COY CONSTRUCTION

Coy Construction installed a replacement Trex deck and railings at our house in January 2022. After 6 months the top caps of the railings began to sag and instead of being horizontal they were wavy because the railings had not been properly supported at the bottom. Everyone visiting the house commented on how bad it looked. Coy says it offers a 2-year warranty on installation. However, we contracted them 3 times asking if they would fix the installation problem with the railings and never received a response.

Coy construction built my new wonderful overlook Trex decking with Trex lighting, rails and balusters in January, 2022 during winter elements. Best price in the area, excellent design and low down payment. Permits for job approval passed each step. Workmanship the best and all the workers were experienced and knowledgeable. ? For Mike & Brian McCoy & crews for the new deck in less than two weeks, and they also built my 1st. Deck in Plymouth Township 26 years ago with no problems and with little maintenance or repairs performed. Price well below most competitors in this area using Trex products.

I have a small 1200 square foot ranch house that had an old plain and worn deck that was slanting toward the house causing water to run toward the house. Deck was in back yard in full sun and we avoided it a lot! Let CC know what I could afford and they took off top boards, raised the deck, put on new decking, built a bigger and attached step, and built the most amazing pergola all within my price range. All in three days. Great price and very professional! Highly recommend.

Finally a place to review this job! In February 2003 I had a deck and 3 season room added to my home by Coy Construction. There were issues from the start. Plans submitted to the city for the permit did not match those discussed. In April postholes were not initially approved. A floor box under the room was used for insulating which was probably not done and the floor was not covered so rain seeped in. This damp condition has allowed carpenter ants to be present each year. They did not know the correct deck screws and decking installation. In June the framing did not get approval and needed revision including watertightness. Even one window was framed in the wrong area. There was very poor communication with the carpenters by Coy. The interior and exterior cedar were not of a high quality. In July I was asked to make a check list of things yet to be done (over 30 things). But from July till November they disappeared and would not communicate when they would finish the job though they said all would be done by July 30. In August the electrical inspection failed and was not approved till 9/22. It was like they did not know or check the city code as most of the inspections were delayed. I called their builder's association after no work was done for 4 months and a different carpenter came to finish the inside work and caulk the outside which took only one day! I was told by a Coy employee that the head carpenter should have retired and was not competent. Even the final city inspection was stalled because Coy did not tell me he was coming and he could not get into the room. Early on I was told that problems arise when the homeowner gets involved. Well, it was the homeowner paying the bills and having certain expectations. I was told the room interior would be finished like in the house but it was not a quality job. There were 3 carpenters and they each did the same jobs around the room but differently. The composite deck boards were place too close and water sits on the deck and even runs into the room causing flooding because the boards go under the room edge and the deck does not tilt away from house and room. Also, the decking is flush with the two house door sills so water comes in. A fence was build but is falling over and the outside electrical has failed. Wood around the perimeter of the composite deck is cedar and rotting and with the screws into it from the top they can not be easily removed. The rotting wood also caused a paver patio to sink at the edges. Why would they not have used composite edging as well? Rain comes in around the windows and skylight because they were not flashed properly. Many of these issues occurred because the project was not finish till November which did not allow me time to water seal any of the outside wood before winter. Gee, did they realize this would happen? Many other issues too many to list occurred. Needless to say this project was a disaster and is still causing headaches all these years later. To remedy the issues it could cost as much as the initial cost. So much for creating a nice porch and deck space to enjoy in retirement.

Great. Completed when promised.

They were helpful. We lined them got them contracted to do certain things, we were going to do some things ourselves, but when they came in and started working the things that I was going to do myself but couldn't because of my injury they went ahead and did and didn't charge us or anything. They did what they could to help us out. They even came back when they knew that there was some stuff that I still wanted to do but couldn't and they did that stuff too.

Very good. Very honest. Polite, courteous, clean.

John (owner) was great to work with, and provided recommendations that fit our needs. His staff and construction team were very friendly, and professional. Their workmanship was fantastic! We are looking forward to using the deck this Spring. We highly recommend Coy construction!

unknown

Our experience is that Coy Construction and its owner Mike McCoy are completely unprofessional and untrustworthy.
Mike:

• -- knowingly used 20+ year old and/or untreated wood on the understructure of our deck, which I can only assume was an attempt to to save a few dollars in material costs

1. -- insisted there were not, and could not possibly be, any problems with our deck until we showed him pictures of the completely rotten wood 
2. -- played all kinds of games with us as we tried to get him to fix the problem, and
3. -- ultimately refused to take responsibility for or stand behind his shoddy work.
4.  

Coy Construction built a Trex deck for us in 2010. There were a few hiccups during construction but we basically thought everything was OK at that time.
Between 2014/2015 we noticed that the steps onto the deck were beginning to weaken and sag a little bit. We didn't think much of it and thought we could just tighten some of the screws to take care of it. That didn't work because the screws didn't seem to be able to catch anything to tighten the decking into.
The steps got progressively weaker over time until they were starting cave in. We could see through the cracks of the decking that the wood underneath seemed to be rotting away. It got to the point in summer 2015 where we essentially had to stop using the deck because it became a safety issue. 
On Sept 9, 2015 we contacted Mike McCoy and said we understood the warranty had expired but wanted to have him come look at it. We just wanted it fixed and even offered to pay for the repair if he wouldn't cover it. He said he would send someone out within a week or so and "The wood framework is Treated Pine??will never rot??just looks like the Trex needs a couple screws." (quoted from his email)
Twelve days later on Sept 21 we still hadn't heard from or seen anyone so we asked if he was still planning to send someone out. He said yes. 
No one had come out by Oct 7 so we told him we just wanted it fixed and if he wouldn't or couldn't do it we would need to have someone else come see what was going on and fix it. The next day he said he would come out "in the next 3 or 4 days."
By Oct 25 the step had almost completely fallen apart so we pulled the decking off and all of the wood underneath was completely rotten and disintegrated. We sent Mike several pictures including those attached to this review. Based on what was under the steps we said we were concerned about what might be under the rest of the deck. He said that "your deck is fine" and "there is no need to worry about the substructure of your deck?.it will pretty much last forever. "  (quoted from his email) He said again he would come out and I said I wanted to be there to look at it with him. He kept saying we didn't need to meet and said he would come out at some point in the next couple of days. I insisted on being there when he came out. 
Without advance notice or asking me to check my schedule on Oct 26 he said he would be at my house in 45 minutes.  I told him that wouldn't work for me so he reluctantly agreed to meet me on Oct 29 instead, but couldn't meet my request to meet in the morning or later in the afternoon so I had to take off from work during the middle of the day to meet him. 
When we met on Oct 29 he finally acknowledged that the step needed to be fixed. He told me they used cedar under the step but assured me they used treated pine under the rest of the deck. Of course at the beginning of this whole thing he insisted that they used treated pine everywhere. I wasn't sure why they would use cedar on the framework anyway as my understanding is that it would more typically be used for the actual decking. Mike didn't offer an explanation or an apology for the state of the steps. I told him I was worried about the rest of the deck and wanted him to take up a couple of boards so we can see what it looked like under there. He said again several times that there is no need to do that because they always use treated pine and our deck would basically last forever. He said someone would come out and fix it. I insisted that my wife or I needed to be there when it was done so that we could see what they were doing and because I wanted them to take up a couple boards to look at the rest when they fixed it. He said someone would come out in the next few days. 
On Nov 11 still no crew at our house so I emailed him again about scheduling something and asked for a day or two notice so we could arrange to be home. 
At 8:30 am on Fri Nov 20 Mike's office emailed us (no phone call) and said someone was coming at noon that day. I emailed back and said that wouldn't work for us and asked if they could reschedule for the following week. I never received a response and that is the last I heard from Mike or anyone in his office.
Winter was coming, we needed to get the steps fixed, and I was tired of playing games with Mike. And more importantly I no longer had any trust in him or faith that he would do the right thing, or anything at all. So we hired someone else to do the job. The guy that fixed it said it was possible that Coy had used new untreated wood on that portion of the deck but based on the condition it was much more likely that they used the understructure from the old deck that had been there (built 20+ years before the new deck was put on) or recycled some wood from elsewhere. In any case, it was clear that Coy did not use new treated wood.
Even though I was pretty sure what the outcome would be, on Jan 8, 2016, I sent the $500 invoice from the guy who fixed our deck to Mike and asked if he would reimburse us in light of the facts that the deck had not been built correctly and his inability or refusal to schedule the repair over the almost three months we had been asking him do it. I was again disappointed, but not at all surprised, that we did not get a response of any kind to this request. 
At this point we are not sure if there are other parts of the deck that used old or untreated wood for the understructure. For now we are crossing our fingers.
The bottom line is that I would never recommend that anyone hire Coy Construction. If I had checked some of the other reviews here that sound very similar to mine, I certainly never would have hired him.

unknown

After several calls for estimates to deck builders ONE provided me with what I was looking for, a design we would love. Other builders asked me for the design to be built. Coy met with my wife and I and came up with a design (beyond what we initially anticipated) that we really liked the idea of. An new deck with screened in patio. Start to finish the project took considerable longer than we initially anticipated. But the final result we could not be happier with.

Cons: Initial design review we expected electrical to be included and part of the overall build. We ended up having to contract electrical on our own. Which in the end worked OK and we added more by installing new soffit lights on the back of the house to accent patio and deck.

Communication- Delays occurred due to other builds and projects Coy had going on at the same time. Poor communication in relaying the progress of project and continual updates to us with timeline to completion. I am in the sales field and communication with your customer through all phases is extremely important and expected by us.

Seem to be low on employees/ help to work on projects. Seemed workers pulled on some days to go to other job sites, leaving ours sit for a day or two.

Pros: Excellent design. Much more than the basic deck and gazebo we had in mind. Mike Coy understands decks and patios and created a functional deck/ patio project that we will love for years to come.

Ron- Carpenter who built screened in patio (solo). Ron does FANTASTIC work and is a overall great guy. Was amazed at his work and the fact that he built patio alone on his own. End result amazing and we receive MANY compliments on. Ron's professionalism and craftsmanship made the final result worth the wait.

Mike Coy is a personable guy and willing to talk with customers, visit job site and work through any issues. From the beginning he promised we would love the end result and we do.

The end deck and screened porch is far beyond what we expected and friends and family and pass byers on the lake always giving positive comments. We are very happy and hope to enjoy it for years to come. Perfect additional to our house as we make improvements and the screened in porch Mike talked us into is perfect. NO bugs to enjoy those great mornings, days, evenings, spring, summer and fall on the lake.

Would definitely recommend Coy!

unknown

The addition to the house looks like what was discussed and I was very happy with the results. The only thing that I found out later was that the shingles were 10 year shingles and that is all that it lasted before it began to leak. Otherwise I was happy with the finished product.

unknown

The workmen were superb, true craftsmen. The job turned out to be much bigger than first suspected, but the increased costs were minimal. They included putting chicken wire all around the bottom of the deck to keep the critters out.

I am very pleased with the new deck. They were very professional and experienced with installing the Trex product. There was a short delay in the middle of the project but the end result was well worth a little wait. I have recommended them to my neighbors.

I have had the pleasure of benefiting from Coy construction on 3
different projects. The first is my finished basement, which was
completed by them prior to me buying my house. It is the highest
quality construction in my home. No issues. I hired Coy to build an
elevated deck and a sunroom. The quality is good, they were on time and
pleasant to work with. I have had many contractor nightmares with
other companies, and Coy actually did exactly what they said they would
do. They also rebuilt a roof on my sunroom after a tree fell through
it. Their service was prompt. I would highly recommend Coy for
Construction services.
I dont know what they charged to build my finished basement. I believe the sunroom was around $18,000 which was a steal. The deck was another cost, which I can't remember.

unknown

Coy built our original deck (and a screened-in porch) in 1996. They helped us design the new deck. They were professional and completed a big job in only a few days.

Coy Construction demo'd my older deck by removing all decking, rails, and stairs. They installed treated pine for the decking and stairs and used cedar to create new railing and to trim the stairs and deck. Entire project was completed in 2 days!

Deck build:

I met with Mike at the office (taking my boyfriend with me). Mike continually addressed him instead of me, just as I had read elsewhere that he is disrespectful to women. That has not changed and I for one think a guy needs to get over college football if you are close to signing up for Medicare!! Sheesh. I am the home owner and paying for the work...I felt like I was buying a car from a used car salesman. It reminds me how I was treated at Fingerle Lumber on a U of M home game day. However, I was willing to put up with fairly typical contractor behavior because the quality of their decks seemed very good..
I had asked about aluminum decking and Mike looked at me like I had three heads. Hmm,, a woman who reads up about construction materials????? Never mind that I had owned a construction company for 21 years lol. I am sure he sees many of us well informed (and female) consumers but he was not cooperative on discussing aluminum decking options. (This is the precise reason I have not refurbished my dock to match the deck, because I want aluminum, not Trex for the boat surround. Mike gave me a price for a fire pit area and a deck extension at the water's edge but I never did the work).
Overall the construction of the deck went well, although it was a horribly hot summer and there were power issues at my house, Mike has good guys working for him. Mark in particular helped me convince Mike that the screen doors and the lower level landing needed to be slightly different than what Mike drew on the plans. Mark and I made the correct decision together. Mark btw, is very respectful and a real people person. Joe and the other framing guys were also very good, and they got lots of muffins. I don't have a beef with the workers at all. In fact, it is probably the only reason the guy stays in business is he can hire well.
Later on in the planning process I asked for a 10 foot wide bridge between deck sections versus 8 ft. I ultimately got an 8 ft one like the original drawing even though I asked this to be modified before construction started. Mike never communicated that to the work crew. He said to me and quot;you don't need a 10 foot section and it's already built nowand quot;. I should have slapped him, but I did not. This section doesn't fit a chaise lounge well, as I would have liked it to do.
The screened in porch cedar ceiling leaked the first winter after the deck was installed. I believe it was ice damming at the roof tie in during the winter because it's not an issue except at those times, but it is a pretty big p*** off given how much I spent. we didn't have that much snow subsequently, but I want it looked at. The interior wall of my house also has minor drywall cracking where the deck was attached but I believe that is related to the weight of the roof shifting the load on the support beams a bit. I don't think it is critical and nothing has progressed.
One of the lower railing support posts was not even (it is installed OK, but was a 45 degree angle leftover piece from the railing cutting, and should have been a totally rectangular tube section. No one notices when they visit but it bugs me. Minor detail left unfinished.). I also never got the cover for the electric meter and the hose, so that the job looks finished.
The Azec trim is twisting off of the front of the deck (probably just need to be fastened). That is undone for the third year. Again, nothing is major, but this delay is just a matter of Mike not having good customer care as part of his value system.
The last time I contacted him personally, here is what he wrote:
Sorry... apologize for the delay....no excuses other than new jobs are taking priority so we can survive.. Make it or break it all summer. callbacks taking a back seat.... thanks for your patience. Mike....
I spoke to Sarah about 10 days ago, and nothing still. The weather is changing and pretty soon it will be too cold to do anything.
Ok. I was generally pleased with the job (we actually love the deck) but the delay in follow up is unacceptable. It is now time to bring in the judicial system and see how well he responds to the court even if it might be a female judge. That would be supreme.
P.S. he also got a job across the lake from me because I let him put his sign out. That's the thanks I get for the referral.

Deck addition -update since October 2013.
After I did the review I did hear from Mike. I had asked that he have the guys CALL me beforehand so I could be there. While I was out of the country Mike sent guys over and they did who knows what. They built a box over my electric meter that I had repeatedly requested be something else easier to move, there was sawdust all over the driveway, and I had no idea what was done to the roof. Now it is mid winter and the roof over the deck is leaking into the deck, on to the floor of the deck, and down on to the patio. I am going to have it fixed correctly and pursue Coy in court. I have had it!

It went very badly from the start to the end.
The project began April 5, 2013 and as of today, Oct 10, 2013, we are removing and rebuilding most of the supporting structure for the main deck, porch, and roof supports.
We have removed Coy Construction from the job and replaced them with a new contractor.
We had the architect, Bloomfield Township Inspector, and the new contractor on site October 8th and all agreed the workmanship was not up to code and did not follow the architectural plans that were provided to Coy Construction. Furthermore, there were serious defects that were likely to fail with major structural damage in the not too distant future.
Coy reused much of the existing deck support structures even though the main beams were not able to support the added weight of the roof. In addition, they installed the new header improperly and did not support the columns properly resulting in sagging at the ends and center of the deck.
They also cut many of the joists that support the deck to adjust for the warp in the old beams and eventually had to replace one of the most warped beams with a couple of 2 x 6 inch beams. However, what was needed structurally was a treated manufactured beam designed to support the weight of the structure and another manufactured beam to support the posts that hold up the roof. We now have an 11 1/4 inch by 3 1/2 inch treated and laminated structurally sound 24 foot beam supporting the deck.
The size of the room is 24 feet by 16 feet and the roof is about 28 feet by 24 feet.
We are also adding a similar structural beam to support the three posts that hold up the roof. The construction used by Coy was not able to support the roof and could have resulted in a structural failure if the added weight of snow occurred before we made these repairs.
Another issue was their lack of care regarding the installation of the decking material. I had to replace more than 100 screws that were improperly screwed in, (screwed in too far, not far enough or the colored paint head scratched off).
There were constant delays in the project due to no project management on the part of Coy Construction. We had a sub contractor who was designing and building the metal structure for the glass and screens, as well as the railings. Even though Coy knew there was a 5 to 6 week lead time for the materials they did not order them until they finished the porch structure.
That was an unnecessary delay. Further delays occurred when each time the metal contractor came out the deck had shifted due to its poor support structure. That resulted in the subcontractor having to redo their work several times before they gave up and told us that until the deck and roof were properly supported they could not do any further work on their part of the job.
That was almost six months from the start of the job.
Now we are rebuilding the underlying deck structure to how it should have been built in the first place.
Mike McCoy the President of Coy Construction maintained there were no structural issues with his teams work and that all decks move. However, when the deck facing was removed it became clear that the materials and workmanship was sub-standard. Even the Bloomfield Township Inspector said if that work was not covered up when he inspected the job it would not have passed.
On the cost issue, we were quoted a price that was to include a clear cedar ceiling. Coy Construction quoted something very inferior to that resulting in added costs of over $4,800. In the end this job was supposed to cost about $10,000 less than it has cost so far and was to be completed by late May to mid June.
Now we hope we can get it completed before the end of October and that is looking like a long shot.
Each day new defects are uncovered in the work performed by Coy Construction.
The most recent discovery following the disassembly of the porch structures is that the header they installed was not vertical. It is tilted causing the roof support beams to tilt out. So now we have to jack up the entire structure and try to get the header and support beams to be totally vertical and properly supported from underneath. Furthermore, Coy Construction had the beams sitting on 1/2 inch decking material that could not support any structural building let alone the weight of a roof the size of our porch.
To say Coy Construction did a poor job is an understatement.
From my point of view they could not have performed much worse.
It could not have taken longer, we have homes in our area that were built and occupied in the time we have been trying to get our screened in porch completed. It could not have cost more and it is hard to imagine how a contractor with over 30 years of experience building decks and porches could have done a worse job structurally and been as far off the architectural plans as Coy Construction was.
I strongly recommend using another contractor.

Built a screened in porch and deck and was quoted cedar with pressure treated in structural areas. Found out today that the areas that have rotted and are structural areas that PINE was used. Thinking of suing becasue we have had several contractors out to quote repairs that are needed and have been shocked at the shoddy way this porch was built. The owner is aware that we have problems and he wont even call us back. We have phoned numerous times. Will be calling the city building inspector out tomorrow.

The design of the deck is extremely nice however the workmanship is terrible.
The composite decking has several scratches, some very dee, along the base.
After repeating calling Mike McCoy from Feb through July to come and complete repair week. He has yet to stand by his promise to replace all the scratched. His administrative staff repeating tell me they will be out the following week to repair and then never show up.
I would not recommend this company or if you do, ensure you are present the entire time the work is being complete and have repairs completed on the spot.