The jobs
Deck work follows the sun and the salt. Requests come from harbour-facing spotted gum and blackbutt decks in Clontarf, Northbridge, Mosman and Darling Point, ocean-exposed decks in Freshwater, Collaroy and Bronte that go silver in a season, merbau pool decks in Bellevue Hill and Rose Bay, and shaded decks under the trees of Pymble, Wahroonga and St Ives where mould and tannin are the problem. Homeowners post full sand-and-oil restorations, annual clean-and-recoat visits, stripping of failed film coatings, fence and privacy screen staining and the revival of teak and hardwood outdoor furniture, often before summer or a sale.
Restoring an existing deck is maintenance, so no contractor licence is needed for the coating work. The checks are ID and ABN, a certificate of currency for public liability, before-and-after photos of local decks with references from their owners, and a conversation about method: how you clean without blasting the timber, when you sand and to what grit, how you handle brighteners and drying time, which oils or coatings you use on which species, how you keep sanding dust and wash water out of stormwater, what you do about lead paint on older timber and how you dispose of oily rags. If you also replace structural timber or balustrades, we check the licence that work needs above the 5,000-dollar threshold.
Homeowners here know timber and have often been disappointed before by a coating that peeled. They expect a quote that names preparation, product and coats, a realistic word on how long the finish will last in their exposure, protection for the pool and planting, no dust through the house and a deck that is usable when you said it would be. They expect you to replace a soft board rather than oil over it and to tell them when a deck needs a builder. Tradies who leave a deck looking like the photos they showed get the annual recoat and the neighbours' decks.
What we check for this trade
Frequently asked questions
Not for cleaning, sanding and coating an existing deck. Replacing joists, bearers, stairs or balustrades is residential building work; once the job is worth over 5,000 dollars including GST it needs a Building Commission NSW contractor licence. Tell us if you offer structural repairs so we can check the licence and match you accordingly.
We do not dictate products. We expect you to match the finish to the species, exposure and the homeowner's maintenance appetite, to follow the manufacturer's preparation and recoat guidance, and to explain the trade-offs between penetrating oils and film-forming coatings. Decks that peel inside a season generate the complaints we take most seriously.
Often, and usually with the deck. Fence and privacy screen staining, pergola posts, timber gates and outdoor furniture restoration are all services in this category. Nominate the ones you take when you apply.
Homeowners understand that oil needs dry timber and a dry window. What they do not accept is silence. If rain pushes the job, tell them early, give a new date and keep the deck protected in the meantime. Communication about delays is part of the code of conduct.
