Here's my original review: Chet had ambitions to expand beyond doing decks and claimed he was capable enough to build a garage, replace windows, install new siding, and more. I have windows and doors that leak whenever it rains. The roof leaks where Chet's construction meets the original roof. Snow blows in through the corners of exterior doors. Deadbolts do not lock because they don't align with strike plates. Screws on the deck protrude above the surface because they were not driven completely flush. Electrical outlet wall plates are missing and some outlets are missing screws to hold it securely in the box. A window cracked while they were installing siding and trim, but Chet claimed it was already cracked and refused to take responsibility. Chet's crew locked themselves out of my house when I was out of town, so they kicked the front door in - they never replaced or repaired the door frame. I was picking up cigarette butts and trash around the house and on my property for several weeks after Chet's crew was "finished." Windows were smeared with wood stain and never cleaned. If details and quality work are important to you, avoid Chet, Deck Envy and NXT LVL. If you want to help pay for Chet's fancy cars and expensive shoes, by all means, hire these clowns. This is my update after Deck Envy claimed they never did work for us: April 19, 2024: Rich Fougner and Gregg Betonte, representing themselves as Deck Envy's "new management," called my cell phone. They stated they were calling in response to this Yelp review. They asked, "Can you give us a chance to correct the situation?" April 22, 2024: Rich and Gregg visited my house. They took out their phones and photographed the problems. Before leaving, they promised to fix these problems. May 16, 2024: Gregg emailed, asking me to take down the review before he sends a crew to fix anything. I told him I would gladly take down the review, but only after the problems were addressed. I never heard back from Gregg nor anyone from Deck Envy, until December 20, 2024 - the response to my original review. I have a copy of the contract. Job Number 424. Signed by Chet Luedtke, dated 11/08/19. I have copies of invoices, too. For example: Invoice 8, Job Number 424, dated July 9, 2020. I'm sure Tahoe Donner has your company on record as the contractor, as well. Perhaps if your records are incomplete, you can follow up with Tahoe Donner's office to confirm. Deck Envy's claim that they never did work at this property is untenable. read more

Site survey, design, architecture, and engineering phases (Fall, 2023) went well. Construction began in late winter 2024, showing great initiative by Deck Envy to move the project forward. Although design approval and permits from Tahoe Donner were still in progress, this provided an opportunity to refine plans and ensure compliance. Tahoe Donner temporarily paused work to align with their processes, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining community standards. During this time, communication challenges with the former Deck Envy Project Manager arose, which added some stress to the process. However, these hurdles were eventually overcome, with Tahoe Donner granting permit approval and work resuming. The project was back on track, setting the stage for a successful completion. The good news is that with the resumption of work, I began to see that I was getting a high-quality job. During this time, Deck Envy went through a significant re-structuring with management and personnel changes. The new team was much more responsive to my inquiries, and even began sending me project updates without me having to request. The project completed on time and on budget, and I am extremely satisfied with the 'new' Deck Envy and the work that they did. Deck Envy did an impressive job of reorganizing and moving forward in a timely manner during my project. I would recommend Deck Envy for future projects. read more

I agree with Jennifer P. Deck Envy cleared snow until they decided they didn't want to do so anymore despite having a contract. Like Jennifer P.'s experience they first made excuses followed by promises to come and clear snow. Next step was they stopped replying to any communications. They left my neighbor, who uses a wheelchair without any snow removal leaving her trapped in her house and unable to evacuate in any emergency. Avoid these guys at all costs. My next move is to file a BBB complaint and one to the state licensing board. Do not do business with this company.Avoid at all costs. I shudder to state but they are not gentlemen and lack honor. read more

Deck Envy added a 6 foot by 30 foot deck extension and an access stairway to our existing decking in Tahoe Donner. From start to finish Deck Envy's construction manager, James Jeffery was professional, organized, friendly and placed emphasis on attention to details. James communicated with us daily by phone and pictures as live in the Bay Area and were not there during construction. From the free estimate, to the permitting process, to the HOA and City of Truckee Building Department contacts, to the final job inspections, James managed all of the work. Deck Envy crews were friendly and skillful carpenters. We certainly got quality work completed in a timely manner. Our deck extension came out better than we could ever have imagined. We would rate them with the highest recommendation possible. If we could give them a 10 star review we certainly would. read more

They repaired half of what was asked, then charged an exorbitant amount and told us to pay in full the day they "completed" ... and threatened to file a suit against us if we did not pay immediately (construction businesses are required to give customers 30 days). They are by far THE MOST EXPENSIVE in Truckee but our options were limited. Our stairs they repaired are back to the way they were before they got there. DO NOT HIRE DECK ENVY. We 2nd the comment about cigarette butts (plus trash everywhere!). They're going to start a fire one of these days. Terrible company. read more

Read the reviews and trust you instinct. Deck Envy build a nice looking deck in Tahoe Vista in 2020 ($75K). Now, 3 1/2 years later, the deck is failing at the decking cut edges (Timber Tech). I have emailed and called the owner with very nice messages to help me sort out the problem. He has not gotten back to me, thereby not standing by his company's work. Perhaps we will meet in small claims court. Avoid this builder. read more

After clearing our sidewalk and deck ourselves the past 12 years we decided to sign a seasonal contract for clearing snow every time a snow storm reaches 6" or more this year. Deck Envy was great at first but once the season proved to be a huge snow year they stopped clearing. Stopped communicating. Our deck has over 9' of snow on it. We had to finally to do it ourselves after countless requests for service that were ignored or we were given excuses. Huge breach of contract and total scam. Because of their lack of follow thru we now have large amounts of ice (15") that shouldn't have accumulated if clearings happened per our agreement. These guys do not care!! Do not use Deck Envy!!! read more

Pros: They did a great job with our deck. The new decks looks and feels great. Cons: Did not communicate about construction delays (not complaining that they happened, covid has done weird things. Complaining that is wasn't well communicated) They destroyed an unrelated retaining wall during construction. Will likely cost hundreds if not thousands to repair. Work site was not very clean. In particular, one employee left dozens of cigarette butts for us to find in the spring. Nature is not your ashtray. read more

I should have listened to my gut, after reading the negative reviews, before doing business with Deck Envy. Owner lacks accountability and any sort of ethical obligation to fix his team's mistakes. This has cost me thousands of dollars and delayed the launch of my modest business by three months. My other contractors called it the worst quality of work they've ever seen. read more

We have used Deck Envy twice for our home in Tahoe Donner. Chet and his team effectively rebuilt a deck that had been neglected for years. We now have a beautiful deck that is updated and perfectly matches our home. The entire customer experience with Chet from estimate to project completion was outstanding. Use Deck Envy! Sean and Sara Galligan read more

The Deck Envy team that came out to do my decks were amazing! The decks went from looking tired to new.

We loved Chet and his Deck Envy team - they were life savers for us . We had been working with another "big name" contractor in Tahoe Donner area last summer / fall for a deck + bathroom project, who had agreed to get everything before winter landed. But they dropped the ball, and as first snow began to be forecast, they called to tell us that they we're too busy working on high-$$$$ projects elsewhere, didn't have time for us, admitted they had just been stringing us along, and that we should probably go somewhere else. Deck Envy to the rescue -- finding them in Yelp, I called and left a "Hail Mary" message on Chet's office line the last weekend of October, seeing if they might be able to squeeze in the deck before snow hit. He came out, talked about the project, talked about lots of options, and was very easy to work with -- and agreed to start project mid-November. He was so easy to work with that I checked to see if he'd be able to do the bathroom project too -- originally, I'd given up on getting that done before winter, because we had just run out of time, but he gave us a bid on it as well. Both proposals were reasonable, and he said he could them both done before Christmas break. They crashed hard onto the deck project first, but had the deck ready for city inspection, hot tub installation, literally the week before first snow fell -- and while the snow was falling, he refocused a team on the inside, and they did a great job on the interior bathroom too. And, they finished it all on time, right before the Christmas break, just like he said they would. Great experience - my wife and I were super-happy with the projects and the results. Thanks Chet! read more

If you want a contractor who follows through and backs up his work look elsewhere. Here are the details: Chet and his team did a good job reinforcing our deck and rebuilding the steps up to our front door. But when they poured the concrete pad that anchored the steps and acts as the first step, it was not leveled. The stop had dips that would retain water which would later freeze (not good on the bottom step). I called Chet and he came out to investigate, went to Ace Hardware, and returned with a patching compound to smear a thin layer on the step to level it. Before he did this, I told him that the thermal expansion and contraction coupled with water ingress would cause this to crack off over the years. His only response was that Ace said it will work. Well, it didn't work and I now have a first step that is cracking and flaking patching compound sections. I have called Chet twice over the last two weeks and he has not returned my calls. I guess I made the mistake of telling him the details when I left my messages. That is unbelievably unprofessional and unacceptable. Proceed at your own risk if you hire this guy. read more

I have done numerous remodels here in Truckee and the Bay Area. I too always ask for references and I am more than pleased to recommend Deck Envy. I had originally started the deck with another contractor and was very disappointed with follow-up. I saw the Deck Envy sign in the neighborhood and immediately called Chet. From the get go, Chet has been on top of this project. The quote was accurate, the emails updating me on the progression of the permitting process, and the 4th of July timeline was met (even with 2 days of rain). His crew is very professional, polite and actually clean up after themselves! We are planning on building a new home in the next 2 years and Deck Envy will definitely on our team. Kathie & Jerry Schwartz read more

Took a month to respond. Then set a time and he never responded or showed up. Received an email and set a new time. did not show up for that either and have not heard back from him since. I think they got confused and over priced the bid ( i am a girl and i have helped my dad build decks so i am not dumb) and when they realized we did not live in martis or lahontan realized their mistake knowing they were screwing over locals. read more

Just when I was about to be completely jaded about local contractors, I had the pleasure of dealing with Chet at Deck Envy. I had a very small job that needed takingcare of - an inspection my deck with what I assumed would be no structural work involved. Now in this town, most contractors just can't seem to be bothered with small jobs. But instead of blowing it off like iI know so many would, Chet was on it in short order, gave the deck a thumbs up after inspection - WITHOUT suggesting work be done - and on top of it all? No charge for the service. Nice ... and sadly, all too rare these days. Thanks, Chet. read more

Deck Envy constructed a deck railing around our new deck some 20 feet off the ground. It is super nice. It is "beefy" (that is exactly what is needed on a high deck). It was done to a design that I drew up. It was done quickly. I Highly recommend Deck Envy in Truckee. read more

Not only does Chet have the BEST company name in town...his company IS the best in town. Chet and his crew did a major repair on our humongous back deck. A number of our joist needed to be replaced / dry rot had done a number on them over the years. As well some of the joists were not originally installed correctly / had improper bracketing which was causing them to roll. Chet provide VERY detailed photos explanation of the problems. Chet was able to repair the deck / breathe new life into it which should last a while. We managed to get away without having to spend thousands and thousands of dollars for a complete renovation of the deck. Thanks Chet :-) read more

Deck Envy doesn't just do decks! Chet and his team did a great job on my deck and also replaced the roof on my house at Tahoe Donner. Chet is a true professional -- he really listened when I described what I wanted for both projects and made excellent recommendations combining quality, aesthetics, and cost effectiveness. I couldn't be there during either project, so he kept me updated by phone and email and even sent photos of the work in progress. Both jobs were completed on time, cost less than I had expected, and I was amazed at the transformation of my house! I highly recommend Deck Envy and will call Chet for any future projects. read more

Never posted on Yelp before, but working with Deck Envy was such a pleasure, I got inspired to sign up. We just completed the reconstruction of 2 decks and the addition of a custom shed underneath the larger one. Chet and his team listened carefully to all of our concerns (and there were many), added their own experience to the mix and came up with fantastic results. Along the way there were a number of unforeseen obstacles and decisions to be made (e.g. creating a cement foundation for the shed, waterproofing it, and adding ventilation and lighting), and instead of pushback, we encountered encouragement and statements like "don't worry, we'll just deal with it". I received a few quotes before starting the project, Deck Envy was competitive and in the end cheaper, since they used nice materials and at every crossroad went the extra mile to do a phenomenal job. The attention to detail was bordering on ridiculous, down to custom framing, perfect spacing on every screw and a mitering every plank. I could not recommend them more. read more

The owner Chet is great to work with. Does what he says he is going to do and keeps you in the loop. Professional workmanship at a fair price. He has done two jobs for me at my home in Tahoe Donner over the past couple of years and I am very satisfied with his companies performance. read more

Great experience working with Chet and his team. They were extremely responsive when we needed someone right away for an emergency request and they have done a great job rebuilding our deck with high quality workmanship and materials. Would recommend them highly to others! read more

I read about Deck Envy here on Yelp. Decided to call him for a deck reno I needed done quick for an appraisal. Chet called me back very quick, met with us and suggested a great solution. I was more than happy with the service and his ideas. I'm a contractor with plenty of experience and Chet recognized that and satisfied our needs. Thank you Deck Envy you will work with us again read more

I highly recommend Chet and Deck Envy for work on your tahoe deck. We had a very large deck that had a poor quality/old railing. We wanted something substantial and sturdy that had that tahoe look. We ended up choosing a wood railing system with heavy duty metal mesh panels. What made me feel comfortable about working with Chet was during our initial discussions he said he was going to do the job as if it was his home. He's true to his word and the attention to detail on the corners, woodwork, fit and finish was excellent. The job exceeded my expectations and the price was reasonable. I really love that this is exactly what I had hoped for and even though I considered doing the job myself I would have never come close to the quality of the job Deck Envy did. Thanks very much! read more