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General Carpentry

Find a decking professional near Oak Park, IL

Find a decking professional near Oak Park, IL

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Top 10 Decking Professionals near Oak Park, IL

Avatar for R-Deco Painting & Home Improvements
Avatar for R-Deco Painting & Home Improvements
6.
R-Deco Painting & Home Improvements
6.
R-Deco Painting & Home Improvements

Good 4.3

(6)

Good 4.3

(6)

Deck or Porch Remodel or Addition, Deck Staining and Sealing

Offers remote services
  • 4 hires on Thumbtack
  • Serves Oak Park, IL
Melissa M. says, "Excellent experience with Ron and his workers. We had our entire three floor townhouse repainted and the stairs and second floor refinished and stained. Ron was super patient and responsive to any questions and concerns we had. If we wanted something changed, the answer was always "no problem". We were worried everything wouldn't be finished on time for our move, but everything was completed on time. He even had his floor guys resand and restain the floors because it wasn't up to his standards and our project was still done on time. Ron is extremely professional and takes pride in his work and genuinely cares that his clients are happy. We are thrilled with his work and would recommend him to everyone."See more
contact for price
Melissa M. says, "Excellent experience with Ron and his workers. We had our entire three floor townhouse repainted and the stairs and second floor refinished and stained. Ron was super patient and responsive to any questions and concerns we had. If we wanted something changed, the answer was always "no problem". We were worried everything wouldn't be finished on time for our move, but everything was completed on time. He even had his floor guys resand and restain the floors because it wasn't up to his standards and our project was still done on time. Ron is extremely professional and takes pride in his work and genuinely cares that his clients are happy. We are thrilled with his work and would recommend him to everyone."

Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

How much does it cost to build a deck?

The cost of building a new deck or porch is $1,500. However, this price can vary depending on a few different factors. The square footage of the space, the type of materials to be used, the intricacy of the project and your specific region can cause the price to fluctuate. To find out how much your new deck will cost, get free estimates from the best deck contractors near you.

For more information, read “How much does it cost to build a deck or porch?”

Does a deck increase home value?

A back deck may (or may not) increase your home’s value or attract potential buyers if you’re looking to sell. According to the Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features, a new wood deck with an estimated construction cost of $10,000 recovered $8,000 for the overall recovery of 80%. Still, 9% of realtors suggested that home sellers should add a new wood deck before putting their home on the market, and 4% said this project has helped closed deals. 

The impact of adding a new deck will likely depend on its material (wood, composite, etc.) and where you live. For example, if you live in an area where people rarely spend time outside because of the weather, it’s reasonable to predict that prospective home buyers might not rate a deck highly on their list of must-haves when looking for a new home.  

When in doubt, consult with your realtor or a real estate expert to figure out if adding a new deck to your home is the right move to increase your home’s value. If it is, contact the best deck contractors near you to get free estimates and start planning your project.  

Is it hard to build a deck yourself?

If you don’t have the skills, experience and qualifications, building a deck may be difficult for you to do on your own.

Structural integrity is key when constructing anything, but especially something you plan to have your family and friends use regularly. The safety of the structure takes careful planning and experience.

Professional contractors have the knowledge to make a safe, beautiful deck for you. They also know the proper permits and insurance required to legally build a new deck or remodel a porch in your city.

When in doubt, contact the best deck contractors near you and start getting free estimates today.

Who is a carpenter and what do they do?

Carpenters are skilled craftsmen who build things out of wood. Depending on what the carpenter builds, they may be referred to by various names. A framer is a carpenter who puts up the framing on a house. A trim or finish carpenter installs the finishing touches of prefabricated or custom trim and detail work once a house has been built and the walls are up. A furniture maker or woodworker builds furniture — such as tables, beds and dressers — out of wood. A cabinetmaker is a carpenter who builds custom and semi-custom wood cabinets. If you’re having a home built or remodeled, your general contractor will either provide or subcontract the carpentry work for the framing, cabinets and trim. You can hire a carpenter directly to update the trim in your home, build you a piece of custom furniture, or repair or replace your wood cabinets.

Do carpenters build houses?

Carpenters are trained to work with wood. That means that any part of your home that is built of wood is very likely to involve a carpenter. Framing carpenters will put up the wood that makes up the bones of your home. If you’re having a wood floor installed, it may be done by a carpenter — although being a carpenter is not a requirement to install flooring. Trim, baseboards, wainscoting and any other detail work is typically installed by a finish carpenter. The wood boxes of custom cabinets will be built and installed by a carpenter.

Although all of these components in your new or remodeled home are built by carpenters who specialize in building things with wood, a general contractor typically oversees construction of the entire house. If the general contractor is also a carpenter skilled in all these areas, they may well construct your entire home. More often, the general contractor subcontracts out the various building stages to different individuals, including carpenters.

What should I ask a deck contractor?

One of the first questions you should ask is whether the contractor has the proper license or insurance. To be a licensed contractor in many states, they must have the experience and knowledge to pass the requirements from your state’s licensing board. 

You should also inquire if they have done work related to your specific project. Just because they’re a contractor, that doesn’t mean they’ve built a deck or an addition like yours. Ask for photographs of decks they've built in the past, and go online to read reviews from past clients.

You also need to ask for a free estimate from several contractors so you know how much the project will cost you (and so you can pay the best price).

Get started today by contacting the best deck contractors near you. 

Do general contractors offer remote or virtual services?

General contractors perform manual work and typically need to be present to complete their projects. However, if you come across a profile that states the contractor is offering remote services, ask what those services include. You can also ask if they can perform a consultation via video call and if they can do the job while following guidelines from the CDC and local agencies.

How do you find a good carpenter?

To find a good carpenter near you, do the following:

  • Use Thumbtack to find a list of carpenters in your area.
  • Filter the list by selecting a specific carpentry service, such as general carpentry or cabinetry. 
  • Identify carpenters who have high ratings.
  • View the carpenters’ profiles and learn more about their specialties. 
  • Read their customer reviews and look at photos of their past work.

After you get a good sense of their quality of work, make sure the carpenter has the necessary credentials in your state. Then, request several cost estimates for your project(s).

What does a finish carpenter charge per hour?

On average, finish carpenters charge $60 per hour. However, this hourly rate will vary depending on where you live, the scope of the project and other factors. For a more accurate estimate, ask for price quotes from at least three finish carpenters in your area.

Reviews for Oak Park decking professionals
Regan N.
Great job on the deck, responsive and friendly.
DanO Home ServicesDanO Home Services
Marcia H.
Cary was very easy to communicate with and did a superior job power washing and staining my deck. Highly recommend.
Hunter Cleaning Services LLCHunter Cleaning Services LLC
Kurt E.
Showed up without materials (the deck stain); was unhelpful in finding replacement materials; stopped responding to communication and never finished the job
🏆 J.S.F PAINTING 🏆🏆 J.S.F PAINTING 🏆
Thumbtack Customer
Not good!!! Ri Ro was hired to power wash and stain my wood deck, power wash and seal my brick patio, and paint the steps on the front of the house. All power washing was completed to my satisfaction. The staining of the deck was half a---!! It did not look bad while it was still wet, but when it dried it was evident that Ri Ro had not put in a professional job. It was "spotty" and there were areas that clearly did not get the two coats of stain as agreed upon. The brick patio was OK, until they "tracked" the stain from the deck while replacing the patio furniture, leaving dark stain spots on the brick patio. Ri Ro was not conscientious or detail oriented. I contacted Ri Ro and sent pictures in an effort to let them make it right. I have yet to hear from them! I would not hire or recommend Ri Ro for any future deck or patio work. The painting of the porch was well done.
Ri Ro PaintingRi Ro Painting
Raymond L.
I was impressed with Karol Construction even before the work was done. I needed a rooftop deck installed in a pinch. Karol responded to my request same day which was a Saturday evening. He came to see the the job on Sunday and provided me a quote within a couple hours. Karol and crew started the work on Tuesday and done by Thursday evening. The crew was clean, courteous and professional throughout. Not to mention the new deck looks great. I will definitely be using Karol for future projects.
Kosterna ConstructionKosterna Construction
Brittany H.
I can’t recommend Kyle enough. He built a Trex deck for us from scratch and it’s amazing. Kyle is professional and punctual and communicated with us very clearly and thoroughly throughout the whole project. Kyle is a perfectionist and would take as much time as it needed to get even the tiniest detail exactly right. I would absolutely hire him again for the next project.
Kyle's decks and more.Kyle's decks and more.
Raymond L.
Alejandro was excellent to work with. He connected with me the same day that I made the inquiry on Thumbtack and was out to assess the job within hours. I received a very fair quote for deck cleaning and staining and the work was done within a couple days. All in all, Alejandro does quality work for a fair price. He’s punctual and has a great work ethic. Nice guy. I would definitely recommend him for your remodeling needs.
Alejandro’s Painting and RemodelingAlejandro’s Painting and Remodeling
Todd M.
KenCam Renovation built a sizable deck for our home; on the side of our house wrapping around to the back and built around our new pool. The crew that came to our home was very respectful and kind. They all were hard workers. In general, the deck looks beautiful. The deck is structurally sound, looks appealing from the curb and it will be a great place for our family to enjoy our yard and new pool. Pictures of the finished deck have been posted by Brandon to Thumbtack. During the construction of the deck, we would inspect to check for anything that needed to be fixed and we would share these concerns with KenCam. Brandon quickly responded to communications, and crews would work to fix any concerns shared. We were, however, disappointed with the way our experience with KenCam ended. There was damage to our property while constructing the deck (pictures included). When showing Brandon the damage that was done to our pool, he was unapologetic. The damage included scrapes, scratches and cuts into the brand new pool rails from where the crew had cut the deck boards. He did not apologize for the damage, instead responding, “Well damage is to be expected in projects like this. It’s not like it is structural, and your friends aren’t going to come over and notice it.” This felt dismissive and, frankly, rude. One wouldn’t take their car for maintenance and expect scratches to the car, and for the mechanic to say “Oh well, that happens.” An apology would have gone a long way. The crew also chopped our gutter downspout without consulting with us, and tore a screen in a window. The quality of the deck boards was objectively not good. About 14 boards that were used on the deck had large knotholes (all the way through the board, that you could see the gravel below), some of them over 2 inches in diameter, and some boards with more than 2 in them (picture included with the holes highlighted with painters tape). Tight knot holes are to be expected in lumber, but not on 14 boards in a row with holes that large all the way through both sides of the board. When Brandon came to our house for a final inspection, we expressed our concerns about the quality of the boards. He told us that he would not replace the boards. He told us repeatedly that he had already given us a low bid that he had discounted (even though he had never communicated that any kind of discount was included on the initial bid until that moment), and that he had given us another discount (to get closer to a competing bid). He said that they were already over their budget, and so replacing the boards wouldn’t be possible. As project manager, Brandon was responsible for ensuring that the budget/quoted price was sufficient to complete the project. It was not our responsibility to create the quote or make sure the project stayed within the budget. Furthermore, we did not add to the design or specifications stated in the quote resulting in any additional materials, nor were there any hiccups on our end, so the budget discrepancy was in no way our fault. As he repeated over and over again - that he had given us a deal and they were over budget and we must accept the low quality boards and not expect everything to be perfect - the impression given was that his lower bid meant lower quality. Had we known this was the case, we would not have accepted the bid. When discussing our concerns about the quality of the boards and some finishing, he told us “I’ve had customers who will be anal and complain about everything.” He repeated this line many times, which led us to believe he thought this about us. Brandon stated that they did another project with the same lumber, and those folks had no problem with it, so we shouldn’t either. He also told us that we couldn’t “expect everything to be perfect” and that we shouldn’t be “nitpicky.” If a gate cannot close, if the posts are all different heights, if the cuts are rough and not finished, if the boards are objectively low quality - things one would think a contractor would want to be done well and take pride in - it is within reason for a customer to ask for them to be fixed. When spending tens of thousands of dollars on a project we want to make sure that all the work including finishing is done well and that the materials are going to last for the long haul. Our home is important to us, and we are the ones who are going to be looking at and living with the deck. His comments to us about being “anal” and “nitpicky” felt rude and we further felt that he was gaslighting us by dismissing our concerns. There were times during the project when it became clear KenCam was trying to cut corners, changing what was agreed upon in the quote. Stated clearly in the quote was “cedar lattice”; the crew brought composite (read: cheaper) lattice, which we refused. The quote also stated “framed cedar lattice panels that are bolted on with wingnuts” with each panel being “removable so the area beneath the deck can be used for storage”. During the construction, we were asked if we’d be willing to change the plan. They did not frame the lattice, nor make all of them removable; we agreed to three panels, which were not attached with wingnuts, but with hooks that the lattice would hang on (less secure). Clearly, this was to save time and cut costs. We understood, because we also wanted to finish the project. Agreeing to changing these plans does not seem to be in line with customers who are “anal” or “nitpicky” as suggested. In regards to the boards, Brandon also said, “these are the boards that were given to us from the lumberyard, and so this is what we have for your deck.” We asked if his crew had inspected the boards; he gave a nonanswer, followed by repeated personal criticisms as described above. He also told us, “nowhere in the quote does it say use boards with no holes in them.” As the contractor, he was responsible for quality control and we assumed that quality lumber was the default. Furthermore, we asked at the beginning of the project to purchase the materials ourselves, so we could ensure the quality; he refused. KenCam, therefore, took on the responsibility of finding quality materials. As the project progressed, and other measures had been taken to cut costs, it became clear why he wanted to purchase these materials. When we pressed Brandon on replacing the boards, he offered to replace them for an additional $1050. We declined this additional cost and asked Brandon and his crew to stay away from our property to avoid any further damage caused while they were fixing issues we had previously identified. Wanting to understand if we were being unreasonable about the boards, we consulted with other contractors. They looked at the pictures of the deck boards and responded they would definitely not have used the boards and they were unacceptable. They stated the quality of the boards was a low grade and poor quality, including one saying “I don’t know where he’s getting his lumber, but he should find a new place.” We wanted to be sure that there weren’t any issues that we hadn’t found, so we had a NADRA certified inspector come over to take a look. He observed the following (included in the photos): (1), the stairwell attachments were not compliant with code in several places because they were attached with wood instead of with metal hardware or not attached at all, (2) Having a downspout drain directly on to the deck was not acceptable, (3) a section of siding that Brandon’s crew had cut away had not been sealed, which allowed water to access the structure of our home, (4) Not all the stairs were built to the same height - incorrect stringers were chosen for the job, (5) there were gaps in the railings >4” which is not compliant with code, (6) one post that was applied to support a stairwell was in contact with the ground (all other posts were on top of concrete), (7) one post was noticeably misaligned with it’s concrete footing by about 2”, (8) “graspable” hand railings were not installed per code, and (9) post covers were not installed. We hired a different person to fix these issues. We are grateful that we have a deck that will allow us to enjoy our yard and pool. We understand that it is hard right now for contractors, with increasing costs and labor shortages. We were looking forward to coming to a compromise for remedying our concerns. After that final discussion, however, we were really dissatisfied and frankly surprised by the way we were spoken to and the things that were said to us. We felt disrespected and dismissed. We paid the remainder of our balance, but did not feel comfortable moving forward with any more work from KenCam because we were worried that they would ultimately break more things every time they came back to fix our requests. Brandon’s unapologetic response to the damage of our property, along with gaslighting us for our concerns was especially disappointing.
Kencam RenovationKencam Renovation
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