Paul Lafrance Design

In 2009 we contacted Cutting Edge Design to get a design made to replace our small old deck with a new low maintenance deck to cover the whole length of our bungalow, it was to included our existing hot tub, and add a pool. Our consultation was done over the phone with photos I took from all angles of our yard. The first draft of the design looked like a vacation getaway. Paul and his team listened to what was important to us and what we use or wanted to use our deck for. In the spring of 2010 we started our project. The work was finished on schedule (with a buffer due to weather conditions). When we had questions or an issue, they always responded quickly and with the same amount of customer care that we got on day 1 as we have 7 years later. Paul, Kate, Pat, Joey, Dave and all the other men and women behind the scenes make you feel like your part of their family. I have recommended their service to anyone that asks.

Although we loved our backyard design in the end, it has been one of the worst processes we've ever experienced. The process started in March 2014. We thought this would be a great time to start the design process, so that we could break ground on the project once the ground thawed. Our first design came back pretty quickly after about a 3 hour consultation over the phone. Over the phone was probably not the best approach, because when we received our first draft, it was almost like they didn't listen to what was most important to us. Our second draft was supposed to come back a week later, but we ended up having to wait until the end of June. Part of what you are paying for is to get a rough estimate on cost, and to be recommended to trusted local builders. Unfortunately we had to wait another 3 months (end of Sept) for the estimate on cost, and we definitely had to move the deck project out to the following year. Even though the design was not exactly what we wanted, because we had to waited so long we thought we'd just work with the recommended builder to make the minor tweaks. Again another gruelling process. The trusted builder that was recommended came out in May 2015. Similar to the year before, we thought we'd get ahead of the game so that we could start the project once the ground thawed. Well, it is now 4 months later and we still do not have a deck. It's very sad that we paid so much money to have our dream backyard designed by a known and trusted company, especially when this is all so new to us. It's hard to know who you can trust and who isn't out to scam you. But it's so important to provide exceptional customer support, especially when they are willing to fork out thousands of dollars. It's not just these 2 vendors that we are having customer support issues with, but it seems to be a trend that people come to your home, get you excited to start the process and than no communication. Too bad we are not skilled enough to just do these jobs on our own.

Contacted them on 2 occasions looking to get help for a bad deck we inherited with the purchase of our new house. On both occasions, josh got back to us but after we replied we never heard back from him. Unprofessional and poor service when a company cant even get back to you when you need help.