No filler. No marketing-speak. Just direct answers to the questions that come up before, during, and after a Diamond Decks project. If yours is not here, the phone line is open.
Custom composite decks (Fiberon, Trex, Timbertech/Azek, Wolf, and Deckorators), wood decks if you really want one, multi-level builds, and swim/spa decks. Outdoor living structures include pergolas, covered porches, screened porches, paver patios, covered patios, and Sunspace window enclosures. Deck remodeling and resurfacing are a major part of the business. Deck features include fireplaces, fire pits, deck lighting, vinyl and aluminum railings, and Zip Up or Trex Rain Escape underdeck water-management systems.
Anne Arundel County (primary): Annapolis, Severn, Severna Park, Crofton, Odenton, Edgewater, Pasadena, Glen Burnie, Arnold, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Harwood, Millersville, Cape St. Claire, Riva, and Gibson Island.
Howard County: Columbia, Ellicott City, Elkridge, Fulton, Highland, North Laurel, Hanover, Cooksville, Glenwood, Glenelg, West Friendship, and Marriottsville.
Montgomery County: Bethesda, Kensington, Olney, and Silver Spring.
Plus Catonsville and the surrounding cities.
Yes. MHIC #44344. Properly insured for residential construction across the entire service area, including general liability and workers’ comp.
Founded in November 1993. 33+ years and 2,500+ completed projects under the same owner.
Submit a consultation request. Buddy returns the call within one business day to confirm the project is a good match. From there, an in-home consultation is scheduled to walk the property, talk through the vision and budget, and review site conditions.
The schedule moves with the season. Spring and early summer fill up first. The honest answer comes during the pre-qualification call, once the scope and location are clear. If timing is tight for a specific event, say so up front; sometimes the schedule can be worked around.
Fiberon (preferred; Diamond Decks is one of a small group of Fiberon Ambassadors nationally), Trex, Timbertech/Azek, Wolf, and Deckorators. Every install is done to the manufacturer’s exact specifications, which activates the strongest warranty coverage available for each product line.
Composite, almost always. Wood demands a staining and sealing cycle that gets expensive and tedious by year five, and most homeowners stop doing it by year ten. In the Maryland climate, with humid summers, freeze-thaw winters, and salt-air exposure near the Bay, the composite will look better and last longer with a fraction of the work. That said, if you really want a wood deck, Diamond Decks will build it.
Production builders frame with .25 pressure-treated lumber because it is cheaper. Diamond Decks frames with #1 grade extreme-rated .23. The .23 is denser, more rot-resistant, and built for high-moisture environments like decks. The difference shows up at year fifteen, when the structure beneath your boards is still solid rather than soft.
You will never see the framing again after the boards go down. That is exactly why most builders take the cheap option.
A clean decorative border that runs around the perimeter of the deck surface, framing the boards inside. It adds installation time, which is why production crews skip it. Diamond Decks includes a picture frame on every deck. Standard. Not an upgrade.
Vinyl, aluminum, composite, or cable. Standard white vinyl is the most common request and looks clean against most homes. Aluminum is the upgrade most homeowners are happiest with in the long term: stronger sightlines, better powder-coat color options, and a more refined look on a custom deck. Buddy will walk through the choices during the consultation.
Not in-ground pool decks. Swim/spa decks (composite decking around hot tubs and spas) are part of the standard offering.
Outdoor kitchens get subcontracted out, and it is not a focus area. If an outdoor kitchen is the centerpiece of the project, a specialist will serve you better. If it is a small component of a larger deck or porch build, the team will figure out the right partner.
Pergolas, yes; standalone gazebos and trellises, no. Pergolas are part of the standard outdoor living structures offering and pair naturally with a deck or paver patio.
A covered porch has a roof but is open on the sides; a screened porch has the same roof plus screened walls that keep the bugs out. In the Maryland climate, the screened porch is the upgrade most homeowners look back on as the right call; it adds usable months on either end of the season without the maintenance of a sunroom.
Sunspace makes a system of removable, vertical four-track windows that turn a screened porch into a three-season room. Open the panels in summer for the screen-only feel; close them in spring and fall to block wind and rain. Diamond Decks installs the system as part of new porch builds and as an upgrade to existing screened porches.
The two systems share the same purpose: keeping the space below a raised deck dry by capturing water at the deck-board level and channeling it away. Zip Up is the preferred system on most projects: cleaner ceiling appearance and easier access for service. Trex Rain Escape is the alternative when the project specs require it.
Worth knowing: each one is a water-management system, not a waterproofing system. The difference matters for what gets stored or built underneath.
The existing frame gets inspected first. If the structure is sound and worth saving, new composite boards go on top of a reinforced frame. Resurfacing is a big part of the business; it lets homeowners upgrade material performance and aesthetics without paying for a complete tear-out.
If the frame is not worth saving, that gets said up front, with the reasons, at the estimate stage. Not three days into demo.
Buddy reviews the frame, ledger, posts, and connections during the in-home consultation. The verdict comes with the estimate and the reasoning in writing. No, “we will see when we get there.”
Sometimes. If the posts and connections are sound and the railing style still works for the homeowner, it can stay. Most resurfacing projects are also the right moment to upgrade the railing, since most older railings are tired by the time the deck boards are.
Buddy visits the property after the pre-qualification call. He walks the site, talks through layout and material options, looks at the budget honestly, and flags any structural or site conditions worth knowing about. The 3D design phase comes next.
Every project gets modeled in 3D before construction. Layouts, board direction, railing style, lighting placement, and dimensions were all reviewed digitally before approval. The homeowner sees the finished space in their actual backyard, on a screen, and can adjust anything before a single board is ordered.
It is the cheapest way to find out that you want the railing on a different side. The most expensive way is mid-build.
Diamond Decks does. Municipal permitting and HOA submissions are handled on every project. Homeowners do not chase paperwork.
About one week for most projects. The 1-week average is possible because the crews are specialized; one builds porches exclusively, the other builds decks. Same teams, same speed, every job.
No. The crew works independently once construction starts. Most homeowners are at work for the bulk of the build and check progress in the evenings. Updates come every few days regardless.
Almost nothing. The crew handles site protection, debris management, and access. If anything in particular needs to be moved (planters, grills, patio furniture), Buddy will flag it during the consultation so it can be handled before the crew arrives.
Yes. Communication every few days is standard. The pre-construction meeting, a few days before the start, is when detailed expectations are aligned, and updates continue from there. No surprises, no ghosting.
A deposit secures the project on the schedule. The remaining payments are tied to construction milestones and are laid out in writing in the contract before anything is signed. No surprise invoices, no payment bumps mid-build.
The final walkthrough is the moment when the project is officially handed over. Punch-list items are addressed, maintenance expectations are reviewed, and the 5-year workmanship warranty starts on that date.
Diamond Decks does not build any projects smaller than 225 square feet.
Bill founded Diamond Decks in November 1993 and is the company’s owner. He is a Master Deck Professional, Fiberon Ambassador, and NADRA member. Bill personally manages every job, from the pre-construction meeting through the final walkthrough; that is the entire business model.
Yes. Bill conducts the final walkthrough on every project the company completes.
For the build, yes. For the design and consultation phase, the main point of contact is Buddy Goetzger, the VP of Sales. Buddy handles the pre-qualification call, the at-home consultation, and the 3D design review. Bill steps in at the pre-construction meeting and stays on through the final walkthrough.
A 5-year workmanship warranty covers labor and installation on every project, honored by the same crew that did the build. Manufacturer warranties from Fiberon, Trex, Timbertech/Azek, Wolf, and Deckorators cover materials and are issued separately. Coverage varies by product line; the Warranties & Guarantees page has the official manufacturer links.
Call the office. The same crew that built the project comes back and corrects it. No call centers, no third-party routing.
Mild soap and water for composite boards. Skip the pressure washer; high pressure can damage the cap layer and void the manufacturer’s coverage. Maintenance specifics for the railing, lighting, and underdeck system get reviewed in detail at the final walkthrough.
Workmanship coverage is for the original homeowner. Most manufacturer warranties on materials are transferable once within a set period, depending on the brand. Transfer details for each product line are on the manufacturer’s official warranty page; the Warranties & Guarantees page links them all.
No. Diamond Decks does not currently offer financing. The company is structured around clients prepared to invest in a long-term, premium build.