Cedar Works

Jamie and his crew exceeded all of our expectations. We decided to go with Cedar Works because Jamie seemed to know a lot more than other builders we met with and we loved that we were given a specific timeline for the build and also the five year guarantee on the work. Our project was a bit complicated because it required removal of a sun room and repair work for some of our exterior siding. We were expecting that it would be impossible to match the original siding, which is 20 years old and faded, but they matched it so perfectly that we can't tell where the old siding ends and the new stuff begins. Demolition of the old deck took one day and the new deck was completely built in only two days! The crew was large and they worked long days to make this happen. We decided to go with a Trex deck and we're so happy we did because it looks and feels wonderful. I had concerns that it might get very hot in the sun but even in our 90 degree weather we have been able to walk on it without any problems. This was one of the smoothest home renovation projects we've experienced and we were very impressed with Cedar Works throughout the entire process.

Everything about CedarWorks was professional and first class - we are extremely pleased with our brand new Trex deck! Jamie runs a great company and employs highly professional carpenters and workers. The men on our job were courteous, friendly, professional and did excellent work. I would highly recommend CedarWorks to anybody looking to replace their old deck. I will submit pictures in my review after my landscaping around the deck is complete, but believe me, the deck looks phenomenal!!

I requested a specific date for the deck to be completed and Cedarworks was able to get it done 5 days prior to my party I was very grateful. Only complaint it took them 3 days to clean up the mess from the construction out of my driveway. However the deck was worth the inconvenience.

Jamie from Cedar Works desighned a pergola for us and gave an estimate of costs. The price was where we wanted it and we contracted Jamie to have him order the lumber and have his crew install it over our patio. The 3 man crew was on time and finished the job in about 4 hours. The crew even installed a supplied porch swing after reinforcing the area the swing was to be installed on. We were happy all around with Cedar Works.

For professional discussion regarding servicing the Ortonville area. Answered the phone rapidly, and was very apologetic about our location being too far from him and his crew. Which is quite reasonable. I based my contact choice on Angie's list and this company's numerous reviews. I guess Angies List will have to pay me for paving the way for contractors in my area as I find them.

Jaime was very patient with us as we were also having siding work done and needed to coordinate the two jobs. He presented us with a plan to redo the deck using Trex in a two tone design. Jaime was very flexible and responded to any items we felt needed to be fixed and/or revised. The deck came out great and we are quite happy with the level of workmanship.

It was great! I needed ideas about the deck and how it should be designed. They provided great ideas. The project was done in a very professional, responsible manner, and I love the final product.

I used the recommendation from Angie’s List to get them to do the work. They were very good and very punctual. They were real perfectionists in their work, and they worked hard to please me. I was very happy with them. I think they specialize in Trex decks even though it says Cedar Works. I have no complaints at all. I would rate them highly.

Found Cedar Works and another company through Angies list. Requested quotes from both. The quotes were very close. Picked Cedar Works to do the work because of their specializing in desks where the other company was general construction. Work was started on a Monday with the old desk being removed within a few hours then the next day site preparation and building began. It took the rest of the week to complete due to weather complications. The deck looks fantastic. We have had complements from the neighbors on the professionalism of the crew and quality of the work.

Jamie and his crew were polite and worked like a fine tune engine. All aspects of the job went without a hitch. We are most pleased with jamies suggestions and the results. We would deffinately hire jim again. Dee Williams Northville

Jamie and his crews were wonderful. On our initial meeting Jamie was informative without being pushy or trying to "sell" wood vs composite. He was clear on the cost, the time and maintenance of each choice and the written quote we received was exactly what was discussed, and the "Angie's list" offer was clearly noted. His tear down crew was prompt and courteous about where they parked their vehicles and they cleaned up very well. The building crew was also great! When I pointed out that our sump pump drain was emptying right next to the house, and right under the deck area, Chad told me to go buy some piping and he would extend the drain out into the yard. He didn't have to do this. But he did, and without any fanfare. Weather kept them away from the job for a day and a half. But other than that, the entire build took 2 days and the work is beautiful. It has only been a few days and I have received several compliments on the deck already.

I called, left a message, and Jamie called me back a couple of hours later. He came out the next day and looked at my deck, although I couldn't actually be there when he arrived. We spoke on the phone and he gave me an honest assessment of my old deck, which is that it is safe and should be fine for a few more years. I did not get the impression at all that he was trying to sell me on anything (which is an obvious risk in asking a contractor to inspect something). And, of course, I'm glad to know that my deck can hold lots of people during parties! Because I felt that this contractor was reliable and honest (not to mention punctual and responsive!), we will certainly call them first when scheduling future deck work or other similar projects.

After my initial meeting with Jamie I knew his company would do the best job. At first I thought he was a bit arrogant, but then I realized it was only because he's really confident in his company's ability to do a great job. After the tear down of my existing deck, it only took two days to finish my new beautiful deck. Only mishap was a small tear on my screen, which they came out and took it in for repairs. Everyone loves my new deck. Even the neighbors are stopping by to tell me how much they like it.

First of all, I must begin by stating that I first worked with Jamie Ruddy and Cedar Works three houses ago in 2000. The first two homes, Jamie and team actually built multi-level Trex decks for me. They were unbelievable! This time, I bought a house that had a large fairly new Cedar deck (about 8 years old) on it and after consulting with Jamie about its condition and how we wanted to use the space, we decided to not replace or touch the main structure but to add some additional seating and railings where appropriate. My wife and i had a general idea of what we "thought" we wanted, but after talking to Jamie we really knew what to do. Jamie drew up plans that added multipkle seating areas, built-in planters and lighting under the seating, planters and the steps on the deck. Once we started the project, Jamie's team was in and out in a few days. (In betwenn the rain drops) Everyday we came home from work additional progress was made, but the work area was so clean you wouldn't had known they were their. The quality of the work is what really brings me back a third time. Jamie oversees the team and even when he is not on the job, his crews have the same attention to detail that he does. Obviously I am a big fan as this is my third time utilizing Cedar Works. I recommend Jamie and his company to anyone I talk to that needs deck work. Jamie and Cedar Works is hands down the best deck building/maintenance company in Metro Detroit!

From the moment that I called owner, Jamie Ruddy to today (4/13/11) when the deck was completed, it has been a great experience. Jamie was so responsive and helpful with the latest in deck design innovations. He really guided my wife and I through all of the design alternatives to help us consider everything that was "on the shelf" from a design perspective and then select what was best for our particular situation. Once the building crew began work, they worked very hard to complete the entire project very quickly from tear out to installing the lighting on the stairs. While the weather wasn't as cooperative as we would have liked, the crew came every day when the weather was good and stayed on the job until complete. The craftsmanship is amazing with every possible finishing touch being very professional and perfect. They even replaced three yard benches "on the fly" with the new decking material so that everything in the yard looks very tied together. At the last minute, they even installed a gate to the stairs to keep the dogs on the deck when we don't want them in the yard. The gate perfectly matches the deck and "disappears"' visually when it is open. Each day the crew cleaned up completely leaving no mess. The crew was most cordial and helpful that they were a delight to have around. My wife and I couldn't be happier with our new deck. Considering the wonderful design and craftsmanship, we feel that it was a real bargain as we hope to be looking at it and enjoying it for another 30 years just like the last deck. The new deck is like having a couple more rooms added to our house to enjoy!

They did a very nice job. They helped us with a water problem we were having at the time. We were getting water leakage below the deck and their suggestions fixed the problem.

We are extremely pleased with this company and the owner, Jamie Ruddy. He responded promptly when we first called him, and was ready to do the work in a very short time. The workers were very professional, and answered any questions I had. They tore down and removed the old deck one day, and built the new one the next. Jamie followed up promptly to see how everything went, and was also very helpful in terms of suggesting recommended deck maintenance to assure the deck continues to look as beautiful as it does today.

We found Cedar Work Deck Builders (and owner, Jamie Ruddy) on Angie's List. We contacted Jamie about 2 months prior to the completion of the deck. He met with us on a Saturday to look over our site, listened to our ideas, and made some design suggestions that we incorporated. We received a written estimate within 2 days and we sent a deposit check immediately. The project was delayed by some other work (replacement of a furnace and air conditioner and some other structural work that were part of the overall project), as well as our vacation. As the other projects were wrapping up, we talked with Jamie regularly and he gave us a firm construction date. The crew completed the deck in less time than Jamie had originally estimated and another crew arrived the following day to clean up the construction site. We couldn't be happier with our new deck or with the whole process. Jamie stopped at the house the week following completion to look over the completed project and then called to make sure that we were happy with the job. We highly recommend Cedar Works.

I called and no one returned my call. I e-mailed and no one answered my e-mail. So I would not consider recommending this company. Maybe what I inquired about is nothing they wanted to handle, but someone should have let me know.

I wasn't on site to watch the work so I only met the owner but he was professional and cordial. Gave me various options and explained them and patiently waited for me to make a decision. Upon request, he immediately gave me references -- I tracked down a couple all were glowing. From the time I paid the deposit, the job was finished three weeks later. Deck looks great.

Jamie and the team arrived when they had committed to begin the work. The price submitted for the job was very competitive. The work was done in a professional fashion, the mess and construction debris removed. The team worked long hours and took direction when needed during the course of construction. The results were outstanding. The job was completed on time and at budget. Jamie's knowledge of the combination of the available decking materials and trim options lead to a better than expected result. Excellent job overall.

Jamie was professional and knowledgeable. He outlined the procedure from beginning to end, emailed an estimate very quickly after we met, and met with me several times to narrow down the materials to be used. He made several trips to bring samples of colors. His crew came on time and worked very long days in the coldest weather this winter. They were here over two weeks, working daily. Upon completion, they cleaned everything up and carted away all debris. The deck is beautiful and more important, very well constructed.

Overall we were very pleased by the professionalism and workmanship. Jamie visited our house twice before delivering the first quote and was extrememly helpful with recommendations and samples of the decking materials available. Jamie suggested using two different colors of Trex decking which really turned out to look nice on our older Victorian home. We made some changes after signing the original contract -- installing step lights and using hidden decking fasteners on our front porch. These changes were handled smoothly by Jamie. Once the work got started progress was quick and workmanship & communication were excellent. The old decking material was neatly stacked in a corner of our driveway and removed during the construction. No dumpster being parked at our house for the duration of the job was nice. We have young children that love to play outside and I was pleased with how clean the surrounding areas remained and we didn't have any issues with construction materials, loose nails in the lawn/driveway, etc. . . . Our porches are now like new and I would highly recommend this company.

We had a cement block porch with a cement cap that was poorly constructed by the builder of our home on the back of our house that needed removed and replaced. We wanted to replace it with a deck and wanted to enlarge the surface area to make it more usable. After a year of no shows, etc. by other contractors for estimates, I joined Angie's list and decided to call CedarWorks. Jamie came out promptly and within a week, had CAD drawings and estimates of the cost of the job. Jamie began the permit process as soon as we submitted our deposit and within a month, he was able to start work. The tear out crew was finished within two days(not an easy tear out) and all material was removed and post holes placed for the deck. After the county approved the post hole depth, Jamie's crew was back the next day to begin construction. They worked for almost ten days to finish a large deck with steps, were very neat, courteous, and responsive to any questions or problems that occurred. They were able to point out and correct damage that had occurred to the outside sheathing of the house from water runoff from the old porch and the charges added on were very reasonable(less than $100.) The crew worked during a very hot humid period of weather and were diligent about getting the deck finished. In addition to constructing the deck, the house roof partially extends over this area and requires support from columns. Jamie had specified two large columns instead of the three small ones on the original porch, which opened the space up, but required additional reinforcement from under the deck which his crew communicated to him and subsequently performed. When the deck was completed, we chose to have the railing painted and are in the process of having that work done by a separate painting contractor.

They were great to work with. The designs were functional and they were willing to make changes. They finished the job. When it was over there were a few things that we wanted them to come back and they came right back out.