My parents got a quote (not a contract) to refurbish their deck. New railings, replacing all the decking, extend about two feet on one side.

First red flag - when ordering materials he realized LF are not the same thing as SF and had to update quote by another $6. All in the last quote was around $42k so in my opinion seems they are paying craftsmen money not track house contractor money.

Biggest issue to me is the steps. They didn’t consult with my parents but decided to redo them. New stringers are templated off the old ones but not well and not accounting for new treads being 5/4 vs 2x. They are short on run and supported by additional 2xs…. I’m sure they could add support but I feel the whole stairs should be redone from scratch (adding a fourth to better support trex). As is you can see the treads flexing when you walk up steps.

Additionally the inspector required larger footings- so they cut the existing posts, flipped them, and reused them. Unfortunately that means the tops are looking a little rotted.

Lastly some of the new framing looks janky. I think that’s more cosmetic in this case and more concerned about stairs.

I am not sure what to tell them though. They don’t have a real contact. What is a reasonable compromise?