Freeborne Decking

They were very helpful in planning the design and color of the deck. We felt very comfortable with Lenny and the Crew, They completed an excellent job in about 3 days. Would highly recommend

I see on Angie's list that Freeborne has an A rating and many more positive than negative reviews. Had I written a review when they built my deck in ~2011, I would have probably given them an A as well. They were very nice, reasonably priced (but apparently you get what you pay for, keep reading), and got the job done efficiently. However, the deck has been gradually coming apart ever since. Mostly superficial stuff like lattices and edging falling off, but also a step and several planks beginning to loosen and come up - that could get dangerous. It finally got to the point this year (2020) that we decided we needed to get things repaired. We called Freeborne several times and each time were told, "We should be able to get out there this week sometime to give you an estimate." And then they would not call back with a time and no one ever came. Finally we gave up on Freeborne and called someone else. The first thing he said when he saw things falling apart was, "I'll bet this is a Freeborne deck, isn't it?" He said that he gets calls all the time to repair Freeborne decks. We have since heard from neighbors similar stories - that Freeborne never returns calls when you try and have them out for repairs, and that their decks always have issues similar to ours. So regretfully, I am writing this negative review in the hope that others select a different company who will either do it right the first time or at least come out and make repairs if they don't.

This is the 2nd time I've used Freeborne and I would definitely have them back again. They built a 12' X 16' enclosed room on a 2nd story deck and it came out great. Lenny, Scott and crew knew what we wanted and exceeded our expectations without over complicating the project. There were no budget surprises either. The amount we discussed at the beginning was what we were charged. If I could I would use them to do projects inside of the house!

Lenny and his crew (Scott, etc) did a phenomenal job. We had a patio put in and our old stairs, deck removed. We wanted it replaced with TREX. We explained to Lenny what we were looking for and he redesigned it perfectly. They did a great job in no time flat. We are extremely pleased and would recommend them in a heartbeat. Thank You Lenny, Scott, and Freeborne

He was awesome! Was in and out in 2 days complete with all permits! Provided insurance and even cleaned up some trash left by another contractor when he left. We didn't pay a dime until he finished and I wish every contractor I dealt with were like him. I would hire him several times over again and again!

Their price was treasonable compared to other bids. They did a great job and were able to complete it in 2 days because they built the railings in their shop. Their team was professional and the owner very responsive.

Could not have gone better. I have had a lot of work done on my house in the past 2 years (basement remodel, hall bath, master bath, attic, MAJOR landscape with double wall, drainage and complete remodel and this was by far teh best work that has been done. Exceeded my expectations in every way. I got quotes from 5 deck companies and nobody came close to Freebourne's price and there is no way that anyone could exceed their service and quality of work. It probably goes without saying, I would definitely recommend Freebourne to anyone.

This is an update to my previous review. The deck was completed in April 2018. There are a few issues with the deck and I notified Gary right away. The posts are not aligned causing the gate to improperly hang. Its aligned at the top and pushed in at the bottom. Therefore, the gate does not open and close smoothly but jerks along as you pull/push it. There is a bulge/broken Trex material in the railing where a nail has been put in too close to the edge and the lattice has been cut too large so it bows. There are a few other little issues. I didn't want these small things to turn into bigger things that I would then be expected to pay for later. I called Gary every few months during their busy season. He always answered my calls but he was never in my area, had a reduced crew, had people out on disability etc. He even at one point said that when he sees the phone ring, he thinks, what am I gonna say this time! I figured he'd address it during his slower season. I called into Sept/Oct but he stopped answering my calls or responding to messages. I thought that was odd so after several unreturned calls, I called Lenny. No answer, but I left a message. No response. I then sent an email to their general mailbox with pictures. No response. On Oct 19, I called again and Gary answered. He said Lenny told him I called and he saw the email and pics (but still did not get back to me). He gave no reason for not returning my calls or email and said he would send someone over to fix everything. I asked for a time frame and asked if it would be done by the end of the year. He said, yes, yes, by the end of the year. No appointment, they would just show up to do it. It's past the end of the year. I'm not in a big hurry, just wanted a reasonable timeframe but It's been 9 months. No one has done any work and as importantly, there's been no contact from Gary to update me on anything. It seems evident that Freeborn has no intention of taking care of any of these issues. I've been told I have to go to other contractors and get estimates to correct Freeborns work, then go after Freeborn for those costs. After spending 14k, I expected them to honor their claims listed on their website of 'repairs for life' 'things happen and we'll be there when they do' or at the very least repair their errors. Save yourself the trouble and go with another company with a better response record. What good is a decent price if they make good on their promises and make mistakes and wont correct them?

I will never ever hire or recommend this company to anyone. Lenny takes weeks to respond to you first of all. He had his crew come and put a deck up for me and let me tell you it looks like a 12 year old did it. All latice is coming off due to them cutting it to short, railings are not secure and boards need to be replaced. Lenny had one of his guys come out and check what needed to be done and he even said the 2 guys that put this deck up did a horrible job. He said he'd be back in 2 days to fix....that was over a month ago! My husband and I have been calling Lenny for weeks and weeks and he's not returning my calls. I don't know how they've been in business for so long.

We wanted a small deck. I had quotes from Lowes and another contractor. Gary responded quickly to my initial call and provided samples, pricing and suggested a design. He had the best price and wanted no money up front. He also worked with our town's building department to come to a final design they would approve. From the time of final approval, the crew started work within a reasonable timeframe and took about a week. The deck looks good and feels solid. As Gary advised the darker colors really do get hot, even if there's just late afternoon sun. A bit of a downside: if you need minor adjustments/corrections and you're not in an area he usually works in, there is a wait for a crew to be in your area to address.

Outstanding experience. Gary returned call right away, came to house at appointed time, discussed project, options, costs and timetable. Provided drawings, and estimate, which was the final cost. The work was done in a timely manner, with great dispatch, professionally, precisely to specifications, with no drama. He arranged for town permit. All I had to do is go to the town hall and pay; it was ready and waiting for me. After the project was completed, he arranged for the inspection. Painless, seamless pleasant experience and outcome.

We installed Trex Deck about 5 years ago. Since then Freeborne has been out each year to repair it. 2017 Summer we tried to have them come out again but completely ignored. Our youngest son was injured due to planks lifting. Finally we had complained to Trex which referred us to All American Decks, who came out and repaired it at an additional costs. So the next step is court. PLEASE DONOT USE! They are great and will earn your business but once an issue.....MIA!!

We are very happy with the result. They are responsive, and on the site on time. There was a last minute change of the plan for the stairs and the gate, and they worked with me without any problems. I will definitely hire them again.

Freeborn build our deck 16 years ago, then replaced it this year with Trex. This deck is as nice as the first one they built and was finished it in a matter of days. We had a problem with one of the slats lifting up and they were there to fix it the day after we called. Very satisfied with their work and customer service.

Excellent workmanship. Good quality and clean removal of old decking and replacement with new decking and railing. The gate was replaced with a heavier gate that needed to be supported with a wheel. Be sure to discuss this before installation. Deck looks great after two years, easy to clean. Would definitely recommend Freeborne Decking.

So, I will say as far as the deck itself goes - the quality to cost ratio was pretty good. Gary was very friendly and funny when he first came out, he seemed knowledgeable and the quote was quite competitive. The deck construction itself is fine, passed inspection and we got everything we asked for. They aren't the cheapest nor the most expensive. You'll get a good deck (although I can't say the same for the rain system), it won't fall apart and these guys don't walk away with your money. Despite the initial great interaction with Gary he was never present during the deck construction. He apparently didn't even give his team a plan, because rather than building the larger deck we had contracted and paid for - his team started replanking the current deck and adding a staircase. They were basically building us a deck that was half the size of the contracted one. Had I not caught this and pointed it out to them, it would have been a mess. Part way through construction we learned that they obtained no permits for the work - despite us asking that they obtain them, and them telling us that work was being delayed at one point "to wait for permits". We only found out because we asked the town. Luckily we live in a reasonable municipality. But the bottom line is we were lied to about obtaining permits. It took a while to get our stairs and rain system done. When the rain system was complete the downspout for the gutter was placed on the wrong end of the deck, away from the house, causing it to drain onto the patio below rather than allowing us to tie it into the house downspouts. When I pointed this out to Gary he shrugged it off and said there was nothing they could do about it - this was upsetting given the fact that I expressly told him and his team that I wanted the downspout near the house. Less than a year after the deck was built, the rain system started leaking. We placed calls for this starting in April or May, none of which were responded to. In June I finally emailed and got a response. I also asked at that time to have a couple minor cosmetic issues looked at. Please keep in mind that Freeborne advertises "repairs for life" and they vocalized this to us as well. We weren't looking for the impossible to be done, just to get a response about the cosmetic issues, and to see about getting the rain system sealed off along the gutter so it didn't leak. It took 5 months from my email to get someone to come and take a look. When he looked over the deck, he stated there were some loose clips and that they would deal with the rain system. They told us they had to come back - we never saw them again, and as far as I can tell the issues were never addressed. My wife followed up with a phone call to Gary - he never told us the work was done. In fact, he behaved as if he didn't remember coming to the house at all, asking about what the problems were, etc.. So I followed up with an email. Leonard, Gary's partner, told me that they had come out to the house and addressed the work. That seemed odd since the rain system had clearly not been sealed off, and the planks that Gary himself said needed clips were still loose. Leonard then came out himself - and followed up telling me that my deck looked "great" and I was being "too critical". He pointed out that settling was natural and he couldn't do anything about that. I understand the settling part - it was frankly what I expected to hear, but I wasn't sure why it took 5 mos or more to hear it. Also that only addressed one of three issues we had: the rain system still appeared to be unaddressed and the loose planks that Gary himself said needed clips, still had no clips. I responded to Leonard regarding this and I asked specifically what had been done to address the rain system leak, because it was clear to me that no work had been performed. Perhaps they really believe they came out and did the work, perhaps they did some other work (although we never saw them there doing anything, they only ever came out and looked at it as far as we knew), or perhaps they were simply lying - I don't know. What I do know is that Leonard has stop responding to any emails from me, and that he, to this date, cannot tell me what they did to address the leaking on the rain system or if they replaced any clips. So I still have some loose planks and a leaking rain system. The bottom line is that despite building a decent deck they are not professional, their communication is lousy, and their promise of "repairs for life" is simply a lie. They seem to be dishonest about things - or at the very least they genuinely believe they did things that they didn't. Between the failure to obtain permits, the fact that they clearly don't communicate their own plans to one another as they were building the wrong sized deck on my house, the delays and issues in the rain system install, and finally the fact that they can't even seem to tell me what was done to repair the leaks (because nothing was done - it's fairly evident), I would simply never be able to recommend these guys. It's a shame in some ways, because they really build a decent deck and have a lot going for them.

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The work performed was exceptional and the crew paid attention to all the details. They were courteous, informative and left the property clean. i would use them again in an instant and strongly recommend Len Freed and Freeborne Decking. My surrounding neighbors have commented on how beautiful the finished deck looks.

Excellent work! Did an addition to my existing deck. Very happy with the finished product.

Couldn't be better!

Freeborne are clearly experts in Trex deck building. They were professional and came back for minor fixes I pointed out. I would recommend to anyone looking to build a deck.

Can say enough good things...excellent

Lenny was great. Very helpful and accommodated patio work schedule.

Len and his crew were wonderful to work with. From the very beginning we were given multiple options relative to materials at various price points. In EVERY proposal Freeborne was below other quotes we received (and some of those were from friends in the business). Once we decided to contract with Freeborne, there came internal household debate about pros and cons of materials, color options for the composite offerings, etc., etc. Len remained calm and professional through it all as we repeatedly changed our minds about material/color and whether or not we wanted gates. Despite all this, Freeborne completed the project a full week sooner than we had originally anticipated. They kept us informed of what days their crew would be on-site and the cost was exactly as quoted (minus the permit fees which they obviously had no control over). Overall, can't say enough about the company or the finished product. I don't imagine we'll need another deck in our lifetime but if we do Freeborne gets the job.

Excellent, took a little while for them to get a slot for me to start work but once an appointment was made it was kept. Work looks great and very pleased with the outcome.