It should come as no surprise that deck building is an extremely seasonal industry. In the Spring and Summer months there is always a high volume of work to keep deck contractors busy. This creates a situation where homeowners will have to wait in line for their project to start. Planning your schedule around construction can be inconvenient. How soon can your contractor start? When will they finish? A legal contract for a deck requires a stated start and finish date. Poor planning, nasty weather and or labor problems can slow work down to a crawl. Beware of a salesperson trying to sneak you into a busy schedule; this could leave you frustrated down the line. Construction is an imperfect science, you must try to be patient and cooperate with your deck contractor but it is ultimately their professional responsibility to provide you with a realistic time frame for your project. You may want to ask if there is a penalty for delays. Will there be a discount or a back out clause in the case of a significant delay?