Finding a reliable and skilled contractor in Chicago can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Our final project of a full gut renovation of an 1800s structure was a complex deck and patio build. After a full-house renovation on our 1800s home, I can confidently say that Unique Builders, led by Joel, is a true gem. I wish he was our GC from the start of this whole journey. Given zoning, being on a corner lot, previous structures and issues galore presented numerous challenges due to the age and structure of our house. Joel and his team, led by Enrique, not only met these challenges head-on with confidence and experience, but exceeded our expectations in every respect, truly. He's also enjoyable to work with and has a great bedside manner, so to speak. From the initial consult/intro to the final walkthrough, Joel's professionalism and expertise never wavered. He has a rare combination of technical skill, clear communication, and a genuine commitment to quality and value. His team's workmanship was impeccable, and they handled every detail with precision, respect and care. What truly sets Joel apart, however, is his dedication to going the extra mile. He provided invaluable referrals for other trades, seamlessly integrating their work with his own. He also readily accommodated additional requests, from taking care of unrelated roofing issues, changing the spacing of wall boards, moving railing posts, fixing our garage door trim to installing extra electrical outlets. He saw things in the installs that he didn't like and had changed - which I never even noticed (or would have.) Those are just a couple of things that show his flexibility and willingness to do the right thing that is truly exceptional. The custom bridge and deck platform he designed, built (and changed color on!) for our patio area is a testament to his creativity and willingness to go above and beyond. Throughout the project, Joel's guidance, presence, proactivity was comforting and reassuring. He patiently helped us navigate the selection process, offering insightful advice and managing on-site changes with efficiency and grace. He kept us informed every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience. In a world where contractors often overpromise and underdeliver and are generally shady, Joel and Unique Builders stand out as a beacon of integrity and excellence. I fully trust him and his crews, never once questioned what they were doing or how they were doing it. After suffering several bad GCs and contractors in this journey - I wholeheartedly recommend them without reservation. If you're looking for a contractor you can trust to deliver exceptional results, look no further. Our only regret is not having found Joel sooner. read more

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Great communication with Joel and his team. Timely starts each day and a beautiful result. Very happy to recommend them for your build project. read more

We had a great experience and are thrilled with our new pergola which we had installed on our rooftop garage. The entire process was very smooth and simple. Highly recommended! read more

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Unique Deck Builders built our roof deck and steps several years ago. We have been very happy with the result. The absence of any upkeep is wonderful. We recently noticed that a couple of boards were sagging and Joel sent a team out to fix it in a timely and efficient manner. Great customer service! read more

Preface: this review is not reflective of the individuals who actually performed the work (with the exception of the electrical team). Juan and his team who did the steel work get 5 stars - they're amazing. Carlos and the team doing the wood work were amazing and are such skilled workers. I would work with both Juan and Carlos without hesitation and recommend them to anyone. They are kind, courteous, and extremely talented individuals. This review is aimed squarely at Joel and his lack of communication. His inability to effectively communicate causes undue stress and led to what felt like long delays and unclear expectations. We started to plan our roof deck build in February 2023 and didn't get any work started until June due to his poor communication. We originally were told that we'd likely have the work done in April. Once the work was finally completed at the end of June, we noticed that the fan that was installed had issues, especially after it rained. This led us to believe we had an electrical issue as the fan is protected under a steel roof from any water but the electrical conduit is exposed. We were told it had to be a battery/fan issue which didn't make sense given the control switch had a brand new battery. They came and replaced the fan yet we still had the same issues with the new fan after every single rain event. Fast forward 10 months and our replacement fan is completely dead after the first winter. We contacted Joel on February 23, 2024 about the fan to have them come check the electrical. He told us it was the fan, not the electrical, and didn't hear us out. Even though we disagreed, we said fine, whatever you say, just fix the fan. On March 12, 2024 I reached out for a status update and I was told I "needed to be patient." He told us he'd replace the fan up to $400, sent us an option that we approved right away, and was told the fan was ordered on March 14. Six weeks passed without hearing from him, so I reached out after "being patient" and contacted Joel on April 26. I was told that the fan was in and would be picked up and installed in the next two weeks. On May 13, we still had not heard from Joel so I reached out for an update. As of the posting date of this review, nearly 5 weeks since we last had contact with Joel and over 3 months since we first reached out for help, we still have not heard from Joel and do not have a functioning fan. We paid over $55K for our project and thought, at the very least, we'd be taken care of for receiving a faulty product. I hesitated to write this review as I wanted to have resolution and move on, however this is an honest, truthful experience with emails and time stamps to prove it. If you expect good communication from a company that you pay a lot of money to for a project and expect them to fix a faulty product/stand by their product, then I wouldn't go with this company based on our experience. While it appears that many people have had great experiences, you can dig further into these reviews and notice we're not the only ones who experienced Joel's sudden stop in communication. read more

Joel and his team were excellent. Unique replaced our front porch and rear deck. We are very happy with the professional work and professionalism. read more

Joel and his team are incredible. He was able to size and recommend everything after a visit. His team were amazing and with two weeks of construction time, we had the most beautiful deck ready. Joel made it incredibly easy and efficient. We can't recommend them enough! read more

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Great work by Joel and his team. Really happy with our final project. The team worked hard and fast and in all weather. Very responsive. Excellent work. A great experience start to finish! read more

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We were very encouraged when we first contacted Joel and Unique Deck Builders to give us a quote to build out our garage roof deck in the city. Joel was one of the few who would actually come out to see the space, take measurements and provide a rough-sketch plan, listening to what we wanted. He even iterated a few times with us on design details and options. Then after a few iterations, he completely disappeared. No response to text, email or phone messages. I also called the main company line in case something had happened, but also received no return call, despite multiple messages. If Joel didn't think he could work with us, it would have been professional to say so instead of completely disappearing despite several attempts to contact him. I see from other reviews this has happened before. read more

I'm very surprised and disappointed with the level of service that I received from this company. I should have guessed when the email address is an AOL domain name. Joel came out, didn't really consult me on anything, just basically made some assumptions and couldn't really get into specifics of a quote. I told him what I was quoted from another company which was admittedly on the lower side. I wanted a quote from UDB and I was pursuing a third quote from a higher end provider. When I told him the lower quote he proceeded to lecture me that he "encourages I do research" which I responded "that's why you're here." Prices are all over the place and you pay for what you get which includes quality and service - I understand that. I reached out to him to follow up because I hadn't received a quote or update. His unprofessional immediate response basically stated I should give him more time and he's having a hard time trying to match my "low bid" - never said I was looking for a price match. After this, I never heard from him again. Funny thing is we're going with the higher end more expensive builder who promptly provided me with renderings and a price quote within days of coming out. Guess UDB isn't in the business to make money. read more

Joel and his team were professional, efficient, and communicative throughout the entire remodel of our Chicago roof deck. We came to them after an unexpected price gouge from a different contractor and they were fairly priced and reliable from start to finish. We couldn't be happier with the results and the experience! read more

Unique Deck Builders - Decks & Railing Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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We had a garage deck built including the stairs up to the garage roof. Joel and team were amazing to work with. Super transparent and communicative about the entire process. The team on site was good, fast, and clean (if that's important to you). The amount of progress that was made daily was incredible to watch. In fact, our neighbors all commented on how amazing the quality and the speed was that they built the deck. I would highly recommend giving Joel a call. You won't be disappointed. read more

If I could give more than 5 stars, I would! We contacted Joel in August of 2020 to remove our existing roof deck and install a new deck with a pergola. Joel came out to our condo within a few days of our initial call, and we knew from that first meeting we were in good hands! From helping us determine materials for the pergola to designing some fencing to "hide" the AC units, Joel brought our vision to life. He was nothing short of professional -- never tried to upsell us on anything, provided great feedback for our ideas, and always timely addressed our concerns. I was also 8 months pregnant at the time we started the project, and Joel promised to have it done before the baby came. (Spoiler alert: the baby came 10 days early, but the work was done before the due date!) We also CANNOT speak more highly of the crew who did the work! Carlos/his crew worked around the clock to get the job done -- they took so much pride in their work, and it really showed. All of the woodwork and decking turned out beautiful, and we could not be happier with the results! The entire crew was respectful (especially with COVID protocols) and also cleaned up their worksite daily. Obviously, we were thrilled when the work was done but were sad to see the crew leave! I cannot recommend Joel enough!! read more

Unique Deck Builders - Decks & Railing Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

From initial call to final installation, nothing but professional! Highly recommend!!! Crew was professional, followed COVID rules. We went with Vault Dusk that matched our grey brick and silver window casing. Looks GREAT!! We can't wait to enjoy next summer!!!! Thank you!!! read more

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It was only a high of 10 degrees back in March but that did not stop Unique Deck Builders from stopping by! In the cold and blistering wind, Joel came out and measured my roof top deck. He answered all my questions and pointed out some water damage and other structures that may need to be addressed before building a new deck. He even followed up via email and provided a quote within 24 hours. Unfortunately my deck project is on hold due to other home renovation projects that are taking priority. I will probably call him back in a year or two. Joel and Unique Deck Buikddeserve a 5 star rating for their commitment on keeping appointments, timeliness on email responses and quotes, and their overall professionalism, friendliness, and honesty. Update: Rooftop deck installation looks spectacular. Would use Joel again! read more

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We had a pergola built by UDB last week and had a great experience. Carlos and Carlos were our team who did the carpentry. They were so wonderful and had great attention to detail. If I decide to add more to our deck, I will definitely reach out to UDB for it. Thank you! read more

Great work that aligned directly with the schematics and drawings. The team moved efficiently, effectively, and cleaned up after themselves each day on the job. Joel & the team were responsive and quick to answer questions, leaving me greatly satisfied with the outcome. read more

I reviewed multiple deck builders and am beyond thrilled with Unique Deck Builders. Other companies are trying to get as much money from you as possible. This company was the opposite. They made many suggestions to save me money. The process of selecting what we wanted was very collaborative with the team and they had ideas that made our deck much better than we ever expected. The design is much more creative and unique than we could even imagine. They suggested we connect our top floor to the deck which made an unused Juliet balcony now addition square footage of outdoor space. The update absolutely added value to our home. The team was so friendly and professional and finished the job at least a week faster than we expected. It was a fantastic experience. Could not recommend this company more! read more

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We had a fantastic experience with Joel and his crew at Unique Deck Builders. They worked with us on a difficult project with some complicated carpentry. They were patient and professional and did excellent work. We've been recommending them to our neighbors and friends, and I would say they should be your first call if you're considering a roof deck project! read more

Unique Deck Builders - Completed roof deck (in the center with two chairs) - Decks & Railing Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Look no further, you have found your guy! Joel and his team were amazing to work with from start to finish! We had a small project to take on, other companies we called wouldn't even take on our project because it wasn't big enough and we got burned by another contractor along the way that committed but pulled out 3 weeks after a deposit was put down.... ***Insert Joel and Unique Deck Builders...*** Joel's response time with our initial phone call was phenomenal. He gathered details over the phone, photos of the current state of the project were emailed real-time and we discussed details over the phone on the first call. A day and a half later he was at the house taking measurements and provided an estimate and a blue print for Village approval. Joel's turnover time with drawings and revisions were nothing but professional and done in a timely, respectable manner. Our Village had a lot of red tape and hoops to jump through in order for us to get this project done. Joel was attentive and really paid attention to our needs as the customers. After the Village approved the permit, Joel's Team got to work and the project was completed in 3 days with all 3 inspections passed! We are insanely happy with Unique Deck Builders from start to finish! From the quality of work, professionalism, attention to details to respecting your time, I cannot say enough how GREAT these guys were! read more

Had these guys out to give me a bid on a new deck and railings in the front & back of my house. The estimator showed up and measured and seemed to know what he was talking about. Told me I would have a bid by the end of the week. I didn't hear anything for a month and called to see what was up and they said that the estimator had pneumonia, but was back and would get me something by the end of the week. Almost another month has gone by and I haven't heard a word from anyone. I can't understand how these guys get good ratings with such terrible customer service. read more

If you have any desire for customer service, go elsewhere. Don't waste your time. 3 1/2 weeks went by after the consultation (including follow up emails) with no proposal...finally get Joel on the phone, and he clearly doesn't even remember inspecting our project. He finally comes back with a quote for 14K for a refurbishment, when Lowe's had just quoted 6K for a ground up build. Not to mention Trex is a superior product to what Unique Deck uses. Not the first review here with this issue either.... read more

Joel just came to my place to go over some options for a custom roof and/or arbour on my roof deck. He spent about an hour going through the various options with me. He both knows his stuff and also listens to what you want. I can say from our initial meeting that he seems a very good person to work with for this kind of stuff. read more

Joel and his team did a terrific job, from helping suggest and design the right look to the actual installation. The team was super professional, efficient and helpful. True embodiment of customer service the during the whole process and even beyond. Thanks so much. We love our deck. read more

UDB just finished my roof deck and I'm super happy with the job. I had them replacing all the wooden boards with the composite plastic decking. They also were able to coordinate a roofer to check the actual roof (as our building is about 15 yrs old). The roofer identified some problem areas and repaired the roof while the UDB guys continued to replace the decking. I was happy they were able to bill this separately as this expense had to go through my association. They also went around and fixed a lot of the shoddy craftsmanship that was done by my original builder (Chicago Roofdeck and Garden). I'd recommend these guys to anyone. Joel was always really responsive to my texts during construction and Chon and the guys did a phenomenal job. The were also always on time and very respectful of my place. read more

I can not speak for their work. I had them come out for an estimate and met with Joel. He was friendly and after looking at the plans we had drawn he joked that a lot of others probably would run away from this project. He took pictures of the plans I had and told me he would get back to me. I told him I could send a PDF copy but he replied the pictures would be fine. After hearing nothing for 2 weeks I contacted Joel who replied that I never sent him the PDFs of the drawings. Ok no problem, maybe I misunderstood. So I sent him the files. Never heard back from Joel again. I've tried to contact him twice since then and have gotten no reply. I didn't realize he would be the one running away. If you don't want to take on a project at least have the backbone to say you don't want to do it. Ghosting me like a teenager is not very professional. read more

Joel and Chon were great to work with. There were a few out of the ordinary requests we had and some modifications we asked for in the middle of construction, none of which were ever a problem. They always made sure we were satisfied with their work every step of the way. They completed a backyard deck for us late last summer and it's been great to finally use it now that's summer's back. I would highly recommend this company and plan to use them again in the future when we have to update our front deck. Thanks Joel and Chon! read more

Extremely detailed and meticulous throughout the process. Provided a complete outline of the project details at the quote stage and remained engaged throughout the process. Joel was always responsive and helpful as the process developed. His team completed a substantial job (full deck removal, replacement and extension) faster than promised with a great final project. Highly recommend. read more

I'm very happy with the deck and pergola that Unique Deck built for us. Through the sales process Joel was very flexible and available to answer questions and provide us with sample deck materials so that we could make informed decisions about what materials to use (e.g. color, quality versus cost). During the construction process, the team was there at 7 am and worked through early afternoon and worked on it every day (even some rainy days) until the job was completed. Consistent and dependable - none of the typical contractor disappearing act that happens very often. The construction and workmanship was excellent from the rebuild of the deck frame all the way up through the construction quality of the pergola. I feel like I got exactly what I wanted and friends are blown away when they see my deck. read more

We used Unique Deck Builders to rebuild our front and rear roof decks. We are very happy and satisfied with the service and result of the decks. They are beautiful! We love the materials used and appreciate the craftsmanship of the builders at Unique! Joel is fantastic to work with, he's very reasonable and easy to talk with. This project presented many unforeseen challenges and Joel's disposition did not change, overall he made this process much less trying. I would absolutely recommend Unique Deck Builders to my friends and family. They were very professional, experienced and a step above others we received quotes from. read more

We used Unique Deck Builders to redo the flooring of the roof deck on our 3-unit condo building (wood boards to composite boards) and could not be happier. Joel and his team were fantastic from beginning to end. We contacted many companies at the beginning of the process and found Joel to be the most responsive, knowledgeable, and professional. He was very reasonable and fair with the price (and the final product looked beautiful) and time frame of the project. Compared to other companies, he was extremely honest with our situation, budget, and recommendations. He did not try to sell us more than we needed/wanted. He truly listened to what we wanted and offered solutions. We encountered multiple issues during the project (previous substructure installed incorrectly, rotting support boards, roof leaks), but Joel's team addressed each issue (without extra charges) while still completing the project on time. Joel's team worked through cold temperatures to make sure the deck was completed before any snow could delay the project. Joel was always available by phone or email to discuss any questions we had and accommodated a few last-minute updates to the original plan at again no extra charge. Highly recommend Joel and his team. The combination of price and quality cannot be beat! read more

Working with Joel was a treat. He was quick to get me a quote that worked within my budget and needs. He gave me all the options and knew all the facts and details about each product. He really knows his stuff and for me a quote very quickly. Always happy to work with someone who enjoys what they do. read more

Joel and Unique Builders are incredibly easy to work with. Joel was always very responsive, answering all calls and emails quickly. The contractors on site were always very friendly and personable. They just completed our garage deck, and it looks fantastic. They provided a modern design (at no charge) and allowed us to have input throughout the process. I highly recommend them as Joel kept everything very transparent and always had a positive, easy to work with attitude. read more

We had to get our roof deck (600 sq feet) and a balcony of our kitchen (10*6) completely replaced. The builder used wood that wasn't treated for outdoor use which resulted in the entire deck starting to decay in 4 years of us purchasing the home. I spent about 6 months contacting various deck building contractors and companies to get quotes and find the right person for the job. Since we had been burned by our developer, I wanted to make sure we got a honest and reliable vendor that we could trust. After interacting with a number of small and big name providers, I experienced many folks who were completely unreliable (About scheduling visits and providing quotes), trying hard to upsell us into things we did not need and general dishonesty. I found Unique Deck Builders online and contacted them for a quote which Joel (the owner) came out to provide himself. Long story short, I can honestly say that Joel and Unique Deck Builders knocked it out of the park in every facet of the process. From coming out to assess the damage, providing quotes, helping discuss options for materials and price, the design process to the actual build out of our deck, the team was honest, trust worthy, reliable and just all round superb. I would comfortably recommend Joel and his team to anyone based on the work they did for us. Joel worked within our budget to help design the perfect space, his team was extremely professional in the 2-3 weeks they came out to complete the build and we just love the end result. read more

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We are so happy that we chose Joel and his team to build our deck. We had some basic ideas going into the project and Joel added really professional ideas that transformed our ideas into an ideal deck with a roof. Not only that, we had thrown out an ideal deadline the first day we met him and he never forgot about that and worked to make sure that our job was done in plenty of time. Our project consisted of a composite (deckorators) deck with roof, privacy wall and small cabinet/fridge area. The ceiling is finished with cedar and recessed lighting. Throughout the entire project Joel kept in touch with us to make sure everything was going to our liking and was able to add his professional opinion when we needed it. We would recommend Unique Builders to anyone looking to build a new deck. read more

Great experience with Joe adding a brand new composite deck to our home. I have absolutely the best experience. He delivery fast, beautifully done, competitive price. We would recommend this company to anyone looking for a high end project. read more

Unique Deck Builders - Our brand new composite done by Inique builders - Decks & Railing Near Me - Highland Park, Illinois

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Pre Work: From the moment we met Joel, we had a good feeling about working together. During our initial outreach, Joel accommodated our schedule to meet at our place in the city and evaluate what we were looking for. The interaction was personable and genuine - especially compared to others I have spoken to that asked "what's your budget" in the first few minutes of speaking. While we had some loose ideas, Joel's experience was spot on in knowing what would be the best use of our space. He quickly produced a couple 3D renderings of what our space would look like. He was candid on cost and was very accommodating to help meet our cost requirements. It wasn't a hard decision, but we hired him about a week later. He was there every step of the way while we picked out all of our trims, colors, etc - and because of his experience, he had pictures of almost every option we were considering. The other important part of working together was Joel's consistent communication - whenever any question came up, I knew I could get an answer in a timely fashion. We knew we were in for a good experience. Work/Post-Work: The process with Joel was about as smooth as possible. His team showed up promptly every morning and laid very clear expectations for what they were hoping to accomplish that day. If there were any lingering questions, they made sure to get answers before completing any of the work. For the amount of work put in, the total time to complete the project was only about 2 weeks. Joel stopped by the work site periodically to make sure everything was up to his standards. We had to make a couple tweaks as we went along to accommodate a couple variables, but none of these slowed down the project. At the end of it all, we were left with a beautiful deck, under budget, and a fantastic experience. I would recommend Joel and his team for any roof project you might be considering! read more

I tried to contact Unique Deck Builders 3 times over the course of 1.5-2 weeks to talk about a new deck. Nobody ever answers the phone so each time I had to leave a message through their website. It's now been about a month and I've still not heard anything. I won't be contacting them again. read more

Unique rebuilt my front porch and upper porch roof structure. Their team also performed related roofing and electrical work. Have dealt with a fair number of contractors to this point, and Joel and his crew are in another league. I could not recommend them highly enough. Joel excelled at communication and delivering what we discussed. The price was fair and there were no surprises. The crew (Dan and Co.) was uber-professional, hard-working, and great to work with day-to-day. They meshed very well with other contractors that had to come in the middle of the job, and were otherwise extremely flexible and accommodating. Most important, the finished product is A+++. These guys are pros and craftsman - so hard to find these days. Thanks again team! read more

Great experience. We hired Unique to build a deck, patio and pergola. Easy process with Joel giving a detailed estimate and drawing very quickly. The team was on budget, did fast work, had great communication and went the extra mile by providing a few extras out of the initial scope without charging. What more can you ask for. Matt and his brother who handled the carpentry were a pleasure to work with and worked hard despite blistering heat. Great group. read more