Custom Decks Inc

Steve Sapp the owner of Custom Decks did not get any of inspections done and told me that no inspection was required for the Deck. Steve has a track record of not getting most inspections done. You can validate my assertion by logging on to the Saint Louis Country Citizen Access portal at "[*** Link removed ***] 1) log on to the portal 2) Click on "Construction Permits" tab 3) Select "Search by Licensed Professional Information" from the drop down 4) Search by Steve Sapp 5) Click on "S2524" under the license number column This gives you the list of properties against which "Steve Sapp" was issued permit. If you look at the "status" column...you will see there are very few properties where "status" is "Completed" most properties have only "Permit Issued" under the status. Which means that he NEVER got ALL the required inspections done which is against the law. Residents are not even aware that they are in the violation of the building code.

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The owner of the company worked with me on several design iterations to arrive at a design I was comfortable with. I started out dead-set on having a spiral staircase. There were so many options and design considerations with the spiral staircase that I decided I would do the legwork on the stairs but Custom Decks would do the installation once I settled on the stairs. After completing my research, I concluded that the spiral stairs were not going to solve the problem I was trying to solve. I worked with the owner to toss out some other ideas I had and between us, we came up with a new design concept that I was satisfied with.
I had a few small issues along the way. I have a critical eye when it comes to design and quality of workmanship. The crew was really good at what they did but I felt they took some shortcuts that I caught and that really rubbed me the wrong way. One example is that they used two deck boards, forming a seam when the dimensions of my deck did not require a seam. It was only done in one spot and clearly was a case of taking the path of least resistance. I pointed that out to the owner and it was promptly corrected. There were a few similar types of issues. I felt that I should not have to point these out. The quality of workmanship should be such that it should not have come to that. That said, the crew demonstrated that they were perfectly capable of quality work and the owner ensured that the work was done to my satisfaction before paying the balance. As the project was in progress, I did not think that I would want to refer this company to anyone but after all was said and done, I wound up very satisfied with my new deck and felt that I received a good value in terms of the overall quality of materials and size for the price paid.
One last comment... if you are looking for a quality composite deck, you may want to do your own research on composite materials and railing systems and ask Custom Decks to build using the materials you specify rather than looking for Custom Decks to specify the materials. They have access to many more materials than they promote. That is how I did my project and I appreciate that Custom Decks was open to working with me in this way and not trying to force me in to their typical offering.

We found Custom Decks from Angies List after getting half a dozen estimates from other companies also on the list. Price wise, they were right in the middle - not the cheapest, not the highest. The company is basically Steve and his brother (sub contractor he says). The agreement was simple: take down our small deck, and put up a new one with the same footprint - all to code. They said it was an easy job, and should be done within 3 or 4 weeks, depending on the weather. It was Winter time. Within a week or two, they started the job with the demo, which went quickly. Next they started with the framing. Things were looking good...well, until the city inspector put a stop order on the job. Why? To my surprise and frustration, they didn't get a permit. Why? Because Steve says he didn't think he had to in our city and also he didn't have the proper insurance. After an attempt to circumvent the system, he finally got the permit and the job resumed. For our job, the brother was on the job site more than Steve, often working alone. The four week job dragged on and on. Keeping in mind that it was winter and there were some cold snowy days: it took them more than two months to get it done. Months not weeks. The overall look of the deck is fine and certainly better than our rotting deck. The overall workmanship is average, with some framing and detail being below average such as: off centered posts, joists not touch the headers, loose decking and not completely cleaning up the job site. There is a three foot deep hole that they dug and not refilled. They promise a lifetime warrantee on their job, but since the completion, I've called them and have not received a return call.

This project turned out fantastic! Steve was easy to work with and was great at communicating with us throughout the project. Steve first came to our home and went through several photos of his past work and showed us what would work best with our landscape. He also introduced us to Trexs Decking, a maintenance free composite wood, which looks great and you never have to stain it! The project was completed within two weeks of our initial meeting. Actual construction took only 5 days, Custom Decks crew was courteous and kept a clean work site. The finished product looked unbelievable and the price was very reasonable. I would recommend Custom Decks to everyone.

It went very well. We learned of Custom Decks via the internet. Steve understood our design concept, took us to see an example of his work, and offered an attractive price. All 5 references were glowing. The beginning of the project was delayed almost 2 weeks while we waited to receive our building permits from the county and city. The deck was finished in 4 weeks; if the weather had been a bit more cooperative the job would have been finished much sooner. The finished product is fabulous. I believe the project was more complicated than Steve initially thought, but he and crew worked hard to "get it right." Only one very small complaint: the job site was messy, with drink cups sitting around and tools left all over. However, the finished product looks fabulous.