Beautifying Homes: Start a Deck Building Business

Business Overview:

If you love good craftsmanship and know a bit about design and building materials, why not turn your expertise into a profitable deck building business? In fact, you don’t even have to build the decks yourself, you can simply contract the work out to talented carpenters and tradesmen while you interact with your customers and plan all the details of the job. To get started with a business idea like this, you will need a few things right away. First, you need a contractor’s license and builder’s permit, plus a business license and insurance. With the legal details set, you will need a vehicle large enough to carry the building materials you will need to create your custom decks (or you can hire a builder who already has his own vehicle). Then you will want to have ideas and plans for custom decks to show potential customers—there are computer software programs that make this work incredibly easy and impressive to your clients. You might also use a computer to create professional contracts for your work, plus you can use it to easily keep track of your business finances and to advertise your business. If you build beautiful decks, or if you hire builders to do it for you, your handiwork will have your customer list multiplying in no time.

A Day in the Life of a Deck Building Business Owner:

When you’ve got a project in the works, a typical day will be spent either building (if you’re the owner and builder of your business) or supervising building projects. This will include inspecting the building materials to ensure their quality, reviewing plans repeatedly to make sure the customer gets the deck made to their exact specifications, and handling any unforeseen or last minute plan changes (like inclement weather, for example). Over the course of the day, you will want to check in with your telephone answering service or mobile email device to return the phone calls of existing or potential customers. Finally, at the conclusion of the day, you will want to review your finances, check on any future projects and materials you might need and (hopefully) take a respite on a beautiful deck of your own.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be looking for a talented, trustworthy, and competitively priced deck builder who is willing to work with them to develop and build the deck of their dreams within their budget.

What You Need to Start:

• A business license, permit, and insurance
• A contractor’s license
• A work vehicle
• Deck-building tools
• Knowledge of deck design and building materials
• Business contracts for securing payment from customers

The Good:

• You can take on as many jobs as you (or your employees) are able to handle.
• Your business can grow with your experience.
• Startup investment is low to minimal.
• Much of your advertising can be done by customer recommendation.
• The business can be lucrative and personally rewarding.

The Bad:

• The work can be affected by the weather; jobs may be more seasonal than year-round.
• If you’re the builder, you won’t likely be able to take on more than one job at a time, thereby limiting your income potential.

Resources:

• North American Deck and Railing Association
• Deck Industry Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Carpenters and Carpentry Contractors
• Wikipedia on Deck Building

About The Author

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