West Coast Decks

Ron was absolutely fantastic to work with. He was very responsive in returning my call and setting up an appointment to see the project and give me an estimate. In addition to the written estimate he also provided a interactive phone call with 3-D online renderings. This helped me visualize exactly what it would look like when it was completed. We also enjoyed going to his home to see all the different deck materials to choose from. We chose Fiberon Horizons PVC/Composite in Ipe color I believe. The project was completed, start to finish, in less than 2-weeks. The materials were delivered on-time and as expected and the workers were respectful and very professional. We are incredibly happy we used West Coast Decks because we love the finished product, even a year later, and there were no additional costs (over the estimate).

Our experience with West Coast Decks was fabulous and we now have a showcase deck that everyone raves about. After we called to express interest in having new decks built, Ron showed up promptly to discuss what we wanted and to take measurements prior to providing a design and then a bid. Within a matter of days, Ron set up an online web session with me so that I could see his proposed design three-dimensionally as it would look on our house and in our yard. I was impressed because he came up with a beautiful design that more than met our needs and expectations and required very minor modifications, which he was able to make to the plan immediately while I watched. We received the bid promptly after that and it was the most comprehensive bid I've ever seen. There was absolutely no guessing about what we would be paying for. We didn't hesitate to accept it. Although the permitting process took awhile, Joel patiently dealt with all of it, calling when he needed clarification about property lines or other issues raised by DPD. Once the work was scheduled, we were asked whether we would have issues with a rather large dog that belonged to one of the contractors. The dog was a wonderful addition to the crew but I know they would have made other arrangements if we had not been okay with it. There were two talented and personable craftsmen who worked tirelessly on our decks rain or shine. Cloud and Brian were awesome and worked extra hard to finish off various stages of the project so that we could start enjoying it before it was all finished. We were out of town during the last phase of the project but our sons gave rave reviews about the progress. When we returned home, we were stunned and delighted by our new decks. Everyone who has seen it - even those in the contracting business - have been impressed by both the design of the decks and the quality of construction. West Coast Decks far exceeded what we were hoping for. From the design of the decks to the quality of materials and construction to the professional and talented staff, our experience was top notch. We are looking forward to many years of enjoying our beautiful new decks. We highly recommend this company.

Following a telephone inquiry, contractor came to the house and reviewed the existing deck and provided us with a detailed discussion of options. We also looked at samples of installed decking that helped us decide on what we were loo0king for. A short time later provided us with a detailed description and estimate of the work to be done and the timing to complete it. Contractor worked with us to secure required permits and to meet inspection requirements during the work. Contractor met all of the commitments made in terms of timing and with one minor exception to comply with a code requirement on stairs, the work completed was exactly as described in the bid. I highly recommend this contractor and appreciate all of the help they provided in terms of the "dos and don'ts" for the work. We are very pleased with the work and definitely recommend this contractor for deck work.

Very happy overall. They weren't the lowest bid, but I think I saved in that the work is of great quality and the bid was competitive.

Great service from start to finish. Ron came out to check out the house while I was out of town, and from that, he created design which he then presented to me. I had a short timeline for the project, and they finished on-time. Crew was always on time and extremely professional, and they did an exceptional job cleaning up after themselves. Deck is fabulous!

We had just purchased a new home (to us) in Snoqualmie Ridge with views of the course and mountains and really wanted to replace the existing( not in great shape) deck that was here. After quite a bit of thought, we had an idea of what we were looking for and called to get a few companies to come take a look and see what they could suggest. We knew right away that Ron from West Coast decks was our guy. He had a good understanding of what we were looking for and was full of great ideas from his years of experience. From the beginning all the way through Ron has been fantastic. I happen to enjoy the design process very much and he was more than willing (and very patient) to work together to come up with the best design possible for us. I think we had more than 10 designs that went back and forth before we came up with the perfect one. I am sure this was far and above the norm but Ron never got impatient with the process and we really feel that it turned out fantastic because of his willingness to foresee things in the design phase and have everything worked out prior to the start of construction. Everyone who worked on the project was great. The guys worked hard rain or shine and were a joy to have around. The subcontractors were terrific and did a great job as well. At the end of each day the job site was clean and tidy and they kept the inconvenience to us to a minimum. The project was finished on time (just in time for the Boeing Classic, Thanks Ron!) and on budget. I can't begin to express how pleased we are, with not only the finished product, but the entire process. For a project of this size to go so smoothly, on schedule, and on budget says a lot for Ron and his crew and their exceptional knowledge and quality of construction. We highly recommend West Coast Decks. Our home backs to the 8th green on the course and can be seen from the main road, so feel free to drive by and take a peak for yourselves. (Two toned yellow home with fantastic deck ;-)

Estimator showed up late, but did call to let me know. He was very hurried and rushed. He ended up sending me an email saying that he can't do the job because they are so busy. Would have been nice to know up front instead of wasting my time.

The process began suddenly when our permit was approved several weeks early. They were able to come by on Friday and remove our old deck. The next Monday they were here early and began the process of building the deck. Unfortunately only one person was available to work on the deck for the first two days, but he made steady progress. Then when more help was available they made a lot of progress and finished by Friday. It's beautiful. I'm glad I didn't go with the other bids. Their designs weren't as nice. The one thing I don't like about the deck is that the stairs are a little steep.

West Coast Decks builds strong, beautiful decks, with an attention to detail and craftsmanship that will surely not disappoint anyone. Ron and Joel, the owners, are true professionals whose honesty and integrity are evident during every step of the process. They are committed to assuring their customers are completely satisfied and I have no doubt whatsoever that if anything was to surface that I was not happy with, they would take care of it immediately. In my 30+ years of owning homes, I have never dealt with a company that was so easy to get in touch with and so responsive to requests. Whether it was early morning emails or phone calls, they were always there. No frustrating telephone tag or waiting for hours or days, which has been the mainstay of other contractor experiences I have had. As an example, one evening early in the project and after returning home from work, I found one of the structural members had a visual defect that I was not happy with. Early the next morning I sent a before-working-hours email to Ron, asking to have the support piece replaced. I was shocked when 8 minutes later I had a return email saying they would take care of it. When I got home that night the old piece was lying in the debris pile and a new one had been installed. Magic! That is not to say everything went smoothly during the entire project, but then again what construction project ever does? The process started on a Saturday in late March, when we had Ron Spillers out to discuss the project. Ron asked about how the decks would be used and made several great suggestions. We expressed interest in moving forward so that we could see some potential deck plans, but at that point had not made any commitments. A week later we conducted an on-line meeting, in which we were able to review Ron’s deck plans and 3D models on our home computer live, while discussing the options and pricing on the phone. What a fantastic service this is; to be able to review detailed plans in the comfort of our home, while Ron gave us pricing options, “on the fly”, as we explored various material selection and price points. Having read all of the positive reviews on Angie’s List, and now having had the opportunity to see the attention to detail and level of expertise being offered up, and pricing which fell in line with what I was expecting, we made a verbal commitment. Ron then invited us to his house, where his deck is covered in a range of different decking material, so that we could see how they age and hold up to our damp PNW weather. We also stopped at Dunn Lumber in Bellevue, where West Coast Decks has built a display deck with many of the various decking materials, and where you can get samples to take home to help in the selection of color, etc. I highly recommend everyone take advantage of both options to help you decide on what will work best for your situation. By the next Monday we told Ron our material selection, on Tuesday we received the bid, on Wednesday we accepted, on Thursday the demolition guy hauled the old decks away, and on Friday morning Dunn Lumber delivered the first load of lumber. The crew and Joel were on site by 9AM and the process started. Weather wise, April 2011 was the coldest, wettest month on record, and was simply miserable from start to finish. This impacted the progress somewhat, and there were other crew problems that extended total construction time to 14 working days. The lead carpenter, Cloud, dealt with all of this in a professional manner, and was aided by his dog Tane Mahuta (God of the Forest), whose gentle but powerful presence helped ward off the evil spirits. Cloud’s craftsmanship is evident in the photos we have posted with this review. In the end we got exactly what we wanted and are happy with the results. Now if it would just warm up a little so we can enjoy our new decks!

I wish all contractors had the skill and integrity of West Coast Decks. The quality of work was amazing. Ron gave us detailed information on various product and cost options and made sure we got exactly what we wanted. We were very impressed by the attention paid to detail on every level from the demolition crew to the installation of the last screw. These people really care about what they do and it shows.

Overall, the work done was fabulous. They did a really great job. In terms of service, we had problems with the county getting a permit. They walked us through the whole thing, and stuck with us even though the job was done. They did not have to do that, but they did. The design that they did was really spectacular. A lot of the deck companies don’t want to do a design, they are afraid they are going to use it with someone else, and that is one reason we went with them because the design was really great. It is a real expensive deck and the deck runs the whole length of the house. The ones we had removed were just two smaller decks. There is a barbecue area set up just for the grills because we have different grills that we use. There are pergolas, privacy fences on top and underneath. We have a boat enclosure underneath we want enclosed as well. The deck is made out of cedar, not so much because of price but because we like the look of cedar. The workmanship was great. They used workers we could communicate with, they spoke English. They were really considerate of us. We would absolutely use them again in the future. We are going to use them again to do a front porch this summer.

I loved his wonderful work. He was very easy to work with and very knowledgeable. He was very patient with me, as this was the first time I had ever done anything like this. He was just really easy to work with. He wasn't the cheapest but he wasn't the most expensive. I feel I got what I paid for.

The experience with West Coast Decks was excellent. Please see above for details.

We got three bids for this large project. West Coast Decks' bid was the lowest, but that's not why I chose them. They seemed very knowledgeable and experienced. Ron knew all about the various material options, which can be overwhelming. He had samples of many materials on his own deck at home that he let us see and ask about, which was the most helpful thing to me, by far. Ron also had good ideas on how to make our deck look more interesting without changing the footprint. Ron, his partner, Joel, and the carpenters who did the work were all very professional, friendly, responsive, and timely. They came when they said they would, did what they said they would, and were easy to contact by phone if needed. And their work was stellar. I'm sure my deck will survive long after my house is gone, and it looks fabulous. We had some follow up work that needed to be done after our hot tub was installed, and West Coast Decks was great about coming back and tweaking things so that it all looks perfect and is just how I wanted it. I wish they did more than decks so I could use them for my kitchen! I highly recommend them.

Joel worked with me on the design and made accomodations for materials I had already purchased. He had our design drafted for the city permit. Once the permit was in hand and we worked out a schedule that worked for all, the crew came in and began work. The demo took one day. The decking took a few more. The crew was on time, efficient and easy to work with. We found water damage on my house and they repaired it quickly at a reasonable cost. If I had any concerns or questions they were addressed right away. This was a very good contractor experience. I felt that I received quality service for a fair price.

Decks by JRW (now known as West Coast Decks) is the ultimate in deck building. They are professional, honest, responsive, talented, prompt and friendly. All the carpenters were absolute pros. Owners were the best professionals I've ever worked with. The end product was just simply a fabulously designed, and built, two-tiered, huge deck. The building inspector told me it was the best built deck he's ever seen. It wasn't the cheapest bid nor the most expensive bid submitted to us - it was right in the middle. It was the best decision we could have ever made. We love it!

Our experience with Joel Skillingstead, currently of West Coast Decks, was excellent from start to finish. We interviewed and studied the credentials of five deck builders and solicited bids. We chose Joel even though his bid was higher than two of the five submittals. Joel?s extensive experience, combined with his communication skills, led us to the next steps in developing a contract. He was able to guide us through the process of selecting the most appropriate materials for our project and designed a roof attachment system that surpassed our expectations. He also arranged to convert our concept sketches to documents required to obtain a permit from the City of Seattle. The permitting and inspection process went smoothly; the work was accomplished efficiently and is of high quality. We were particularly impressed by Joel?s professionalism, his design sensibilities and follow through. He guarantees his work and was amenable to replacing a gripper rail with a crack that could not effectively be sanded out after a few months exposure to the weather. Joel worked with Eric, a conscientious carpenter. Their communications with one another and with us was always patient and respectful. We have no hesitation in recommending Joel and Eric of West Coast Decks and appreciate the great work they did for us.

I found West Coast Decks (WCD) through Angie's List. They had top grades in all categories. I contacted them and found them responsive and eager to help me get my deck replaced. Now I procrastinate about many things, and replacing my deck was one of them. It got to the point where the old deck was unsafe. I contacted WCD and Ron Spillers returned my call. Ron was very knowledgeable and patient and willing to put up with my endless questions. He explained to me the advantages and disadvantages of the common decking materials and why one might choose one over another. He was clear on the future maintenance requirements for a deck built of one material or another. Another thing that I appreciated was his honesty -- Yes, my deck did need a permit in the City of Seattle; another bidder said I didn't need one and I was right to doubt this answer. Ron invited me to his house where he had built a grand "deck of many colors" featuring all of the materials WCD builds decks from. This showed me the deck materials as they exist on a real deck -- it was clear that some composite materials held up better than others under real world conditions. The initial bid was a bit lower than the first bidder's estimate for the same scope of work. After I'd seen the different composite materials I asked Ron for an estimate using the more expensive PVC clad wood/plastic composite material after seeing how it held up in his deck and how much more attractive the colors were. The difference in overall cost was about acceptable given the difference in ongoing maintenance costs/effort. Ron explained to me a couple things that led to a small 2-week delay in starting the job -- waiting for a structural engineer's stamp and an unavoidable construction delay. Once the job started, WCD's crews showed up and completed the deck within the time originally estimated. It took approximately 5 days to demo my old deck and replace it with a slightly larger deck. The new deck is solidly constructed, and WCD took the care to build it with a couple of nice features like using the deck material for a top rail to protect the cedar pickets and skirting the structural treated-wood joists and beams rather than just having them stick out. Most importantly, WCD built a deck that passed the city's inspections with flying colors. Both the initial inspection and the final inspection went without a hitch. Joel Skillingstad was the construction contact and he said that we should adjust the position of a footing to clear a walkway. I said to Joel that as long as the inspector thought it was cool, I would prefer to adjust the location. I am sure it took more effort/cost to deal with this issue but WCD did not issue a change order or tell me that it was my problem. So overall I am glad 1) that I went to the minor expense of signing up to Angie's list to find WCD and 2) that WCD built me a solid deck that looks great, at the original bid price, and kept me up to date with progress. I felt their crews were professional -- I had to leave the house unlocked while they worked here and they respected my property. The cleanup/demo was thorough and complete. I was impressed that their crews knew what they were doing, did it, and cleaned up afterwards. Now I may need to wait until next spring to really enjoy my deck but I am sure I will. I recommend West Coast Decks if you need a deck built or replaced.

The overall experience was very good from start to finish. We had to delay our project from last fall to this spring because of city requirements to avoid construction near a steep slope during the rainy season. Joel (West Coast Decks) was patient and remained responsive from the initial estimate through construction. The onsite crew was professional and did great work. Several people (including the city inspector) have commented about how impressed they were with the engineering/construction. We are very pleased with the outcome and we recommended them to our friends/neighbors who also hired them this summer and had a similar positive experience.

I spoke with around eight contractors whose names I got from Angies List. After initial discussions, I got it narrowed down to three pretty quickly. When I had the last three out again for some additional questions, Ron from West Coast was the most prompt and returning my calls. There was a part of my project where I actually was hoping to utilize the experience of these folks to help me decide on a course of action from a design standpoint. It was evident that Ron had ideas of what could and could not (or should not) be done and sounded the most experienced. The other two candidates were more like "whatever you want to do is fine". Ron's bid wasn't the cheapest nor was it out of line. The thing that really helped me decide is that Ron has a very large deck constructed outside with a variety of materials. You can go and see for yourself what various deck materials look like after years of weather exposure. In fact, he pointed out problems with some materials and said to stay away from them. The honesty was greatly appreciated and helped me decide who I wanted to do business with. The work started about a week late due to another customer job and a commercial show setup that apparently was overlooked. That wasn't so bad. The part that I graded this firm down on was that I assumed (I didn't ask) that either Ron or Joel would be out daily to outline what needed to be done by the crew and would basically monitor the result. I was gone for a few days during the construction but when I returned, I found some places in the overall construction that looked like the crew wasn't real conscientious - one corner of the porch, the most visible corner where two deck board came together had a very uneven joint. Another place had a board whose end was pushed up. Some visible places with the trim were either not sanded enough or not caulked enough to be painted. These places were very visible and just looked like someone tried to rush through the task. When I notified Ron about these issues, the response was very prompt and the deck issues were taken care of. I decided to do the finish sanding myself due to the timing of when I needed it completed. On the positive side, a last minute minor change I had was accomodated with no issue. My driveway had a significant amount of sawdust from demoing and cutting wood that wasn't cleaned up nor was a patch of some oily/sawdust combination that had to be dug out of the aggregate surface in the driveway. However, the pickup of the demoed porch and their materials was on time. I would do business with these folks again but next time I would ask that Joel/Ron check in with the crew and the customer daily while the job is proceeding. I would also plan to be present during any construction in the future because I do think that the homeowner also needs to monitor the job as it's occurring and catch any issues before it's finished. I was a bit surprised about the issues I had based on other reviews on Angies list for this firm but that's the way it goes sometimes.

I was continually impressed thru all steps. I worked with Ron who responded immediately with the estimate and who was very helpful in designing a new footprint for my deck. His display of decks was especially helpful in helping me decide which product and color. Always patient. The two man crew that did the job were very professional, respectful of property, kept the sight clean, showed up everyday when they were supposed to, and just nice guys in addition to being very capable. The job was continually visited by one of the owners. They left the sight very clean.

The entire experience was a pleasure. Ron came out to give us a bid, sent a really nicely packaged bid, kept in contact, worked with us on choosing the right pricepoint/products, and invited us out to see the various decks he'd installed at home. Ron is knowledgeable and professional, he worked with us on different combinations to suit our budget/needs. Everything was delivered and completed as promised - the people who came out were courteous, professional and put everything back in order after they were done. It was such a good experience. We got spoiled cos' they set the bar high. I have to say the bid was not the cheapest but I enjoyed working with Ron so much that we decided to just go for it - not disappointed at all.

Construction took about 3 weeks and the workmanship of the crew was excellent. Ron and Joel provided regular oversight and there were no interuptions in the work until completion. This project turned out perfectly and I would highly recommend West Coast Decks.

This was a highly complex job with numerous challenges to assure an architecturally pleasing outcome on a waterfront home. In addition, it required oversight of two subcontractors and compliance to an aggressive schedule. While unusually inclement weather precluded work being done on the original schedule, every possible effort was made to recover the time lost. Throughout the project (approximately two months) both of the firm?s owners made numerous trips to the job site to resolve issues and assure work was meeting our expectations. During the work, all the individuals involved made every effort to keep the workplace clean and orderly and to respect our privacy. In summary, the work was outstanding and the outcome met, and in many areas exceeded, our expectations! We not only recommend this firm, but are planning to use them in the near future on additional work.

Quote process went smoothly, he provided lots of information. He was relatively responsive, for a contractor.