Thirty years ago, after a career in the pharmaceutical industry, Beck decided to retire - but not completely. "I had a done a lot of remodeling and deck building for people like friends and family for free," Beck says. "I thought that would be a pretty good business to start - so that's what I did."

What's the difference between a deck and a porch and why should I consider adding one to my home?

"The advantage of having a deck or porch is for the entertainment and the resale value it provides. Building a deck or porch definitely adds to the value of a home, but they're more for entertainment than anything. Generally, a porch is built on the front of a house and has some sort of roof covering it. Decks are usually built on the back of a home and don't have any covering or enclosure."

What kind of materials do you use to build a deck or porch?

"80 percent of the decks we build are constructed with pressure-treated pine. The rest are made using wood-plastic composite material like Trex. I'd say composites are the best material. The biggest advantage to composites is that they don't need to be stained, just cleaned every three or four years. But composite costs $8 to $10 more per square foot than pine - most people shy away from it once they find out what it's going to cost. Treated lumber is a much better quality than it used to be. We use premium-grade decking that comes sealed from the manufacturer, so it's really maintenance-free for the first year or so."

What's the average price for a new deck or porch?

"An average-sized wood deck is usually about 12 by 16 feet and usually costs $4,000 to $5,000, depending on its location and our ability to access it. If the lumber can't be delivered to the rear of a home, where the deck is being built, then it has to be hand-carried down to the site, which increases the labor cost."

Do I need to get a permit to add a deck or porch to my home?

"Anyone who wants a deck built should definitely get the project zoned and permitted. Then, you know that it's been built correctly according to your area's regulations. Some companies require the homeowner to get the zoning and permits, but we never have, I take care of it all. Whatever I pay for permits or zoning is built into the cost of the project. They usually cost from $125 to a maximum of $300 and usually take from two to 10 days."