We contracted with Surface Bella on June 5th to build a new deck, with an agreed start date of…read moreDecember 1st. This timing was chosen deliberately--after Thanksgiving but early enough not to interfere with our Christmas plans. In mid-November, Daniel from Surface Bella reconfirmed the December 1st start date, and I confirmed that we were ready.
On December 1st at 9:00 a.m., I called to ask when the crew would arrive and was told--without any prior notice--that work would not begin until December 2nd. Had I not called, we would have waited all day with no information.
On December 2nd, we were told to expect the crew between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., but no one arrived. My 10:00 a.m. call went to voicemail; a later call finally produced an update. The crew arrived at 11:00 a.m., tore down the existing porch, then informed us they lacked the proper tools to finish and would need to return the next day.
On December 3rd, the crew arrived at 9:00 a.m., completed the teardown, dug postholes, and began framing. They left at 3:00 p.m. without notifying us they were done for the day or providing any update on progress.
On December 4th, two workers arrived at 10:45 a.m., appeared to do little work, and left at 11:15 a.m. without notifying us they were leaving. At that point, after four days, very little had been accomplished.
I emailed Daniel, the scheduling supervisor, expressing concern that this should have been day four of a one-week project and that the delays and lack of communication were unacceptable. We had scheduled the work specifically so we could decorate for Christmas and bring our tree through the porch. At that point, it seemed we might not even have a porch by Christmas.
After the email, I spoke with Daniel directly. He offered little explanation but said he would assign a different crew and asked if weekend work would be acceptable to finish the project. I agreed and canceled our weekend plans to be available.
On Friday, the new crew arrived at 8:30 a.m. and worked steadily until sunset, around 5:30 p.m. Based on Daniel's request, I expected work to continue through the weekend. However, on Saturday no one arrived. By 11:00 a.m., I called Surface Bella and was eventually told there were "truck problems" and the crew would not make it.
On Sunday, when no one arrived by 10:00 a.m., I left Daniel a voicemail. When I reached him later, he had no information and said he would follow up. By noon, he advised us to assume the crew would not be coming. This marked the seventh consecutive day I had made myself available and the third day in that period when no crew arrived at all. At that point, only one full day of work had been completed.
I sent Daniel a photo showing the deck only partially framed, with roughly one-third of the decking installed.
On Monday morning, the crew arrived at 9:45 a.m. and completed the deck. As daylight faded, they rushed through the stairs and railings. The crew left at 5:30 p.m., and we later discovered several issues: balusters were not properly secured, and there were visible gaps where the railing met the house, exposing areas where siding does not extend down to the rail line.
On Tuesday, the cleanup crew arrived at 11:00 a.m. I spoke with the on-site manager and pointed out the deficiencies. He said a crew would return Wednesday to address them. Daniel later stated that no crew would be available until Thursday. I informed him I was unavailable Thursday but could be present Friday, December 12th, which he confirmed.
On Friday morning, no crew arrived as scheduled. After multiple calls, the crew finally arrived at 11:30 a.m. and corrected all deficiencies, finishing at 2:30 p.m.
At this time, I cannot recommend Surface Bella. While the final work was adequate and the contractual requirements were eventually met, we were assured the project would take one working week and it ultimately took two, with repeated delays and poor communication throughout. In hindsight, No supervisor from the company has reviewed the work for quality or completeness. I should have requested photos of prior projects, as I would have specified Trex railings to match the deck.
