Exterior Works

We used Exterior Works and Arafat to remove our old deck and build us a new trex deck. From the start Arafat was great. Quick and excellent communication, worked with us on the design, and gave us the best price around. He helped us with the HOA paperwork, permits, etc. It was such a pleasure to work with him on this project. The deck turned out amazing, meeting every expectation and then some. I highly recommend Arafat and his crew for any job and plan to use him again in the future.

I have known Arafat for almost 20 years. I am a local real estate agent and have recommended him many times to clients needing a deck or deck replacement. I personally had the opportunity to use his company this summer to tear down an old deck and rebuild a new Trex deck with black balusters and white vinyl railing and trim. He pulled the county permits and helped me complete the HOA info required for approval. The project was completed in full within 1 week start to finish!! His crew was there by 630 every morning to start setting up for the day. I highly recommend Arafat with Exterior Works. (Photos below).

in 2011, Arafat built us a wonderful deck exactly to our specifications. Over the years the top railing became rotten. My son was graduating from College and we were having a "big" party (40-45 people) for him and we needed to get this fixed ASAP. The deck, of course, was the prime meeting place for everyone. Arafat and his team was able to repair the deck before the party on July 30. He is a man of integrity and honesty and he stands behind all his work. God and mother nature are the only ones who can predict when wood will rot. However, you can always trust the quality of his work. When asked how much I owned him he said "lets just say this is a modest graduation present to your son."

I contacted a few companies for our new deck build. Exterior Works was one of them. When you meet with Arafat, you can immediately tell how different he approaches to this. He is very modest, respectful and kind. He did not only provide the offer with best pricing, he didn't nick and dime with our additional small requests. He was very upfront with the costs of the materials and made great recommendations. He knew the code very well and guided us for making appropriate choices. Most importantly, he kept us informed about the preparations and starting date, showed up on time as he promised, started working early every morning and finished the job within the week. We are extremely happy with the results. He didn't ask for any penny until the job was completed. He left spare light bulbs and promised to provide more should I need them later. It was a truly exceptional process working with him and I will wholeheartedly recommend him to everyone I know needing a deck.

The Company did a fantastic job; they pulled out the the old fences down in one day and put up the new fence on the next day, and we received a lot of compliments on our new fences. We highly recommend this company.

The owner was very upfront about how weather problems could affect the timeline (it was outside in February!) but luckily it was very warm and everything was done in a couple days.

Our neighbor and son each had their decks installed by Exterior Works so we already knew of the company's high quality workmanship and upfront, honest estimates. Our deck is about 19x32 and includes a step at either end. It is a low deck, so no railing is needed. Arafat worked just as described in the other A ratings. He generally travels around to provide estimates on Sundays and works the other 6 week days on projects. In the first meeting he described the plan and process for replacing the decking and left samples of Trex decking . Arafat was upfront, considerate, and gave an honest estimate with no hidden costs. No down payment - pay when the job is completed to satisfaction. I could not ask for a better contractor. He completed our deck during the hottest days of the summer (over 100 deg) and our finished deck exceeds our expectations. ($11,800 total included tear down and haul away plus new Trex Transcend decking).

Arafat and his team were outstanding from our first interaction through the timely completion of our project.  
* We got 4 quotes for this project and Arafat was the cheapest by over 10%.  He was very professional and courteous during the quote process, actually listening to our desires for the deck and making helpful suggestions.
* Arafat and his team worked very quickly and efficiently, dealing with inclement weather to get the job done is less than a week. Their craftsmanship was outstanding and they went above and beyond in several areas to ensure that we got a deck we'd be happy with.  He also fixed an issue with our fence in our back yard free of charge while his team was there.
* Now almost 8 months later, the deck has settled in perfectly and the quality of the craftsmanship continues to shine through.  We would highly recommend Arafat to anyone looking for a new deck from a great team at a very reasonable price.

I couldn't possibly write enough nice words about Arafat.  From the first phone call I made to inquire about an estimate to the completion of the deck, Arafat and his crew were as good as it gets.  I have no doubt in my mind that I got the best deck for the best price by going with Arafat.  Arafat was willing and able to answer all questions I had on the spot.  Some other companies would send a sales rep who couldn't answer questions about actually building the deck and some other companies would send builders who couldn't answer questions about the cost of different materials.  The only possible problem in hiring Arafat for your deck is that he may not be readily available because of high demand for his services.  Seriously, don't hesitate to hire him.  Also, my dog really liked him and his crew, and my dog is very fickle about who he likes to have in his back yard.

Exterior Works did a great job on a new deck for my townhouse.  Arafat, the business owner, came out and gave an estimate a month or two ago.  He was the most personable of all the people I had come out to give estimates and also came in with the lowest price.  The communication was quick and they took care of process of getting HOA approval, permits, etc. with little to no effort required from me.  The deck looks great!

totally no hassle from beginning to end with lighting speed. Arafat even got my plat from county and saved me $350. totally impressed

I can not say enough good things about Arafat and his team. I read a lot of reviews before selecting places to call for estimates and called Arafat because of all the great review i had read, all of which rang true. Many places were too busy to come out and some never got back to be. Arafat was quick to get back to me and scheduled a Sunday morning for an estimate.  When he came for the estimate he was very thorough in describing the project, our decking options and how the process would work. He had a written estimate, complete with a image of the deck, back to us the next day. He was quick to respond to follow-up questions we had and we decide to go with him within a week of him first coming out.
Once we decided to go with him, which took very little though on our part as he was great to communicate with, he started work very quickly. He pulled the permit on Tuesday and started bright an early Wednesday morning. We were sitting on out new deck by Friday evening.  
We could not be happier with the finished product and would not hesitate to recommend Arafat. We love our new deck!

The deck was about 16x21 and included a wrap-around step. It is a low deck, so no rail was needed. Arafat worked just as described in the other A ratings. He provided a reasonable bid and was upfront about everything he did. In the first meeting he described the plan and process for building a deck. 6 months later we hired him to do the job. It went just as he said it would. I could not ask for a better contractor. I would hire Arafat to do any job--too bad he only does decks and fences. I fully recommend him to my neighbors and to anyone researching contractors for a deck. Note--if you see the attached photos--I stained the deck and hired another contractor to paint the pergola white.

We had a great experience with Exterior Works.  The owner, Mr. Arafat Shadid, was very responsive and professional throughout the entire process.  We built a composite deck on our townhouse and could not be happier with the time schedule and end product.  During the estimate process, I had called 2 other companies, 1 of which would not come out to give me an estimate since it was going to rain that day.  Arafat had no issues about coming out that same day, in the rain, to provide me with an estimate.  He also was very thorough in answering my many questions and explaining the pros/cons of different decking options.  He even brought over samples of the decking material and also brochures which was a difference making our selection.  On top of which, Arafat has a great sales method, ?no pressure at all and I welcome you to get other quotes?, whereas the other company I dealt with provided me with a one-time discount if I signed with them that day only without having a day to confer with my wife (their discounted price which was still higher than Exterior Works).  Exterior Works? pricing is very competitive and their work ethic is unparalleled.

 

The expectation for completion was 5 days; they finished in 3 days.  On one of the days in particular, Arafat and his crew showed up early morning and worked through the evening? while it rained.  They showed true dedication to my job and they made me feel like I was their only customer (which I?m sure was not the case).  He accommodated each of my requests and he was a true pleasure to work with from start to finish. 

We received a quality deck in a quicker timeframe than expected from a company that was courteous, professional, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with - I highly recommend Exterior Works and hope to work with Arafat again.

Arafat came my house the day I called, proposed the measurements for an appropriate deck size for my town home. He was diligent in providing me the different cost estimates, based on materials used. He helped me in the process of getting HOA approval and started the work on the promised date. He finished the work a day ahead, despite losing couple of days to rain. And, he was personally building the deck, which I don't see many company owners do. And, he even fixed my broken fence gate at no additional charge. Would definitely recommend him for any job in the future.

They work was great.  The owner was in charge of doing the work and did the majority of the work on this project.  He pulled all the correct permits and was very detailed oriented.  He was also very pleasant and understanding.  He said if I have any issues in the future to call him.  He didn't require payment until the work was completed and we were satisfied.

Arafat came and gave us the BEST estimate.  But before we agreed he came and told us all our decking options.  He gave us the pros and the cons of each type of material.  He answered a million questions.  He came back 2 times with different sample colors.  He answered all emails and phone calls very quickly. 
We choose azek decking based on all the facts that Arafat presented.  We were debating between azek and wolf, but we choose the azek like I said because Arafat told us it wasn't a good product.  He installed a HUGE deck, and was beyond efficient, from pulling permits to calling the dig it people.  His guys were also super respectful.  3 days after he installed the deck we noticed that one of the boards was scratched and had faded about 10 shades.  Our deck is not in direct sunlight.  We have about an hour or 2 of direct sunlight because of all the trees around our deck.  It turns out that the lumberyard where he purchased the decking from had accidentally put 1 wolf board into our bundle.  He came out literally the next day to check it out.  Then the day after he came to replace the board.  Then a week later the white part of the deck on the side started coming up.  We emailed him that night and he came the next day to fix it.  He was super responsive from the day we met him.  We will use him again to do our fence and to do a 3 season room for us.  We are beyond satified with him and wish he was a general handyman.  Its so hard to find such an amazing contractor!

He met with us at least three 'cause we weren't sure what we're doing and it was never a problem to have him come over and discuss it with us. He's doing everything and tells us how much more it will cost for each thing. He does not take any money until he's done with the job which is pretty amazing. He always came when said he was coming. He returned calls promptly. Just very pleasant and honest. I have no complaints. He was really good to work with.

I was very pleased with Mr. Shadid's responsiveness to my request for an estimate.  His price -- which included a $350 fee for obtaining the building permit -- was very reasonable considering other bids I requested from other contractors.  The work was completed on schedule, and the finished product looks fantastic in terms of craftmanship and finish.  I would definitely use them again for a similar project -- we were very pleased.

Exterior Works did an outstanding job. Arafat showed up on time, with all the needed materials. The work was actually better than the original, the screen frame was originally butted and Arafat mitered the corners for a much cleaner look. Although not part of the job, he reset and secured all of the screen pickets and cleaned up after the job was complete. I was very pleased with the price and the quality of the work.

I was looking for a company to build a small landing and set of stairs going from the back door of my house to a patio.  I found Exterior Works and spoke to Arafat and realized I did not have to look any further.  Arafat is the most professional and honest contractor I have ever worked with.  From the first minute I spoke to him, I immediately knew that he was going to be the contractor I chose to complete my project.  Arafat was able to speak to me over the phone and give me a rough estimate for the work that I needed to have done.  We then set up an appointment for him to come out and take a look at the project site.  He was on time, friendly, professional, and came prepared.  He brought samples of the composite decking that I was interested in and came up with many different ideas to complete this work.  Arafat e-mailed me a 3D design of the work along with an estimate just hours after meeting with him.  The work was completed just a week after initially speaking with him.  The landing and stairs came out perfectly and was exactly how it was described.  I obtained estimates for several other companies and Arafat's prices were HALF of what other wanted to charge.  If you need any decking or fencing done, I suggest that you call Arafat and do not waste your time with any other company in Northern Virginia.  Thanks again

Arafat was fantastic from beginning to end.  He showed up immediately to provide a quote and came in up to 80% less than other quotes.  He beat his baseline schedule by 2 days and even had an additional inspection to deal with as my deck did not exceed 44" in height on one side of the deck (county requirement).  Start to finish, the deck was built in one week.  Exterior Works kept the work area clean and the guys were very nice and worked very hard with no breaks.  As a previous builder, I was blown away at the attention to detail and the professional work quality.  Their post holes looked like they were chiseled out of stone (perfect).  They used only the best material and used routers that provided a beautiful finish to the handrails.  I would recommend Arafat and Exterior Works for any deck or fence job and hope I have the opportunity to work with them again.

The owner, Arafat answered all my questions, was very professional and very easy to deal with from the start, from getting the permit to completing the deck through final inspection.  He and his crew members started and finished on schedule.  The work they performed was excellent. I was impressed that he did not ask up-front deposit which means that he was confident that I would be satisfied with the quality of his product which comes with lifetime warranty for all workmanship and materials.  Arafat knows what he is doing.  He advised me regarding material selection, design, and color of the deck. I am very happy I made decision to go with Arafat because he is honest, trustworty and reliable. His workmanship was highly professional and his pricing was very fair.  He was the best contractor I have ever used and I highly recommend him.  You can trust Arafat to give a good price, do a great job and finish on time.  Look no further if you want the best.

I interviewed and got estimates from many. After I talked with Arafat, I had to look no further. His estimate was a little more than one , but less than 4 others. It was a very reasonable overall - he will not overcharge you. Arafat is a thorough professional. He shows up on time, works per plan, and means (and delivers) what he says. No gimmicks, no unfulfilled promises. Very easy to communicate with, and to strike a rapport with. He also went the extra mile and installed my storm/screen door to the deck at no extra charge.  I would love for him to work on my other projects.
Arafat sure knows his job and is so confident about the quality of his work that he did not take any money upront, but asked to be paid upon satisfactory completion.
If you want a no-hassle project in a reasonable budget, and good workmanship, go to Exterior Works.

They did the entire job in a week and did a great job.  They exceeded my expectations.  I especially like the fact that they did not ask for one penny until the job was complete and I was satisfied.