Whats The most expensive deck you've built - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

deck king · 04-05-2009, 03:14 PM

I ran into a contractor ( deck builder) yesterday. The guy was pretty arrogant, said he was the best in the business. ( yea! Me too! )
He was bragging about a $ 25,000.00 deck and how great it was.
I didn't waste time on him. I do know, the price of a project does not a quality craftsman make.
I was going through all the projects I've done over the past 25 years ( having a web site built) and found decks I didn't even remember until I saw the pictures. Then I started listing them In order of the most expensive to the least expensive and it got me thinking.
What is the average price of your deck projects ?( residential)
What is this biggest deck project you have built ?( including gazebos and accessories)
What is the most expensive deck project you have built?
While compiling my list heres mine!
built 1 deck 3,400 sq.st. with 2 gazebo's benches and custom rail and 4 sets of steps, made of Paulope wood. It took 7 guys 6 months, used 25,000 SS fasteners, used 26 saw blades, 212 drill bits, 85 counter sinks
and 15 router bits. this deck is on a house for a guy that worked for the Chicaco Bears . The Price $ 212.000.00

rbsremodeling · 04-05-2009, 03:19 PM

212,002.50, my deck sounds almost identical to yours. I used 1 more drill bit than you though, strange

leakygoose · 04-05-2009, 03:29 PM

I'd sure like to see some pic's of a 200k deck ,lets see them?

Jason W · 04-05-2009, 03:32 PM

$18k was my best, but I'm no "deck king". It was a cedar deck and I have no idea how many drill bits I bought!

**framerman** · 04-05-2009, 03:55 PM

Quote:

built 1 deck 3,400 sq.st. with 2 gazebo's benches and custom rail and 4 sets of steps, made of Paulope wood. It took 7 guys 6 months, used 25,000 SS fasteners, used 26 saw blades, 212 drill bits, 85 counter sinks
and 15 router bits. this deck is on a house for a guy that worked for the Chicaco Bears . The Price $ 212.000.00

That is one big deck! Sorry....I can't resist.

+ YouTube Video

macatawacab · 04-05-2009, 04:00 PM

In 1985 I did a 35K deck. Clear all heart redwood, SS screws counter sunk, and set on pitch pans.

I made a total of $45.00 for the effort. Learned a ton about bidding tho.

Warren · 04-05-2009, 04:11 PM

If that was labor and material then you don't pay those guys enough.

deck king · 04-05-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbsremodeling

212,002.50, my deck sounds almost identical to yours. I used 1 more drill bit than you though, strange

Dad... is that you?

BreyerConstruct · 04-05-2009, 04:43 PM

While the total project went up a bit more... we've done a few decks in the 40k range...

Our average last year was around a 17k deck...

~Matt

deck king · 04-05-2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreyerConstruct

While the total project went up a bit more... we've done a few decks in the 40k range...

Our average last year was around a 17k deck...

~Matt

For a while, I was doing 1 year at about 100k.
My average deck is abiut 28k over the last 15 years, the last 2 or 3 years I built more additions and finished basements< but I think I prefer decks.

Stone Mountain · 04-05-2009, 05:15 PM

Biggest ever deck (or more exactly, most expensive) was in 1984. $55,000. 1000 sq ft deck, cabana and gazebo, with outdoor kitchen, all on one level.
Today it would probably be double.

John Hyatt · 04-05-2009, 07:11 PM

With $$ I go back to my ol standby..Change is Change Money is Money but what sticks to the Bee makes the Honey.. Its not how big the project is

or how much you got for it

its how much you tucked away After the smoke clears

That was Soooo Funny the big deck thing,Major Yucks!!!

kingster are you still buying ipe under the brand name pau lupe?? ghesss I dident know they were still going on I started out with those guys like 15 years ago.

So if this is a big dick, Uppers I mean big Deck contest I dont mind Whopen it out right here!!! Best so far this year 16' x16' garapa Oct te Gone, wrapped garapa rail posts/black alum bal,endgrain trim, yellow cedar skirting,one coat twp finish. 5 working days I cleared $2700. Another good little thing this Sat 4' x 5' PT stairway,the contractor flaked out on them, 5 hrs I cleared $900 it gets a little better they needed a Garapa threshhold 2' x 5'' wide $125 took about 30 min.

And I dont even count the drill bits.

Saddle up Marines!! its time to Boggie. J.

**BuiltByMAC** · 04-05-2009, 09:31 PM

I, too, would be very interested in seeing pics of a 212K deck. I don't think we've seen any of your projects yet, though.

If you're wanting to see pics of big projects, you can find one here.
Keep in mind, I built that one solo. Didn't keep track of saw blades, screws or drill bits though...

Mac

deck king · 04-05-2009, 09:34 PM

kingster are you still buying ipe under the brand name pau lupe?? ghesss I dident know they were still going on I started out with those guys like 15 years ago.

Saddle up Marines!! its time to Boggie. J.[/quote]

Yea! Actuall there was quite a controversy over what the true wood was.
Some say Ipe was the gender speific and others say Pau Lope was, so My lumber supplier did the research and found out that The Ipe could be a mix of up to 5 dirrerent species of Iron wood from the same family ( this was back in 1999) The species were ( The spellings are probably wrong)
Cocobola, Jaharra, Teak, Dinza Excelsia and Tab Abula.
Where as the Pau Lope was all Tab Abula. All the woods are Iron woods and all have about the same properties. The interesting thing is that the Tab Abula tree grows about 300' tall and 10' in diamiter and bloos only at the top of the tree. it also grows to height in only 30 years ( if I remember correctly? It's been a while since I had this info.

Are you telling us to Marines? or them to saddle up?

deck king · 04-05-2009, 09:47 PM

Yup, I butchered the names. I have built a deck out of cambara, this stuff is nice, stronger than Oak and lighter than Cedar.
that deck cost more than Pua Lope though.

John Hyatt · 04-05-2009, 09:57 PM

Kingster you are so full of it your eyes are brown ghesssssssss

Ipe is the name of the Tree in S America, Teak was one of the species???? Of iron wood??? iron wood is another brand name like pau lupe.

You not only do not know what your talking about, your too stupid to stop doing it. J.

deck king · 04-05-2009, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Hyatt

Kingster you are so full of it your eyes are brown ghesssssssss

Ipe is the name of the Tree in S America, Teak was one of the species???? Of iron wood??? iron wood is another brand name like pau lupe.

You not only do not know what your talking about, your too stupid to stop doing it. J.

Ironwood, is a classification of woods and is wood that fits within a certain criteria for that classification!
NOT A BRANDNAME
Based on the intelligenc level of your post, I believe, you think Dogwood is in the canine family, Purple heart is millitary issue, Tigerwood is sold at zoo's and Black Ebony is made of .... while you know!... Dumb a$$

deck king · 04-05-2009, 10:31 PM

Sorry Hyatt, I shouldnt have called that.
The comment about the Marines was a joke, not meant to infer anything about you or Marines, just trying to be funny!
I did state that the information I had was years old, so if some of it is no longer applicable all you have to do is give the correct facts. To say somebody is stupid because you think you know different, is less intelligent than someone who is willing to let themself be educated!

neolitic · 04-05-2009, 11:18 PM

Yeah Jon Mon, be fair.
You know how those trees
like to keep moving around
and changing their names.
Shame on you Hyatt.

**BuiltByMAC** · 04-05-2009, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deck king

Ironwood, is a classification of woods and is wood that fits within a certain criteria for that classification!
NOT A BRANDNAME

Took 5 minutes of using 'the google' to find multiple reputable websites that concur...yes, iron wood is indeed a brand name of ipe, just like Pau Lope. It is so hard to bullsh*t these days, now that the world is at our fingertips!

Please go away now. This forum is a bad fit for you.

Mac