News & Announcements
How to read a contractor estimate before you sign
Most homeowners sign a contractor estimate without fully understanding what they are agreeing to. That is not a criticism. Estimates are written by people who do this every day, and the shorthand that makes sense to a contractor can look like a foreign language to someone who has never hired one before. Here is what to look for before you put your name on anything.
Read more →When to repair a deck and when to replace it entirely
The question we get asked most often about decks is whether to fix what is there or tear it down and start over. The honest answer is that it depends on the framing. Decking boards and railings are replaceable. Footings and framing are the structural core, and if those are compromised, putting new boards on top of them is just delaying the real problem.
Read more →Deck footings and frost depth in central Vermont
A deck that heaves, tilts, or pulls away from the house in the spring is almost always a footing problem. In central Vermont, where the frost line runs between 48 and 60 inches depending on the site, footings that do not reach that depth will move. It is not a question of if. Here is what you need to know before you build.
Read more →Not sure where to start? Answer a few questions.
Tell us a bit about your project and we will point you toward the right service and a realistic budget range.
With respect
Jack Fairbank
Jack Fairbank spent eight years swinging a hammer for a regional framing crew before going out on his own in 2014. Before that, he did two seasons with a timber-frame outfit in the hill country, learning to read grain and set posts without a laser level. He started Crimson Trail Works out of a single pickup truck and a rented storage unit, taking on whatever honest work came through the door. These days he runs a small crew and still does most of the site work himself. On weekends he splits firewood and keeps a kitchen garden that never quite produces enough tomatoes.
Common questions
How far out are you booked right now?
As of this autumn we are typically booking two to three weeks out for new projects. Structural repairs that are urgent, like a compromised sill plate or a failing beam, we try to get to faster. Call or email and we will tell you exactly where the schedule stands.
Do you pull permits, or is that on me?
We pull all required permits and handle the inspection schedule. The permit cost gets added to your invoice at cost, no markup. If a project does not require a permit in your municipality, we will tell you that upfront.