3 Simple Ways to Avoid Change Orders and Reduce Costs when Building a New Deck

Posted November 17, 2022 in 3D Design, Blog, Decks, Design/Build, General, Videos

Finding a contractor is one thing, but remembering all of the details that you discussed as you brainstormed your vision, selected your new deck materials, and chatted about the features you want for your new deck, is another.

You definitely want to hire a deck contractor who is qualified to transform your backyard into an outdoor living space but you also want to make sure that you don’t get stuck with unexpected or expensive change orders that impact the overall costs of your new deck.

Here are 3 Simple Ways to Avoid Change Orders and Reduce Costs when Building a new Deck:

  • Visualize exactly how your new deck will look

Most deck contractors in Northampton County, Pennsylvania have a handful of “designs” to provide homeowners. This is because most deck contractors are builders trying to design custom decks in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. But if your investment isn’t truly customized to your home, lifestyle, and backyard it could look and feel out of place and could potentially cause long-term issues like water in your basement, pest infestation, or structural problems.

One of the most important aspects of planning your new outdoor living space is getting a clear, accurate visual of what needs to be demolished, what structures will be built, how the materials will complement your home, and more. This is why we use state-of-the-art 3D design technology, to work with you to design an investment you may never have thought possible. Your custom 3D design will help make sure every aspect of your new space is properly designed and well-planned to eliminate potential issues and remediate any current problems you might have.

Who Should You Hire to Build an Outdoor Living Space? →

  • Understand how much your space will cost and how it will be built

Change orders can be scary. Even scarier are the contractors who demand large deposits at the beginning of the project but then disappear the moment a minor error occurs. This could leave you trying to navigate complicated negotiations without the right resources or experience alone. No matter how big or small your project is, it’s important to fully understand how much your investment will cost, exactly what is included in the scope of work, and how the project will be built so you aren’t hit with unexpected expenses.

Change orders often occur because of a lack of leadership and communication. Rather than keeping the project team separate, we believe in our teams fully working together!  Our skilled craftsmen, project managers, engineers, and construction specialists are involved from the very beginning of your project to reduce budget discrepancies and streamline the overall process of your build. This proven process creates a custom Budget Study that allows you to understand exactly how much your project will cost while allowing you to determine if phasing your project overtime could be an option.

A Complete Guide To Outdoor Living Space Design Essentials → 

  •  Select the right partners to build your space  

The traditional approach to most construction projects requires contracts with separate design teams, engineers, contractors, and other build partners. Having this many partners involved could open the door to frequent errors and expensive mistakes. You could also be left trying to navigate complicated contract stipulations or worse, hunting down a contractor for an incomplete job.

But, a design-build partner can combine your contracts and provide one point of contact and accountability throughout your entire process. This is why we make transforming your backyard stress-free by handling all communication for your build. This includes communicating and coordinating all trade partners & engineers while also handling all your plans, obtaining your permits, scheduling your inspections, and more. Our hassle-free process ensures you never need to worry about contractors compromising your vision with mistakes, errors, or miscommunications.

How to Get Your New Deck Approved in Northampton County, Pennsylvania → 


Designing and building a new outdoor living space should be an exciting experience, but we get that you don’t want to work with a contractor that will waste your money and you don’t want to get stuck wasting your valuable time managing multiple crews, contracts, permit applications, and other important details.  You are not alone!

At MasterPLAN, we have partnered with hundreds of homeowners – just like you – to eliminate the stress and hassle when transforming your backyard into an outdoor living space in the Lehigh Valley.  We make your unique journey stress-free by using our award-winning design/build process to handle all communication with your HOA and township, develop your plans, obtain your building permits, manage any and all engineering, schedule your inspections and so much more!

Here’s how to do it:

Call: Schedule your meeting!

Collaborate: Create your perfect plan!

Construction: With an approved design, construction starts!

Celebrate: Raise a toast to your transformed home and the new life that comes from it!

CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR DESIGN MEETING!

(610) 628-2480

In the meantime, download your exclusive copy of the Top 5 Design Secrets your Contractor Doesn’t Know. So you can stop fearing that you will make the wrong decisions about your new outdoor living space and instead be confident when selecting the right firm to help transform your backyard into the outdoor living space you always dreamed of!

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