Archadeck of Suburban Boston

Archadeck is top notch from start to finish. The architect we worked with was professional and created a deck design that was both functional and beautiful! The carpenters were careful, considerate, and took their time to do it right. Communication was excellent throughout the entire process. We now have a quality deck that is gorgeous and functional and will last many years! Would definitely hire Archdeck again. I would attach a photo but our deck is currently covered in snow!

tear down and replace screened porch to three season porch

The project went very well, it was completed by Don who did an outstanding job. We also enjoyed working with Krisoula and Mike thru out the entire project and also Kim for keeping us updated during our project. We have no problem with recommending their work.

Our experience with Larry, Mike, and especially our carpenter Don was exceptional. This was truly our best construction experience ever, with no close comparison. The project took a little longer than expected but it was totally worth the quality of product that we received. There was meticulous attention to detail, constant communication, and a willingness to actively work with us throughout the project. The deck and entrances look amazing. I wish every project we did was as easy as this one. We will likely use Archadeck for other projects including our walkways.

Pros: + Great carpentry job + Very solidly reinforced posts and joists + In-house deck designer Cons: - Lack of communication for days working, number of hours working per day - Wrong gate ordered 3 times in a row despite job booked 2 months in advance, had to settle with a different (cheaper) gate design; they did credit for cheaper gate, but the difference in price was bigger than the credit - Job stalled out after 5 days, without a gate and multiple punch list items not done - After a month, my neighbors complained about porta potty out front and trash and construction debris - Paid for added work that was not done; specifically woodwork fixes in 2 separate areas of door trim rot that were disputed by Archadeck despite being listed on their own documentation and signed by them (we had our painting crew fix those and 2 other areas torn up by removal of old decking) - Aggressive payment policy, 90% due by start of rails (approx. 60% of job done), full payment in advance for any added work - Had to change decking choice last minute because original decking not available at start of job - Project took more than 3 months to complete Conclusion: I'm not sure if I would have gone with Archadeck knowing what I know now. The carpenters did a great job and the deck came out really nice, but the cons noted above are a serious problem.

We were very satified with the quality and workmanship. Archadeck came out several times to make sure all was going as planned. Archadeck came out after one year to check how things were going. We recently had to call them for a problem and they were here to check out the problem within a couple of days at no charge. We have never had such great service performed on time with any other contractor. During the construction the builder was always on time, very polite and extremely knowledgeable. Many days he would even stay later in order to finish what he had wanted to accomplish in that day. There was always communications between the builder, Archadeck and us throughout and after the project. We love it and would recommend this company. They say "you get what you pay for" and in this case we truly did.

Project was completed at a very high level, and the team was well-organized and great to work with. Strongly recommend.

It went extremely well. Larry was very professional in introducing the company to us and following the progress of the project, Mike was very diligent in managing the project and creatively liaising with external contractors, and Don is an extremely talented builder whom we enjoyed getting to know on site. We also appreciated Kim's updates. There were some delays due to COVID-19-related manufacturing back-ups, totally out of Archadeck's control. Other than that glitch, we were very satisfied with the process and thrilled with the final product (please see the photo below).

over all the project went good, costs were on the higher end of the spectrum but there were several elements to the project. There were some issues with the wrong door being installed without a screen that never got resolved to my satisfaction. I had it clearly documented that I wanted a door with a screen and they installed a beautiful door but it did not have the screen. one of the carpenters teased my dog through the window which did not sit well with me. The craftsmanship was high quality and they do stick to their guarantees on the work. They have been out twice in two years post installation at no cost to me to tune the deck and replace a board that warped. The design process was good but they missed a couple of details during installation as previously mentioned. They have always been responsive to my emails and calls. Overall would re-hire.

We recently hired Archadeck to remove our old deck and patio, and replace them with new ones. We could not be happier with how the new space turned out! The deck and patio are both gorgeous and seem rock solid. We recently had an unrelated contractor over, who (unprompted) remarked how impressed he was at how level they were able to make the patio - that he usually doesn't see such good work. The things I appreciated most were: 1) The thoughtful planning phase of the project, and consideration of what we were looking for. They really wanted to make sure we were picking out exactly what was best for us, both design and material 2) Good communication and project management once the work started 3) Flexibility with minor changes (per our request) once the project was already underway 4) Rapid response and remedy when something unplanned happened Although we don't expect we'll need a new deck or patio anytime soon, if we ever did find ourselves in such a position, we would use Archadeck again without a second thought.

The carpenter, Eddie Volpato, was excellent. He and his brother constructed the new deck and did a wonderful job. I highly recommend Eddie. I have no complaints about his work. I have no complaints about the deck design. I would probably go with Archadeck again, because now I know how to handle them and I would get more details in writing. This is a long review, but if you do decide to go with Archadeck, I think it will be worth your while to read the whole review so you can manage them and avoid the issues I had. If you want just the high points, search for “Lesson learned:” I hired Archadeck to replace my existing 34 foot x 12 foot deck which was above a cement patio. The new deck had composite decking and railings with round aluminum balusters. The design phase went well for the most part, the deck designer was pleasant and easy to deal with. My wife and I were happy with the final design. Make sure the designer allows the proper distance when designing your deck. A table requires 5 feet of space a side if you want guests to be able to walk around the table while other guests are seated. Three feet is the minimum to allow a guest to get in and out of a chair at the table. I made sure the designer allowed the proper distance for all of the items we wanted on the new deck. Also, the new deck was going to be shorter, but deeper, more of a square then a rectangle. I told the designer it had to clear the electrical outlet on the left and the doorway on the right. We settled on 30’1”. But I was still concerned it was going to be a tight fit. Archadeck uses a sub-contractor to install the helical pile footings. Technodrill is the company. I read the fine print on the contract and understood if there were hidden obstructions, I was responsible for extra charges for the footing install. I assumed Archadeck would demolish and remove the existing deck to make room for the footing installed and I was surprised when I received a phone call from the deck designer on June 29th stating that Archadeck would be onsite June 30th to mark and cut the concrete for the footing install, the footing installer would be there the next day, July 1st, and the pre-construction meeting would be July 2nd. I pointed out the deck was still up and I was told that wouldn’t be an issue and Archadeck wanted to leave it up so we could use our existing deck as long as possible. On the afternoon of the day the concrete was supposed to be marked and cut, I received an email stating that Archadeck would be onsite the next day at 8 AM and the footing installer would be onsite from 9 AM to 12 PM. Archadeck showed up at 8 AM. They had to go get fuel for the concrete saw, it had fuel in the tank, but not much. I left to run an errand and when I got back the footing installer was there and he had one footing installed. He was struggling to put the second of seven footings in. There was not enough room under the deck for him to start the helical pile upright and he had to tilt it. Also, for some reason, Archadeck was now jack hammering one of the holes into the concrete. I found out later it was because the saw had broken down. The footing installer allows 30 minutes per footing and he only managed to install 3 of 7 footings in the allotted time. In my opinion, the jack hammered hole, was way too small to allow the installer to get the necessary tilt to install the footing. It may have been okay if the deck was removed, but the deck was still up. Another hole he couldn’t try at all, because it was cut above the edge of an existing footing. The existing footing wasn’t deep, a couple of taps with the jack hammer would have broken it free, but there was no time. I asked if Archadeck would cover the cost of the footing they ended up jack hammering the hole for. I pointed out that they didn’t allow enough time to properly cut the concrete and the deck really should have been removed prior to install. The answer was no, I had to pay the charges for all the additional footings. Lesson learned: Get a quote from Archadeck in advance on manual footing install cost. That way you know up front what they will charge you per “missed” helical pile. If you have a second floor deck, insist they remove the deck prior to the footing install. If you have a concrete patio, insist they cut the concrete in advance. Get all this in writing. Archadeck demolished the deck on 7/20, it took Eddie about 3 hours to take it down. A mini excavator was brought in, more concrete was cut and the footings were installed. Ed started construction on 7/27. The wrong color hand rail was delivered, it was black, it was supposed to be white. I let Archadeck know, but my wife and I decided black was fine. At the pre-construction meeting it was noted that the 30’ 1” length would be tight and to pay attention to the electrical outlet. This was noted on the Archadeck site map and I was assured they would make sure the railing post would not interfere with the outlet. No one told Eddie. I noticed the ledger seemed too short and Eddie quickly measured and said the ledger length was right, but the post would be too close. I notified Archadeck and at first I was told “we have an electrician that can move it at additional cost”. I pointed out that it was noted on the site map at the pre-construction meeting. Archadeck came out, checked on it and asked Eddie to lengthen the ledger, which he promptly did. So kudos to Archadeck, they made a mistake and made it right. My concern here is if I hadn’t noticed before the joists went up, it would have been a bigger problem later on. Lesson learned: After deck design is finished, but before you sign off on it, make sure Archadeck comes back onsite and verifies the design with you. For some reason, the gate at the top of the stairs never made it into the design. Luckily I mentioned it to Eddie, because he said it could impact the placement of the posts at the top of the stairs. Leeson learned: Make sure everything is on deck design drawing. Eddie would have been done in 5 days, but he ran out of decking material, so he had to stop work on Thursday. He let Archadeck know Wednesday, and Archadeck said the decking would be here Thursday morning, but it did not arrive. There was an issue with the stair footing. Eddie noticed it was in the wrong spot. Two things were wrong, the footing was not installed in the correct location according to the drawing, and the drawing had the wrong location anyway. Eddie had to cut a new hole and dig the footing by hand. Archadeck covered the cost. The railings, all except the top rail, were delivered July 29th. I was a little concerned, since the rail kits has the white balusters. I did some checking and those were the wrong railings. Our deck uses aluminum balusters, which require different spacing, so you need to order a rail pack, not a rail kit. I confirmed with the Timbertech customer support. I let Archadeck know the wrong railings were delivered. Archadeck picked up the incorrect ones. It was a good thing I noticed. You would think Archadeck would check what is dropped off instead of leaving the customer to check. Luckily I knew what to look for. This impacted the job completion date, because Archadeck had to order correct rails, which they did on 7/30 and the rails didn’t show up until 9/16. This delay could have been mitigated if Archadeck had ordered the correct rails at the start of work on 7/1. Another thing I noticed is the gate was ordered 7/30 as well. I knew this because Jackson Lumber leaves the invoice with the material and the invoice has the order date. Lesson learned: Make sure part numbers are in writing. Verify part numbers are correct. Verify correct part numbers are actually delivered. The wrong color deck boards were delivered on July 31st. I let Archadeck know and they contacted the supplier and it was the supplier’s mistake. The correct deck boards were dropped off that afternoon August 5th Eddie was back on site and completed the decking and stairs. On August 5th, notified rails due on 8/17. August 6th, I noticed wrong post sleeves were ordered, 5.5x5.5, instead of 5x5. Since an “over the top” drink rail, requires a 5x5 sleeve. On August 12th, the correct sleeves delivered. August 13th, told rails due 8/21. 8/19 told rails due 9/15. At this point asked Archadeck to empty the trash cans and pick up the pallets worth of excess material. These were on the lawn and once I found out it would be late September before work started again I asked Archadeck to remove material so I could reseed lawn. They said they would, but they never did show up. It wasn’t until 10/4 that they finally picked everything up. On 9/16 the rails were delivered. Eddie came back to install railings on 9/26 . Eddie discovered wrong baluster connectors. Archadeck uses Deckorators aluminum balusters, not Timbertech. The Timbertech ones don’t require connectors. After some back and forth between Ed, the project manager and myself, I ended up going to Lowe’s in Woburn for the line connectors and Lowe’s in Lowell for the stair connectors. Eddie completed the deck railings, but had to come back next Saturday, 10/3 to complete the stair railing. Lesson learned: Get in writing what balusters will be installed. On 10/2 Archadeck removed one pallet of PVC boards from the lawn. When Eddie arrived on 10/3, discovered he was short 4 Timbertech universal rail kits. Jackson Lumber in Woburn had them in stock, so I went down and picked them up. Eddie and his brother completed the stair railings at around 7:30 that night. On 10/4, Archadeck removed about half the material on the lawn, and on 10/5 removed the rest.

Excellent. Great ideas and knowledge.

We are thoroughly delighted with how our project turned out. From planning, demolition, construction, and even clean up, everything was excellent. Our project involved refacing a cement block foundation with stone, to match the foundation on our home; rebuilding steps and a small porch; and adding a 12’x12’ deck within vinyl decking, rails, and lattice. Along the way, there were a couple of minor issues that came up, but they were immediately resolved without any pushback. The professionalism of each and every employee Is exactly what you hope for when hiring a contractor. We highly recommend Archadeck and would hire them again.

We are extremely happy with our outside space and its truly because of the job archadeck did to transform our area! They did our original deck and patio which is amazing. When we decided to add a raised patio for the grill we called them. We know they are not the least expensive option but the quality is guaranteed. We are thrilled with the results!

I believe I could have saved money by going to someone else to have my project complete. This being said I feel like I got what I paid for. The quality of craftsmanship and management both exceeded what I was expecting. They completed the project when they said they would and did not try to nickel and dime me with change orders(which was a real possibly tying to an existing structure). I would use again and think they would be an even better fit on a larger project (I think mine was on the low end of what they do).

Quote for elevated patio and pergola build

After making a commitment in April to building an observatory next to my garage, Archadeck was willing to accept the challenge with a promise of completion by the end of the year. The deck was the easy part. However the 12" diameter reinforced concrete column to support the telescope was a challenge. After several design revisions we came up with a solution that worked very well. Construction began in mid-November and proceeded quickly and efficiently. The column was built and poured in one day requiring hand carrying of 1 ton of wet concrete to the top of the deck. All the construction work was completed expertly by a very efficient father & son team. Upon completion the yard around the construction site was meticulously cleaned and put back in order. Then it snowed — 17 in. It was the whole team that made this possible. Starting with Larry, the design engineer to Mike, the production manager and Andris and his son Karl, the carpenters, the process went very smoothly. But not without the support of Zac, the production coordinator who made sure all the required materials were on hand. And Chris, who really impressed me digging a 4 ft. deep hole in our rocky soil and in the end putting the yard completely back in order. I found all of the Archadeck team were very efficient and pleasant to work with.

Our experience with Archadeck was nothing short of excellent. My wife and I hired the company to replace our deck. From the initial meeting to the completion of the project, we were very impressed with the company’s dedication to first-rate construction and to the sincere attention to their customers’ satisfaction at every stage of the project. This is a company that takes pride in what they do. Our first meeting with the designer Krisoula was eye-opening. Thinking to simply replicate the same rectangular deck that we had, my wife and I thought design meant talking only materials and perhaps slight expansion of dimensions. However, Krisoula began by asking us what we used our deck for and what furniture we would be using. Taking our answers, she returned with several options that addressed our deck space from a grilling area to an expanded lounging area. The option my wife and I picked was a unique design with asymmetric features that maximized our deck space while perfectly fitting our needs. Krisoula was amazing—as lovable as she is talented. Then, from demolition to completion, we met additional personnel that continued to impress us with their expertise, professionalism, and friendliness. At every stage, everyone paid constant attention to our satisfaction and made us feel very much a part of the process. We had daily email communications with Zac keeping us informed of what to expect each day. The resultant deck at the hands of highly skilled carpenters (Andrey and Artem) exceeded our expectations. By the time of our closing meeting with the production manager Mike, my wife and I felt as if we had not hired a company, but a family of friends. We love Archadeck; we love our new deck. Without any reservations, we highly recommend the company

Everyone I met during the process from quote, to planning and building was very professional and did an excellent job. The process went smoothly and I felt informed of every detail along the way. The finished deck is better than I was expecting. I absolutely love it!

We had intended on replacing our deck with composite materials but were unsure about brands and costs and we hoping to keep the existing deck frame. We had done some research on our own and began to entertain the idea of updating the concrete area adjacent to the deck with patio pavers. Now we had two projects and were hoping to find a company who could accommodate both. Additionally, we had thought that we would need to wait until the spring to complete these projects. We found Archadeck online and after researching reviews and their website we called. After a couple of meetings with Corey, our Archadeck design consultant we began to see that we might be able to replace the wood deck with composite, leave the deck frame intact, create a patio area using pavers adjacent to the deck, stay close to budget and that Archadeck could complete both projects now instead of waiting until the spring. We ended up selecting Dura Life decking, Timber Tech Build-A-Rail and Belgard pavers. Corey was terrific about working with us to create a beautiful design for both the deck and patio and select materials, colors and styles. The deck guys (Andrey and Artem) have a solid work ethic and take a lot of pride in the work that they do. Their attention to detail shows in the final product. Mike our Production Manager was great about monitoring the deck project and guiding us through the patio project (demolition of the slab proved to be a larger job and required additional equipment because the slab was thicker than we had previously thought). Zach our Production Coordinator kept in daily contact with us about the project status and to answer any questions that we had. Thanks to Mike and Zach. Both the deck and patio guys worked seamlessly to ensure that both projects were completed on time and the patio guys returned after completion to put loam and seed on the affected lawn areas. Jim Finlay and his team at Archadeck are professional and focus on ensuring that customers are happy and satisfied. We LOVE our deck and patio! Looking forward to enjoying both in the spring.

Our experience with Archedeck was amazing from the first meeting to the finished product. They were knowledgeable, passionate, detailed and courteous. Would definitely recommend.

Short story: I am rarely happy enough with a contractor that I would use them again, but these guys are absolutely top notch and I would work with them again in a heart beat. They are not cheap; but also not the most expensive I quoted. It was worth every penny though. I have very high expectations when paying this much money, and they exceeded every one. Long Story: They designed the deck to support a 4 person hot tub for us. It's also a story off from the ground on a slanted lot. The $47,000 cost included design/architecture, planning meetings, submitting the permit, lots of siding work on my house due to an old structure being demoed there, 14 ft of sill replacement, duralife composite decking, cedar railing, and extra beefy lumber/footings to support the hot tub. The project manager and coordinator are in touch every day, and on the jobsite almost every day. When the project manager did a final inspection on the work (before the town) there were a few things that he didn't like (would have passed inspection, but he holds his company to a much higher standard) and spent two days with two carpenters to replace two major beams. I couldn't ask for more honest folks who have extremely high standards of quality. The pride in their work is very clear, and they love what they do (you don't get this good at something without loving it!). I had asked them to change a few small items that came up during the job, and they addressed everything immediately with no questions asked. They truly want to know if there's anything you don't like about it, and will fit it!

We had a small "builders deck" that wasn't big enough. The designer did a great job of taking advantage of limited space to create an additional lower tier. They replaced the old vinyl posts and rails with pressure treated wood. Some bumps along the way, as expected with any job. They were quick to bring anything to my attention and provide an exact cost for the change. All in all it went pretty smooth and we love the new deck.

We've contacted Archadeck about re-building our deck after looking for a contractor for awhile. The complexity of our terrain made this job challenging and not many were ready to take on it. Archadeck did! They executed the whole project flawlessly - initial design, schedule and cost estimates reviews, start of the project, removal of the old deck, building of the new one and the final review and hand off. The carpenter working on the deck was amazing - very thorough, with grate attention to detail and pride in his work. We watch the deck built from the ground up - and we clearly saw how carefully he was building each layer - making sure every single detail was done with high quality and in the most reliable way. Throughout the work - we were getting frequent updates from the project manager about the work accomplished so far, next steps and an invitation to provide our feedback as we go. This work is not cheap but it is very well worth every dollar. In the end - we have a beautiful and solidly built new deck that we enjoy a lot. Thank you Archadeck, and especially Eric and Zach, for your great work!

My wife and I bought our house a couple years ago and from day 1 we struggled to figure out what we were going to do with our back yard. We live on a hill and have a large existing retaining wall that was not only unsafe (we have small children) but also broke the space up in a weird way. Originally we tried to figure out how we might tackle this on our own but quickly realized we need to hire a professional. We spoke with a few contractors that really made for a discouraging experience. Luckily, that all changed when we found Archadeck. From our first interaction, I knew this was going to be a great experience. Every single person on the team was friendly, trustworthy and reliable. The experience of working with Krisoula (the designer on the project) was amazing. We constantly felt heard and like our needs were being taken into consideration and we were presented us with a variety of options to choose and customize in order to make the design exactly how we wanted. We absolutely love our deck and patio and the level of craftsmanship is truly incredible. We finally have a yard that we love and that is safe for our family. I would recommend Archadeck to everyone and anyone.