Charlotte's Premier Deck Building Company | FAQ's

While one has an extra word in it, there is a big difference between a licensed contractor and the licensed general contractor. A licensed contractor can mean a couple of things, but simply put it typically means they hold a business license for the city or county.

A licensed general contractor is an individual or company with qualified individuals who have taken the appropriate general contracting examinations that are regulated through the state. They are also required to take annual continuing education to stay up to date on current codes, guidelines, and industry standards.

In NC, anyone can do projects that are less that $30,000 but we highly recommend you go with a licensed general contractor for a project of any size as it shows their commitment to staying up to date on building standards and quality.

In general terms, we service the greater Charlotte area or about a 25 mile radius from its center. We service from Rock Hill, SC to Mooresvile, Gastonia to Salisbury, Union County, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County, Gaston County, Iredell County, York County, and Lancaster County. 

For the most part, if our suppliers can deliver to your address, we can help you. If you are not sure, feel free to give us a call and we can let you know if you are within our service range.

A free estimate can entail a couple of different things. Typically, we prefer to set up a time that we can meet with you (and anyone else who has a big say in your project, like a spouse or significant other) so we can look at your space and hear what you are looking to do. 

Our experts can talk to you about different options and materials as well as see the conditions of your lot and home so we know if there are any variables that could change how your outdoor living space needs to be built. 

After we have a lead design idea from talking with you, we will work on an estimate that we will send to you 3-5 business days later and answer any follow up questions.

For most projects we use our own employees. However, depending on the project we do use subcontractors for specific items, like electrical or HVAC. 

In these cases, we use subcontractors that we have used for over 5 years that we know, trust, and have the same proven track records of quality that we hold our employees to.

We will handle pulling all of the building and zoning permits for your project. Whichever licensed contractor you choose to work with should not be asking or recommending that you pull the permit yourself unless you are acting as the general contractor and using them as a sub-contractor. 

This is because the name on the permit is the party responsible for any defects or required changes. Additionally, except in a handful of situations, permitted projects can take a couple of days to a couple of weeks for permits to be approved by the appropriate parties. 

Be careful and ask to see permits from anyone who can promise to start your job the next day or in a couple of days to make sure they pulled permits for your work.

That depends on the type of the project. Patios and decks can range from a couple of days for small to medium sized spaces to a couple weeks for projects that are 1000 sq feet or more. Additionally, if there are more intricate components it can add on some time. 

For porches most of the construction happens in spurts where most of the work is completed and then a few days in between when inspections happen and different trades are scheduled (such as the electrician for wiring or the painter for painting). 

On decks and patios, except in rare circumstances, we will have the same people working there every day until the job is complete. If for some reason that will not be the case, we will always let you know ahead of time.

We do require a deposit for projects. Unless you have a unique material that requires a large upfront purchase that cannot be returned (such as Brazilian hardwoods), our deposit is 10% of the total project cost. 

This is to cover the upfront time we put into your project once you commit to it like the drawings and plans as well as the permitting fees. The rest of the balance isn’t typically due until the project is complete (or portion of the project is complete if you are doing multiple outdoor living spaces).