How to Start a Deck Building Business

If you have some experience and skill in carpentry, and you relish the idea of working outdoors, running your own business, and being creative along the way, then deck-building might strike you as an appealing career.

What does a deck builder do?

Deck-building, of the kind we’re discussing here, doesn’t have anything to do with trading cards. Rather, a deck-builder is a specialist sort of carpenter, who focuses on putting together outdoor decking.

Patios and decking are both in high demand. If you have the appropriate equipment and skills, then you can easily earn a very respectable living through this trade. But if your experience in business is limited, then you might not know quite where to start. Let’s run through the process.

Building a deck-building business, step by step

Let’s run through a few crucial things for new deck-building business owners to think about.

Business plan

Every successful business starts with a business plan. Yours should be no exception. This is a document in which you’ll lay out exactly what you intend to do, and how much you expect to make. It should include your expected costs, and the amount of custom you’re going to generate.

Your business plan needn’t be extremely formal or impressive. You’ll be using it to measure your future success, and to demonstrate to would-be investors that you have an idea of what you’re doing.

Buying tools

If you have some prior experience in carpentry, then you might already have access to tools – and a van to transport those tools from site to site. But you might also wish to invest in specialised tools that will allow you to specialise in decking. Quality tools will allow you to work to a higher standard, and to do so quickly. The investment will justify itself in the long run.

Materials

In the long term, you’ll want to secure a good relationship with a quality supplier. Your business will need to be able to provide decking of a consistent quality, and that means a steady supply of the right treated (or tanalised) timber.

Research the sort of timber you’re going to be using, and the way that it’s graded.

Setting up

When you’re setting up, you’ll have a choice between three main forms of business. These are sole trader, limited, and partnership. Your choice will depend on the amount of risk you’d like to assume, the amount of administration that you’d like to do, and whether you have a partner willing to step in.

Marketing

In the early stages, you’ll be heavily reliant on word of mouth. Make sure that you do an excellent job, and that you have the soft skills to communicate clearly with clients. If you’re reachable via multiple social networks, as well as by phone, then you’ll give would-be clients more of a chance to get in touch with you – which will ultimately drive up business.

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