Deck and patio customer service representative job description
A deck and patio customer service representative takes the first call from homeowners who want a deck, a covered patio, a pergola or a screen room, and books a design visit with the facts the designer needs. They also take the calls from signed customers asking about a permit, an HOA answer or when their crew starts.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Deck & Patio Builders - Customer Service Representative
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Office Manager]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
A dynamic and client-focused Customer Service Representative (CSR) plays a pivotal role in ensuring positive customer interactions by fielding incoming client calls, scheduling estimates, and addressing inquiries in the deck and patio building industry. This role is central to streamlining communications between our clients and our construction teams, delivering exceptional service and supporting the overall growth of our business.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Handle inbound client calls with professionalism and a friendly demeanor.
Schedule and coordinate estimates for deck and patio building projects.
Answer customer inquiries regarding services, pricing, and project details.
Provide accurate and timely information to help clients make informed decisions.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Respond to an average of 30+ client calls and emails per day.
Schedule and confirm appointments for on-site estimates and consultations.
Update client records and maintain data integrity using the CRM system.
Collaborate with deck & patio builders to ensure smooth project scheduling.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Call Response Rate: ≥ 90% of calls answered within 3 rings.
Appointment Scheduling: 95% accuracy in scheduled estimates.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: > 4.8 stars.
First-Call Resolution Rate: ≥ 85% of customer issues resolved during the initial contact.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Minimum high school diploma or equivalent; associate’s or bachelor’s degree preferred.
1-2 years of experience in a customer service role, preferably in home services.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM software.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong problem-solving abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the home services or construction industry.
Previous role in client-facing positions with scheduling and estimation tasks.
Familiarity with the deck and patio building market.
Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to sit for extended periods while working at a computer.
Occasionally lift and carry materials up to 15-20 lbs for in-office tasks.
Work in an office setting with occasional visits to outdoor project sites.
Ability to perform repetitive tasks with a high level of accuracy.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours Monday to Friday; occasional extended hours during peak seasons.
Minimal travel required to visit project sites or attend meetings.
Occasional on-call duties during high-volume periods.
A collaborative work environment with a focus on strong team communication.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate range of $16-$22 based on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonuses available quarterly.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match as well as paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company fosters an inclusive and innovative environment where every team member’s contribution is valued. We believe in investing in our employees’ growth and providing a supportive, collaborative workforce. As part of our team, you will enjoy a culture that promotes continuous learning, celebrates successes, and strives for excellence in all aspects of customer service and project execution.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Most callers are picturing summer on a new deck. Few know that a permit, maybe an HOA and a full build calendar stand between the phone call and the first footing, and the CSR is the first to tell them.
Height, hot tubs and roofs change the visit
Ask how high the deck would sit, whether it attaches to the house, and whether an old deck comes off first. Ask about plans for a hot tub, a roof, a screen room or lighting, since a hot tub or a roof can need an engineer's design and each one adds time to the visit. Ask whether an HOA covers the street. Then get photos of the back of the house, including the door the deck will serve.
Party dates
Spring callers often name a date: a graduation, a Fourth of July cookout. Whether a deck can be ready turns on things the CSR can't see yet, like how long the town's permit review is running and when the HOA board next meets. So the CSR doesn't answer yes or no. Log the date in its own CRM field, tell the caller the designer will say what's possible, and book that visit soon.
When a deck needs no permit
Callers often ask whether they need a permit. In Idaho Falls, Idaho, for example, a deck is exempt only if it's 200 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above grade at any point, not attached to the house, and doesn't serve the home's required exit door. An attached or raised deck fails those tests. The CSR says the company handles permits and the town decides, and never promises a deck can skip one. Source: City of Idaho Falls, Idaho (example): Work exempt from a permit, 2018 International Residential Code.
Calls about an old deck
Some callers want a repair on a deck someone else built. NADRA's homeowner checklist calls the ledger board, which joins a deck to the house, a common source of deck failure, and says a deck or its stairs shouldn't sway or move. If a caller describes either, tell them to keep people off it until it's checked. Then book the soonest visit your company offers, or point them to a home inspector or another builder. Source: NADRA: Check Your Deck consumer checklist (Deck Safety Month).
How much deck and patio customer service representatives make
Customer service representatives who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $21.90 an hour ($45,550 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $44,770 median for customer service representatives in all industries. About 880 of the 2,595,750 customer service representatives in that survey work for other specialty trade contractors.
The template sets an hourly rate with a bonus each quarter. In this contractor group, BLS puts the CSR median close to the template's top rate, so experienced reps will ask for it. A bonus paid on visit notes the designers rate complete rewards good bookings over a high call count.
Other specialty trade contractors
$45,550$45,550 median Middle half $41,790–$52,470 10th–90th $35,150–$63,430
All industries
$44,770$44,770 median Middle half $36,870–$51,780 10th–90th $31,750–$63,590
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Other specialty trade contractors
$35,150
$41,790
$45,550
$52,470
$63,430
All industries
$31,750
$36,870
$44,770
$51,780
$63,590
BLS doesn’t publish pay for deck and patio builders on their own. These figures cover other specialty trade contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Asks how high the deck sits, whether it attaches and what goes on it, before booking
Explains permits and HOA approval without promising what a town or board will do
Writes a caller's event date where the designer and project manager will see it
Reads homeowner photos well enough to flag a second-story deck or a tear-off
Tells a caller with a loose railing to keep off it before booking anything
Teach these on the job
Wood, composite and PVC decking lines and their colors
Pergola, covered patio and screen room options
Which towns in your area exempt small, low, freestanding decks
How long each kind of design visit takes, by designer
What to say on a call about an unsafe old deck
The CSR works from the CRM: the design visit calendar, lead notes and the job status signed customers call about. Keep a set of sample boards and railing pieces at the desk, so the CSR can describe the colors and textures a caller saw online.
Deck and patio customer service representative interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Booking estimates in peak season
In spring, a caller wants an estimate this week, but the calendar is booked [3] weeks out. What do you say?
A strong answer: Explains the wait honestly, offers the first opening and a waitlist for cancellations, and gathers details so the visit is productive.
Behavioral · Handling complaints
Tell me about a time a customer called upset that their build start kept slipping, such as for permits or weather. How did you handle it?
A strong answer: Listened without interrupting, acknowledged the frustration, got real information, gave a clear next step and followed up.
Deck and patio customer service representative KPIs
Deck calls bunch up in spring. Have the office manager set one group of targets for the rush and another for the slow months, from your own phone and CRM history.
Call Response Rate
Calls answered within your ring target, by hour and weekday, from the phone system. Count calls that rolled to voicemail too, and how soon each one was returned.
Appointment Scheduling
Each week, designers mark every visit booked wrong: the wrong day, a decision maker who wasn't home, or a job you don't take, such as a paver patio if you don't build them. Accuracy is unmarked visits out of all booked.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask two questions in the text after the design visit: was it booked when promised, and did the designer already know about the yard? Score the CSR on those, not on how the price or the build went.
First-Call Resolution Rate
Review a sample of signed customers' calls each week. A call counts as resolved when the CSR answered from the job's status, such as permit submitted or crew booked, with no callback needed from the project manager.
Career path
Lumber yard counter clerkLearns boards, railings and the contractors who buy them.
Customer service representativeBooks design visits and answers permit, HOA and start date calls.
Deck and patio customer service representative FAQ
Who answers when a homeowner asks why their build hasn't started?
The CSR, from the job's status. Check whether it waits on the HOA, the permit, materials or a crew opening, then give that reason and the next step. If a date has slipped or the caller is upset, flag it for the project manager by end of day and tell the homeowner who will call. Don't estimate a town's review time; give the date the permit went in.
How much does a deck and patio customer service representative make?
Customer service representatives who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $21.90 an hour ($45,550 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $41,790 and $52,470 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Who takes the call when a deck you built has a problem?
The CSR takes it first and sorts it. A loose rail, a stair that moves or a board that has lifted is a safety call: give the same keep-off advice as for an old deck, and pass it to the project manager before the day ends. Fading, staining or a board that looks wrong goes into the general manager's warranty file with photos, the address and the build date. Don't say whether the maker's warranty covers it.
Can a deck CSR book showroom visits instead of home visits?
Yes, if your company has a showroom and the designer can start from photos and rough measurements. A showroom visit lets homeowners walk on boards and handle railings side by side. The designer still has to see the yard before a final price, so book the home visit as the next step and note which colors and rails the homeowner liked.
What would a deck CSR need to carry?
The template's line about lifting 15 to 20 pounds ships as written. At a deck company it means a box of sample boards, a railing sample or brochures for a home show table, now and then. Put those duties next to the line in your ad, and invite accommodation requests. Most hours go to the phone and the CRM.
Customer Service Representative in other industries
