Homeowners don’t buy abstract ideas; they buy what they can see. That’s why deck contractors are turning to digital design tools that quickly show how outdoor spaces can look in realistic detail based on client feedback.
Renderings are generated instantly on a laptop or tablet, giving homeowners accurate representations of their deck projects during the critical consultation period—no need to spin up full CAD drawings. That’s where projects stop stalling and start moving.
Making decisions visible
Sean Collinsgru and Catherine Lippincott of Premier Outdoor Living, based in Southern New Jersey, use a visualizer tool to speak a common language with the client.
Instead of relying on renderings or old project photos, Collinsgru and Lippincott collaborate with clients and visualize the project in real time. That shared, hands-on workspace helps everyone align quickly and make confident choices.
“They can see color combinations, a main color, a border color, and then some different details with railings and privacy screens,” Collinsgru says. “It helps finalize a lot of those decisions.”
The design tool is also accessible to clients, allowing them to experiment with different options on their own.
“It’s very user-friendly,” Lippincott says. “It’s not like it’s some high-end software exclusive to us. We don’t have to do a whole bunch of back and forth. It gives us a common space where we can work together. They can go in and adjust things themselves.”
Speeding sales
For Knoxville, Tenn.-based Dock & Deck, owner Jason Varney says the tool shines during living-room consultations.
“You can scale out their deck, show different pattern layouts, show different color tones, impose it against a picture,” Varney says. Compared with past options, he calls it “one of the first true complete programs that gives a visualization of a deck without going into expensive CAD software.” The impact is immediate: “Speed is of essence,” Varney says. “It really does bring speed to the visualization game for the customer.”
As convenient as design tools are, they don’t replace blueprints. You’ll still need a CAD pro to generate the construction plans.
“The visual gives us the ability to show clients an image along with the price point to get the sale, and then we pass that off and do the final drawings,” Varney says.
Sparking upgrades
Visualization gently moves the conversation from cost to value. Varney notes customers often choose “more intricate patterns, more elaborate designs,” and add details like lighting once they see them mocked up.
Allowing homeowners to explore options and design on their own—then fine-tune together—can yield upgrades without contractors pushing for them. Premier Outdoor saw a client replace a railing run with privacy screens after seeing the option rendered in the visualizer.
“It wasn’t really an application we would have thought of for that spot, and it turned out awesome,” Collinsgru says.
Ready to try it? Explore the Deckorators Deck Visualizer tool here.
