4.9-Star-Rated by Homeowners in Boone and Winnebago Counties
About Our Team
Ensuring Your Safety By Building Quality Decks
Meet The Owners
We’re Jayme Carlson and Andy Dawley, co-owners of Hard Decks and lifelong Belvidere locals. We started this company because we believed the area deserved a builder who specializes in decks completely, builds them to last, and communicates clearly from the first conversation to the final walkthrough.
As certified NADRA deck inspectors, we hold our work to a higher standard than code requires. Mitered risers, picture-framed treads, and no exposed raw edges come with every build because that’s what a properly finished deck looks like. You won’t find those listed as upgrades on our quotes.
Our Mission & Values
You deserve a deck that’s built to last, looks amazing, and keeps your family safe. Hard Decks specializes in decks exclusively, and we’ve been doing it long enough to know that the details most companies treat as optional upgrades should be standard. These values are what that commitment looks like on every job.
- Knowledge - You don’t need to know the difference between Trex and TimberTech, that’s our job. Our experience keeps you from making costly mistakes and ensures you end up with the right deck for your home.
- Honesty - No vague estimates. No surprise costs halfway through. You’ll always know what to expect, so you can make decisions with confidence, not guesswork.
- Communication - You won’t have to chase us for updates or wonder when we’ll show up. We keep you in the loop, so you can stop stressing and start getting excited.
- Safety - Every deck we build is safe enough for our own families, because shortcuts might save time, but they can cost you way more. We follow code to the letter and build with care, so you never have to second-guess what’s under your feet.
- Hard Work - We treat your project like it’s happening in our own backyard, with care, precision, and no corners cut. You’ll see it in the details. You’ll feel it in the end result.
From “We Should Do Something With the Backyard” to “Come Check Out the Deck”
You don’t need a complicated process. You need a crew that shows up, gets it done, and keeps you in the loop. That’s what we do.
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Collaborate
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Build
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Enjoy
You Deserve More Than “Good Enough”
Real Deck Expertise
This isn’t a side gig. Decks are all we do, and every finished edge proves it.
Easy to Work With
Code Isn’t a Suggestion
We know the code inside and out. Your deck is built safe, inspected, and ready for anything.
Proof You’ll Love the End Result
Jayme, Andrew and the Hard Decks team were very professional.
They completed our deck on time and were able make changes on the spot to suit our needs and applied credits where needed based on the new plan.
They also cleaned up after themselves and we are very pleased with our new deck. I would definitely recommend them.
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The entire process working with Hard Decks went incredibly well.
The attention to quality & detail by every single team member could not have been better.
My new deck exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend working with Jayme, Andy and their team.
Hard Decks did a beautiful job replacing our deck as well as helping to replace the sliding doors.
They were prompt, professional, courteous, and in general a great pleasure to work with.
Left a very clean job site at the end of each day and when the work was complete. Overall a wonderful experience.