MBA Deck and Fence

We have a beautiful 40-year-old Ralph Anderson custom built daylight rambler; the decks needed replacement but the design is unusual. Matt spent a lot of time going over our options and came up with a great design that would come as close as possible to the previous cantilevered decks. We had lots of questions about cost and materials trade-offs and his patience was limitless! He was very flexible regarding the timing [as were we] and we couldn't be happier with the results. I would recommend him without reservation & would hire him again if we needed similar work. Can't say enough about him.

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Matt previously replaced two decks and a fence for us.  We wanted him to design and construct a roof under the upper deck that overlooked part of the lower deck that would keep water from draining on that part of the lower deck so that we could grill outside in the rain.  He came up with a very ingenious and original design that was well within our budget.  Using corrugated metal siding fastened under the upper deck that was pitched properly to allow drainage into a gutter that was also installed, Matt very inexpensively and elegantly solved the problem.  Now we have decks that allow water and pine needles to pass through gaps between the composite decking as well a rain cover under the upper deck that allows us to enjoy the deck during the frequent Seattle area rain and drizzle.  Nicely done and very quickly constructed.  Matt is easy to work with and is an imaginative contractor.  I highly recommend him.

I needed a carpenter to build a stairway up a steep slope. He sourced material from another job so he could use better material for my project at the same cost of lower quality material. I am so happy with the results. I highly recommend!

Matt quickly came to the rescue and provided hope.  He surveyed the damage, talked me out of destroying the deck, trees, and house, and returned the next day with a smart solution.  Matt used a heat gun to treat the scratches thereby restoring the original color.  He also brought an assortment of cleaners to test to find the best solution to easily remove pine tar with the least effort. Surprisingly he came up with low cost remedies that none of the deck manufacturers bothered to mention in their cleaning suggestions.  Matt spent a long time on his hands and knees patiently nursing each of the wounds that I inflicted on the deck.  This is the kind of contractor that you want.  I trust him completely.  He cares about his customers.

Matt is a sharp contractor.  He is very easy to work with and provides excellent ideas on how to accomplish what we want.  His crew is very professional and hardworking.  I liked his idea of replacing an old wooden deck with low maintenance composites and aluminum.  Matt was able to use much of the foundation of the old decks to reduce costs.  However, he took pains to make sure that the foundation was re-leveled.  Well pleased with the results and his follow up to make sure that we knew how to properly remove some pine tar from the new deck.  He also came up with an innovative way to provide a rain shield for my wife to be able to barbecue during the frequent rain here in the Northwest.  Everything that Matt did was first rate.  My neighbor was motivated to put in a fence as a result of my new fence.  The neighbor was more interested in the cheapest price vice the best work and already it shows!  Matt used stainless steel nails and better quality wood.  Next door their nails are already rusting and the wood looks cheap.  Matt always kept us into the loop and cared about what we wanted. <br />

Matt did a great job. He is thorough, knowledgeable and good natured. His recommendations for low maintenance materials were right on. The new deck is beautiful. <br />

We solicited bids from three contractors and chose Matthew because he was the most knowledgable about decking materials and our particular flashing issue. He listened to what we needed and what our concerns were (in particular, finding an eco-friendly and least-toxic solution), and was honest and open to dialogue. He replaced our rotting decking, and cleaned the debris that has collected underneath. He also replaced and repainted the boards between the deck and the side of the house. Though he spread the work over more days than we initially expected, it was done within a reasonable timeframe, and he worked with us when we needed most of the work done before a previously scheduled deck party. Overall, we were very happy and would hire Matthew again. <br />

Matt is meticulous on design details. His craftsmanship is impeccable.  The job he did for us was small but highly custom.  He listened to our goals and concerns and came up with a great solution.  Matt was very cost conscious- his estimate was accurate and detailed.  We ended up over budget but it was because we asked for more fascia around the deck and a small/extra stair step.  Matt is responsive on email and via phone.  The job took four weeks longer than we thought mostly because of material issues- so I would advise being patient-- the results will be great. <br />

Matthew is by far the best contractor I have ever worked with.  His level of knowledge and professionalism was outstanding.  He explained things to me about the installation so I completely understood everything he was doing.   I would recommend him to anyone that would be in need of his services... <br />

Matthew replaced a deck, and he did an excellent job. He really knows his stuff. Drawing on his experience and creativity, he helped us understand, and make good decisions about, several practical and aesthetic options, including where to place deck lights so they provide sufficient illumination yet look good, too. Our deck replacement used a product made by Trex. Matthew obviously knows a lot about this company?s products and helped us choose the product line best for us. Michael was prompt, kept us informed about the work?s status and charged us a reasonable fee. He also was considerate of our time. Plus, he?s a nice guy. We recommend him 100% and would use him again the next time we need fence or deck work.  <br /> <br /> <br />

Matt did a fantastic job! He was very knowledgeable, offered good creative suggestions and used high quality material. We received several quotes for our deck, trellis and fence project in Seattle and decided to go with Matt. His bid was right in line with the others, but what made us go with him was that he took the time to explain the various material options and he gave us his opinion on some things we could change to make our plan better. I am very pleased with the end result. We had to make some changes to our original design in the middle of construction (decided to add a hot tub, change gate location, etc.) and Matt was easy to talk to and gave his honest opinions about the best way to move forward. He is a one man operation so he can book out a ways during the summer though. <br />

Matthew is excellent. Professional, courteous, and honest with his opinions. He is enormously experienced and is able to clearly explain the pros and cons of all the various options we discussed. We were very impressed with his wealth of knowledge and his willingness to work within our proposed budget and vision. He was happy to spend as much time as needed and he left us with a lot of ideas. Highly recommended. Great guy ! <br />

We interviewed seven deck contractors and received bids from six. Matt was not low bid however he gave us the most detailed description of what he would do, the costs, possible problem areas and he presented himself(he did the work alone) better than any of the other contractors. <br /> While the project took longer than hoped or planned, Matt kept us informed all through the project, we have had enough experience with work like this to know that it rarely if ever goes completely as originally planned. <br /> We would not hesitate to recommend Matt to others as we enjoyed working with him on this project. Both of us appreciated his attention to details and educating us on the subtleties of the work he was performing. <br /> Most important we are delighted with the finished project!  We spent more than originally planned but Matt ensured we understood and agreed to the additional scope changes and costs at every step along the way before proceeding. <br />

From engineering to finish work I could not be more impressed.  The most important item in installing a new deck is attachment to the house.  If this is not done correctly the house can sustain much more damage than the cost of a deck.  Matt prepared, sealed the house sheathing with adhesive vinyl material and installed the ledger in a manner that is the best that I could imagine.  He didn't work from a firm drawing, instead keeping the design flexible to adapt to changes.  The new framework was a significant improvement over the old framework and there is no wood-ground contact as all members are supported by galvanized supports out of poured concrete footings.  A pop-out was added for our rather large barbeque and Matt came up with a fantastic idea of using 16" square cement pavers under the barbeque area to provide a surface that was strong, impervious to the heat and grease while easy and inexpensive to replace.  The way he installed the AZEK decking provided a surface with no exposed ends by beveling two boards in a perimeter.  This took some extra work and wood but was included at no additional cost.  He used an aluminum railing system that is very nice and his mounting technique makes the rail so sturdy that even without attachment to the house (saving another penetration through the siding and moisture barrier) it would nearly take the impact of a small car to flex this rail system.   <br />   The project took a little longer than originally estimated but quality is always worth the wait.  Matt is a perfectionist who will settle for nothing less than the best construction practices which takes time for changes to improve the overall quality of the final product.  His prices are excellent, he's fantastic to work with and the product he provides is the best that I could imagine.  <br /> <br />

They did a fantastic job. They had a great price and won the bid by having about half of the price the other bidders had. The owner was on time and did exactly what he said; in fact, a little bit more. We got more than what we asked for and we will absolutely use them again. They communicated really well, were very knowledgeable and went above and beyond, in our opinion.  

This was a smaller but challenging job.  Many other companies would not even come out to bid on it.  Then I very fortunately found MBA Deck & Fence on Angie's List.  Matthew listened to what I needed and came out to view the project.  I had patio and deck railings that were both only half completed in a foreclosed house I had just purchased.  He was more than willing to implement my ideas within the budget I set.  But I also asked for his professional view and creative solutions.  He had several ideas and each day he had even more.  This was a work in progress due to it's difficult nature.   Matthew gave us 3 bids (scenarios) to work from.  The final solution was a hybrid of those.  We ultimately decided to start from scratch on the patio using one of Matthew's railing systems that uses stainless steel cables and aluminum rails.  We are so glad we did.  The finished railing is solid, strong, and so beautiful.  On the upper deck, we could not start from scratch.  The railing was steel and structurally important.  Matthew salvaged the aluminum railing from the patio below to fabricate a new upper deck railing, saving us big bucks.  Then he drilled holes in the steel railing to accept stainless steel cables.  He also fabricated a gate for the patio below from the same salvaged aluminum railing and even use the existing latching hardware.  The upper deck railing now complements the patio railing and gate below and they both tie together in an artistic manner with our industrial style house that I could never have imagined.  We are so pleased with the final project.  I was impressed that Matthew shared so much information with me, from his business model to tricks of the trade.  He gladly answered every single question I had and even those I didn't know I had!  He was a pleasure to work with and I couldn't have asked for a better experience and finished project.  Thanks, Matthew! <br />

MBA Deck and Fence was really great and built a beautiful deck for me. I called a number of contractors out to do bids for me, and I ultimately chose MBA Deck and Fence because Matthew, the owner, really took the time to discuss what I wanted and then came up with several design options - all within my price range. During construction, he was really considerate of my home and my time, made sure I knew what was going on with the work and when he would be there. He worked really hard to get everything done in a timely manner and was very polite too! I hope to get a fence and gazebo built next year, and will definitely call MBA Deck and Fence again. I highly reccomend MBA Deck and Fence. Beatiful, honest work and I love my new deck! <br />

Matt did a fine job with our deck request. We requested a specific time frame and he easily made that happen. With the exception of  some new tempered glass panels for the railings, he came right in at his initial bid. His quality of work was outstanding. He is an exceptionally hard worker and does not 'loaf' on the job. He gets right down to it and gets things done. He made a few suggestions for the deck that were spot on. It turned out beautifully. He's a good guy with a good attitude. We highly recommend him. <br />

Matt had previously replaced our deck and did a great job, so when I discovered that several fence posts were loose I asked him to do the job.  He did a great job as expected. His price was excellent and the work also excellent.

His bid was lower than  other bids (though later, he said that perhaps he should have bid higher, but he stuck with his original bid) He was the best of the bidders in describing what and how he would do the job. The others just came in and looked at it and then later sent us a bid, Matthew spent quite a bit of time describing the project which was very helpful. His web site is great, excellent pictures of the work he has done in the past. <br /> He removed and disposed of the old deck. He built the deck using Azek decking materials. He dealt with a couple of unexpected issues easily. He works alone. The quality of the work is excellent and he is  pleasant.  He finished the job in 5 days which was what he had estimated. <br /> Overall, we are very pleased and would have him do work for us again. <br />

The MBA owner generally works alone.  This was initially a cause for concern on our part based on the deck height and the size of the beam being removed and the ability to lift the new cross beam in place given its weight.  After some discussions about how he would tackle the project and a review of his web site showing his past experience, we became convinced that he was fully capable of doing the work. <br />   <br /> He was particularly safety conscious throughout the effort.  He installed additional temporary bracing to remove the weight from the existing beam and was meticulous about ensuing that the jacks used were completely stable and correctly positioned. <br />   <br /> After installing the temporary supports, he removed and replaced the two vertical support beams.  He added a coating material on the inside the metal brackets to reduce future rotting.  He them removed the existing heavy main cross beam by cutting it into small sections and removing them one at a time.   He replaced the cross beam with a 6? x 8? beam which has more than enough strength for the size of the small deck (this also avoided the extra cost of ordering the overly thick beam that had first been installed). <br />   <br /> He performed all the work in about 6 hours and was very good about cleaning up all the debris afterword. <br />   <br /> We are VERY happy with the results. <br />

We spent about $30,000 on that work. He works alone and we were extremely happy with the results of work and we've had a lot of compliments on our big deck. We thought that he would have been done in two months but it lasted four... other than that the work was great. His price was a little on the higher side compared to the other estimates we got, but my husband was very impressed when he was explaining how to do the project. The results were wonderful as Matt did a great job but he was very slow. We never knew when he was here. We may use him for a smaller project. We love our deck and think that it is beautiful. <br />