctly and at a fair price. My decision was rewarded with a deck that is better and more attractive than even I had hoped. the work was started on the day that was agred to, and was finished on the day that we agreed on. A couple of changes that were made during the construction were met with optimism and completeed to my absolute satisfaction. Thanks JR!!

In a word FABULOUS. Everyone was very professional, nothing left behind. There was one little oops, I called J R, he came back the same day and fixed. I am a little picky, but the job is now perfect.

JR and his guys are just awesome. They built the wood arbor, cemented in ground some posts and anchored on stone patio other posts. It was built and stained/painted all in two days. JR had special steel brackets made for it as it is freestanding and he wanted to make sure it would be secure. It came out just gorgeous. Looks like it was always there as it just fit in perfect with the design of the house. Now I won't have to close my blinds in the afternoon to block out the sun. I can enjoy the beautiful back yard all day. And we can enjoy the shaded part of the patio even on hot summer days. About 5 years ago, JR redid both of my upper story decks and the support that extends down to the first floor porch. He did such a great job on them and they are holding up so well, I just had to have him do this project also. And both my husband and I are glad we did. We will always us JR for any decking or arbor projects and we will highly recommend him to friends.

We met with J R and discussed the layout of the deck and he took measurements and made note of the variance in the grade of the ground in the area and provided sketches of the design. We had underground water pipes for our irrigation system and pool plumbing underlying part of the proposed deck and he successfully built the founding piers around them . Within two weeks he was removing the old rotted deck and placing new base posts in cement footing. It was a somewhat difficult configuration with two levels, properly meeting between the house and the concrete pool deck which were not at 90 degree angles. We had to make adjustments while the building was in progress and we managed those changes successfully. It was all completed within a week, cleaned up and we could not be happier with the finished product and have received numerous compliments from friends and family.

We are very pleased with the work that he and crew did on the deck. He was very prompt in completing this rather large project. He arrived when he said he would and his crew was very respectful. The quality of the construction was outstanding. We have received a lot of compliments on our deck from our neighbors. The color slection he recommended along with the railings matched our trim and brick color very well. I would highly recommend his services for others seeking a well built deck.

After contacting and receiving estimates from several vendors on Angie's list we chose J. R. Custom decks because his deck design was the best and the estimated cost was several hundred dollars less than his competitors. He gave an estimate of $6,400 for a 12.6 by 13.6 foot cedar deck with an arbor. The deck has a chevron pattern with a built in cedar bench on one side. The deck railings are black metal poles which makes the deck look really nice. The timeline for completion was 4-5 days. He was able to construct the deck in 3 work days. The final cost was the same as the original estimate. The site was cleaned up well; his two man crew was professional and very efficient. I would strongly recommend his service to family and friends and would not hesitate to use his services again.

The building of our deck went extremely well. Excellent work was done. Work was started early each morning and the workers did not leave to go to other jobs. That was a big plus for us.

We picked JR because of his reviews on Angies List after getting reviews from other companies that left us feeling uneasy. JR came out to our home, listened to what we wanted, took measurements and e-mailed us a plan and a price within 2 days. There was absolutely no pressure to sign and commit on the spot like we had experienced with other deck builders that had come to our home. The price JR gave us was excellent, and after a couple of revisions, and a plan drawn up by JR for the HOA approval, work started around the 23rd of October. There was some delays due to injury and rain, but both decks were finished in 7 days, as well as the additional patio trim. We are delighted with our new decks and they look even better than we had imagined. We highly recommend JR and would hire him again.

Outstanding! J.R. provided what I needed to get approval from my HOA, got the permit, and got my patio cover built. I couldn't ask for more or better service.

JR came for a site visit and promptly sent an estimate for the work. He understood exactly what I described and provided an excellent picture with the estimate. JR started work on the day promised. He was on site each day with his crew and they were all very courteous and worked steadily each day. JR ensured all the work was properly permitted and inspected. The work area was left clean each day and at the end of the project. JR's initial estimate was a firm bid and was exactly what I paid for the work. I love the new deck and would recommend JR to anyone thinking about this type work.

His company did an outstanding job building it and picked up after themselves. JR helped us decide what kind of deck would best suit what we wanted to do with it and designed it with us ahead of time and gave us an accurate estimate.

It was done quickly and efficiently with excellent building materials. We decided we wanted more decking later and even though it was a small job, J.R. and his crew came right back out and got it done expeditiously.

The crew started on Monday morning and worked to remove the old deck. They moved forward on only minor delays due to rain. The project was very smooth and completed very professionally

JR showed up when he stated, performed the job as described and ensured the work was permitted through the city. THe work was top notch and the end product was better than expected. I would recommend JR's company to anyone in the market for a deck/patio.

If you enjoy dealing with a old fashioned craftsman, you will enjoy JR. He is the true professional. If he says he will call you back, he does. He calls, when he is coming over. It is, what he quotes. And his work looks really, really fine. I have seen why this gentleman's company is rated "A".

This company was contracted based on reviews on Angie's list. I contacted two other deck companies but neither was responsive in terms of providing an estimate. The owner of the company was the one who gave the estimate and provided the plans for the new deck. We decided to go with Cedar because of its durability although it was somewhat more costly. The crew showed up promptly and worked half days, due to the extreme heat. Nevertheless, they completed the job in approximately 3 days. Unfortunately, it rained during the weekend in the middle of the job which caused quite a bit of muddy mess at the end. Of course, is not the fault of the contractor or crew. In spite of this, they did their best to clean up afterwards and I was quite satisfied with the work. They left no debris, nails or scrap lumber lying around. I am very pleased with my new deck. I anticipate spending many an afternoon or evening enjoying it in the company of my family and friends. Now to get it stained and waterproofed.

Jose was very professional and called me within a day of receiving my first inquiry. He e-mailed a rendition immediately and it was exactly what we wanted....PLUS the price was unbelieveably reasonable. He used top of the line red cedar (which smells so good) and he and another carpenter finished the job in just one long morning! We feel blessed to have found an honest and hardworking independent businessman in this day and age. We are just so pleased and the only thing wrong is that we didn't do this years ago..!!

We had JR come out and give us an estimate for a deck to be built at our home. He was nice, helpful and very informative. He sent us the estimate in the time frame he promised. We emailed him back asking for a change in the drawing and price quote for a different type of material and we have never heard back from him. We can take a hint and understand that our business just isn't that important because we received no response which is so frustrating. We will try again with a different company.

We called to set up an estimate for a new deck to replace an old deck. JR was punctual from day 1. We were pleased with his proposal and after the signed agreement he set a start date and an end date. Each day his team were on time and worked efficiently. We are so pleased with the results. I would highly recommend JR Custon Decks. No matter whether the job is big or small people will get the best from highly trained people in construction.

JR is the consummate professional. He showed up when he said he would, was always prompt in returning phone calls, and his final price was exactly what he quoted to us. He drew up plans to our specifications, made recommendations to us that he thought would improve what we wanted, always gave us options about ways we could do things, but left the decisions to us. I am thrilled with the final product. It actually came out looking better than I thought. I had to call him back a couple of times for very minor things after the work was completed (and paid) and he was as responsive and courteous to these post job issues as when he was bidding the job. (And, I want to emphasize the post job issues were very minor--and issues that he had already addressed but I decided I wanted him to do something a little different.) Again, I want to emphasize how responsive and cordial JR was about meeting my overly perfectionistic requests. I would recommend him as an A+++ provider.

I contacted JR due to good reviews on Angie's List. He came out promptly to discuss the project, offered good solutions and his price was very reasonable. He provided good references, started on time and finished the work when he said he would. JR communicates well and is very professional. I would certainly recommend JR to anyone looking for a contractor with experience, dedication to his craft and integrity.

Called JR to query about his services and he got back with me quickly and came over and gave me an estimation. I changed a few things and he was flexible and did everything the way we wanted it to be done. It took his crew just one day to complete the project and everything was done to our satisfaction. We would definitely call upon him again if and when we need more work done.