I hired Lee Watkins Fencing and Decking to upgrade 3 decks to composite, replace 2 wood pilings,…read moreand some exterior trim. Initially, Lee seemed knowledgeable, provided a reasonable estimate, and anticipated it would take 10-14 days to complete the project. None of this was true.
I paid Lee 50% upfront for labor ($7,000). When I returned from the holidays in early January, Lee had made minimal progress. I noticed insufficient amounts of concrete around bases of the replacement pilings, causing unevenness with the existing concrete. Lee also used undersized bolts which were misaligned to secure the pilings to the deck. Lee reassured me that he would address my concerns, but he did not. Although nominal work had been completed, Lee requested an additional $1,500 to pay his employees on 01/05/26, which I paid him.
I left again for a few weeks, assuming Lee would have everything completed by the time I got home. However, upon my arrival all 3 decks were still unfinished. Inspection of his work revealed the spacing between the composite decking was highly irregular, flashing was missing, structural support was incomplete, and exterior trim was removed exposing my townhouse to the weather. Two of my exterior A/C condensers had also been blocked up and left suspended. Lee also left $8,000 worth of cabled railing system in clear view of the street and exposed to the elements (for more than 6 weeks). The job site was consistently left in poor condition, with trash, nails, and debris scattered around.
I spoke to Lee about my concerns regarding the prolonged timeline and the quality of his work. He became defensive and walked off the job 2 hours later. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I reached out to him regarding his plan to complete the contracted work. Lee shared abundant personal issues preventing him from showing up for work and claimed he injured his back and was unable to work for an additional 2 weeks. At this point I requested a partial refund of the $8,500 I had already paid him. Of course, he refused to return any money.
Review of Ring camera footage showed Lee and his crew were onsite for a total of approximately 11.5 hours in 2 months, often working just 2-3 hours/day if they even showed up.
Closer inspection of his work I discovered that Lee had also damaged cooper tubing to both of my exterior AC condenser units and destroyed a $250 stainless steel hose. Subsequently, I had to contact several contractors for bids to complete the job. Most advised removing nearly all of Lee's work and starting over.
Overall, this was a highly unprofessional experience marked by poor workmanship, lack of accountability, and failure to meet basic project expectations. I would not recommend Lee Watkins Fencing and Decking.