LA-Decks Backyard and Pool Remodeling

I called them and I was told that they will call me back in 20 minutes. Nobody called. I called back and after taking my info, they informed me they don't do work in the Valley!

They did fantastic job on redo my old deck. Peri and victor are great team to work with, I'll hire la decks agian.

The short version: Noa and Victor are honest, hardworking and kind people. I love my 1500 sq ft IPE deck, fence, new door and retaining wall. Their rates are competitive - I shopped around before hiring them. They are very knowledgeable and I am also working with them to remodel my kitchen and bathroom next. The long version: My husband and I bought a fixer upper in Hollywood Hills - almost 100 years old and not in a good way. We've had to really prioritize what we can and cannot afford to update. About 18 months ago - I was 4 months pregnant and desperate to remodel my master bathroom and bedrooms. I hired a contractor that was referred by a friend (great reviews on Angies List) and it was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. A few months ago my very old and rotten fence started falling over and I was filled with anxiety over hiring someone to fix it. I found LA Decks on Houzz - great reviews, beautiful pictures. I requested a quote/appointment on their website and they contacted me in 20 minutes. Noa stopped by my house a few days later and we really hit it off. She was very honest about what we needed to do and thoughtfully listened to all of my concerns. She is not a salesperson, she is a problem solver. She didn't look at my project as a commission, but rather an opportunity to make my home safer and more enjoyable for my little family. My husband has a lot grand ideas, and Victor and Noa kept our project based in reality - so it was both affordable and functional. I called 2 other companies with great reviews on Angies List and Houzz - and I still haven't heard back. Noa encouraged me to shop around so I felt comfortable with my bid. Finally I reached someone, who confirmed her rates were very competitive. I had two issues - yes the fence was falling over because it directly touched the grass and dirt and the constant watering had rotted it. I also had very steep steps (not to code) from my kitchen door out onto my patio. I had every intention of sealing the door when we did our kitchen remodel, and installing french doors to the patio from the dining room. Another contractor had given me a very steep price on this, and tried to change my mind on the whole concept. Noa was actually able to install a beautiful accordion door, with a deck to eliminate the need to build new steps.

Building a deck may not seem like a huge addition but it required an architect, a structural engineer, pulling permits and approval by the city. All of which I found intimidating.

We had arranged for our own architect and engineer but in hind sight I recommend you go through Victor and Noa from start to finish. This will stream line the process and require less back and forth from all the separate entities that we found frustrating.

MUCH changed during the duration of the project. What our architect had designed on paper needed adjustments during the actual building process. Victor provided us with options and alternatives. He was always patient and incredibly helpful with the coordinating required to keep our project in motion. Through our many changes Victor ensured that what we envisioned was possible and that the end product would be structurally sound lasting for many years to come. They use very good quality products and we think the time and resources were well spent.

We love the end product. It adds to the house and to our enjoyment of it. Thank you Noa and Victor. I am truly grateful to you both and do not know how this project would have been completed without you. Your knowledge and guidance are indispensable. You both are a pleasure to work with. We look forward to building with you in the future.

unknown

I first met Noa when she came to my house to give me a bid for building a deck in my house. I was very impressed with her knowledge and professionalism. She spent time giving me design ideas as well as explaining the pros and cons of the different materials available. Unfortunately, I decided to go with another company as his bid was a few thousands cheeper. Without getting into too much details, he dragged the project forever and when he collected more money than agreed upon, he abandoned the project. I called Noa at that point and Victor came to inspect the project. It turned out that not only did the first company not finish the project, what they built up to that point was done carelessly and would have to be redone. At that point I hired Noa and Victor to fix and finish the project. I had a wonderful experience with them. Noa was in communication throughout the project. Victor and his crew completed the project in a timely manner and at no time were trying to collect any more money then what was agreed upon. They stuck to what the contract indicated. The workmanship is excellent and I'm super happy with how the deck looks now. I'm also confident that it is going to last because it was done right the second time around. I wish I went with them from the beginning.

We had a wonderful experience with Noa and Victor. They were professional and true to quote. They are licensed and bonded, and all of their workers are insured. We highly recommend using them for any and all deck work. Between Noa's design skills and Victor's execution of work, they can build the deck you want, whether you're on a budget or have money to burn.

They should really tell you in their Angie's List posting that they don't accept jobs under $5,000 (versus being dismissive when you describe the scope of work you'd like done).  Not surprisingly, their tone totally changed when we offered to mention this fact for them in our Angie's List review...which we're happily doing now!  
Based on their customer service over the phone, we wouldn't hire these folks even if we did have a larger project to be done.

unknown

LA Decks / Noa & Victor came to my home to provide an estimate. I have plans with RTI permit paperwork. Victor said they would email an estimate within a few days. They never did.

I contacted Noa, she acted as if I was someone else & 2 days later began asking questions stating the plans did not provide info.

The engineer provided additional permied plans and STILL not enough info to provide an estimate. One week wasted with nothing gained from this company.

I'm currently reviewing the estimates provided by others.

My overall experience with them was great. They did what they said they were going to do. They showed up on time and finished the work in a timely manner. They went above and beyond. I asked them a lot of questions and they answered all my questions. I am really excited about them.

We highly recommend LA Decks. Thank you Noa and Victor.

Noa and Victor are the owners and pillars of the company. Their work ethics are impeccable and they strive for excellence at all times. The speed in responsiveness while being super professional yet very personable is a delight to experience in the LA muddy waters of crooked contractors, high prices and below-average standards.
For us to fully understand the needed steps and repairs, they came out 3 times and took their time to explain and openly discuss all details. They convinced us to go with Mangaris as opposed to with Redwood and looked into how we could reduce the costs. (Ipe was unfortunately beyond our price range.)
While we had to put this project for now on hold due to the GC situation we are in, we plan to finish the deck with them very soon. For us, there seems no one better to do our deck unless we can't settle on the final costs. They are true deck experts and we would recommend them at any time. 

I received a call the day following submitting a web request.  We arranged for a meet up later that week. I was impressed w/ her honesty in telling us what was possible and what was worth our money to do.  She explained things thoroughly, I appreciate the time and effort she took to explain how to do what we wanted and what to look out for. 

Completely enjoyed the experience of working with LA-Decks.    From the outset, they took ideas I had and provided ideas and viewpoints I had not thought of myself.   While that sent me in different directions than I thought I wanted to go, the end result was so much better than what my own ideas would have produced.  
My goal from the outset was to take a space that was not set up for entertaining, and to maximize it's limited size to make it
something where I could comfortably entertain guests.   While my old patio was 50' wide,  it was not very deep -- only 20' deep.   But after accounting for an unusable slope, there was only about 9' depth of usable space.     Not big enough to do any real entertaining.
I initially wanted to fill in the slope and build a large concrete patio, but, Noa, the sales director at LA-Decks reminded me that concrete produces cracks which are exacerbated by the earthquakes we have in California.   In fact, I had significant cracks in concrete that was only 20 years old and already in need of replacement.     At this point I leaned toward dividing my space to be 50% deck and 50% travertine tile.  I thought the contrast would look good.   But after starting down this path, Victor, the contractor, said to me "I don't think this is going to look the way you want.   I think you want one space that feels connected and open.   What it looks like now is something that feels smaller and broken up."    
After thinking about it and talking with friends and family, I agreed with Victor and decided to make the entire space a deck.   It turned out to be the right decision.   Victor also made suggestions on where to set the bar-be-que and fountain to maximize the entertainment space.   The end result is stunning.  The deck sits higher than my old patio, giving me an even better view than before, and I just  love the way everything looks.  The details are wonderful, and the first thing my guests have said when they see it (I've had 3 social gatherings since it was completed ) is "Wow!!!!"    And the space is proving to be everything I wanted --  a great place to enjoy a conversation around new outdoor furniture, cook a great meal over the BBQ, gather at a big outdoor dining table, watch TV or listen to music under a shady gazebo, and relax to the soothing sound of the fountain.   Finally, I have a great outdoor space!!!!

I started with a backyard and two small side yards that were nothing but dirt. I didn't have a clear idea about what I should do with the space. Designer/planner Noa listened carefully to how I wanted to use my yard and then made some wonderful suggestions. I appreciated her professional input, and I also appreciated her willingness to take my suggestions into consideration. As we went along, I changed my mind about a few things, and both Noa and Victor (who supervised the construction) were totally accommodating. I felt confident that I was getting both what I wanted and what would look right. It was a pleasure to work with Noa and Victor. The workers they hired were also friendly and helpful. The project was completed quickly, faster than I expected. Family & friends who have visited and who have seen pictures make comments like wow, spectacular, awesome. That's how I feel, too!

I recommend they stick to building decks.  
Our project must have been there first additional/remodel.   The contractor was not around  to instruct his laborers on the plans that were to be followed which left our day(s) interrupted with making sure the work was getting done and efficiently as the plans required.  Unprofessional, with demolition and waste over our entire front yard for weeks that ruined any possible landscape remaining (and hazardous even though the contractor brought his young son to the site for a morning), the contractor informed us his family was taking a vacation for a week and a ½  in the middle of the project (with little to no notice); in turn we eventually cancelled our vacation plans due to the overdue completion date and no contractor being around making it uncomfortable to leave the premise with only his laborers on site and the house unsecure, during which time he provided a list to his laborers of work needing to be completed (that let us down, not to mention the time we took to get the materials that the contractor agreed to furnish like paint and baseboards, etc.).  They messed up the  cutting of the roof overhang and porch beams (not according to the plans) leaving it no longer a craftsman home and thus leaving the porch (the focal point of the home and neighborhood) bland and not uniform to surrounding homes.  The contractor made an effort to correct the error with my instruction and design but the damage was done and looks nothing like the plans called for; very disappointing, we are reminded everyday.   We will not be contacting them for the next project.  They did earthquake retrofit the foundation which the plans called for and the "tile guy" and "electrical guy" did good work though the electrical is faulty in one location we've found that they didn't use a proper ground leaving it a fire hazard.

Neptune-LA Decks & Construction is awesome.  On budget, on time, detailed, creative, friendly and focused on the customer?s needs. 
 
Before my work was done, I already had recommended them to three friends.  Another friend stopped by to see the work and thought it was it was so beautiful, he asked for Neptune?s contact information.
 
I recently added a master bed / bath, relocated and remodeled another bath, painted the exterior and greatly expanded my deck. 
 
The crews, lead by Victor (general contractor) are friendly, respectful, efficient, clean and their craftsmanship is stunning. I own a craftsman, so attention to detail was a must ? and the crew surpassed my expectations ? inside and out.
 
The process also was flawless.  Noa, Project Management, is fully engaged in every aspect of the process ? from detailing the contract, working through city permits, communicating with the architect and thinking through designs (I changed mine several times and she didn?t bat an eye ? just helped me move forward).  Once we were into the build phase, Noa became a friend and advisor helping me select tiles, hard wood, windows, etc.  While yes, it was a lot of work, it was much more fun . . . it made me that much more excited about the finished project.  And I am ? it?s beautiful!
 
I have another project on the horizon and Neptune will certainly be my first call!

it was a great experience and i will use them again

In August 2012 we have recieved a detailed and descriptive quote from Noa, along with material samples, past projects' pictures and great referrals. 
Having interviewed half a dozen contractors we have decided to proceed with LA-Decks.
The project included pulling the permits from the Beverly Hills City Hall, Soil Report, Architectural Plans and Engineering.
We had an acute importnce as far as the time frame was concerned as a very important event was planned ahead and the project had to be finished within a very strict time frame.
LA-Decks, led by Victor Lachmish have gathered the entire team to the task and 6 weeks later we have received the approved plans from City Hall. The 1500 sqft deck has been built from Azek, with pressure treated wood structure, and we have decided to surround it with 2000 sqft of artificial grass (upgraded with an LED lighting system) and hardscape.
Additionally, we have decided to remodel 2 bedrooms and a bathrooms in the house in order to fully prepare it to the event.
The project has started and continued flawlessly, with their team coming in punctually in the mornings, and progressing according to plans, on a daily basis.
Important to note; even though we have faced additional needs as the project evolved, LA-Decks' pricing was still fair and reasonable.
Our next project (frontyard) is planned for next month and I have no doubts LA-Decks will be our first choice for it!

My wife and I could not be happier with the deck they built for us and the overall experience. A few years back we remodeled our master bathroom and if we could go back in time to hire Noa and Victor for the project instead of the contractor we used back then we would do it for sure!!

Last year we needed to rebuild our entire backyard deck. It was a pretty big job so I did my research before  hiring a company. After much search and four different bids I decided to go with LA Decks. I immediately felt I could trust Noama, one of the owners. She gave me a variety of materials to choose from and was very honest about the process of getting city permits. Which in our case it ended up being a bit of a nightmare. We have a 1926 Spanish house on a hill. Clearly the previous deck had been built without a city permit and that made the job difficult. The city decided to change our assigned inspector in the middle of the job and it set us back about a month. Both Victor and Noama were very good about meeting and dealing with the city inspectors. Their working crew was equally professional. All materials arrived on time and once we got all the right permits the job went pretty quick. I highly recommend LA Decks, for their professionalism and their construction and decking knowledge. 
A very grateful client,
Lesley Archer
Los Angeles C

The process started when Noa came to our house to review our options. She was very professional and was the most prepared of 4 contractors we interviewed. She brought samples and gave us many options to choose from.  The price was also the most reasonable.We encountered some problems with the city in terms or stricter requirements than anticipated and Noa and Victor worked with us to adhere to the requirements in a cost effective manner. They were willing to work with us to reduce the cost of these requests. The job took longer than anticipated but the results were fantastic. They figured out a way to give us rounded wood steps which has never been down before. Victor managed the project and insisted on the best quality from his workers. I recommend them very highly.