--- title: "Outback Construction — General Contractors | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/outback-construction-pfvwus-pf~629811965 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~629811965.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Outback Construction" category: ["General Contractors"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/60839bfe02d4764f_5632-w400-h400-b1-p10--.jpg address: "17 Jean Mar Dr, Poquoson, Virginia 23662, United States" latitude: 37.1313 longitude: -76.3807 phone: "(757) 619-8671" website: http://www.relaxoutback.com rating: 5 review_count: 10 best_of_houzz_awards: 2 followers: 24 last_updated: 2026-09-05 --- # Outback Construction Original Houzz profile: [Outback Construction](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/outback-construction-pfvwus-pf~629811965) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** General Contractors - **Location:** Poquoson, VA - **Serves:** Newport News, Hampton, Gloucester, Poquoson, Gloucester Point, Smithfield, Carrollton, Yorktown, James City County, Lightfoot, Seaford - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (10 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2015–2017), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves With over 50 years combined construction experience we can tackle most any project that comes our way. We specialize in custom decks, screen porches, enclosures, sunrooms and additions. We work with you step by step from the beginning of the design process through to the finished product. We take the time to listen to your needs, your concerns, and most importantly, your ultimate dreams. Only by getting to know your lifestyle can we make those dreams come true! OutBack Construction has chosen to focus on maximizing outdoor living enjoyment and our customers consistently receive the rewards. We are committed to building a better product, using only quality materials and proven techniques. ### Services Provided - Kitchen Remodeling - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Deck Building - Garage Building - Porch Design & Construction - Shed Design & Construction - Additions - Gazebos - Outdoor Structures - Screen Porches - Sunroom Design & Construction - Trellis Construction ### Areas Served - Newport News - Hampton - Gloucester - Poquoson - Gloucester Point - Smithfield - Carrollton - Yorktown - James City County - Lightfoot - Seaford ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Outback Construction | | Address | 17 Jean Mar Dr, Poquoson, Virginia 23662, United States | | Phone | (757) 619-8671 | | Website | http://www.relaxoutback.com | | License Number | 2705059829B | | Followers on Houzz | 24 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/Outback-Construction-1599882790241435/ - X (Twitter) — https://twitter.com/relax\_outback - Blog — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DnBRw8cUGA ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Outback Construction](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/outback-construction-pfvwus-pf~629811965) - **Website:** http://www.relaxoutback.com - **Phone:** (757) 619-8671 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Daily Press Choice Award 2009, Daily Press Choice Award 2010, Daily Press Choice Award 2011, Daily Press Choice Award 2012, Daily Press Choice Award 2013 - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2015–2017), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 10 reviews** ### All 10 reviews **★★★★★ — Sherri Rodgers, July 2017** > Outback Construction built a second story deck and screened in porch for us last summer and we LOVE it! From the planning stage to the final construction, Craig walked us through the entire process. It was built above a finished walk out basement. Craig was able to design it so that the posts and stairs wouldn't block the view from the windows below. The deck/screened porch are well built and look great. We would definitely recommend using Outback Construction. **★★★★★ — Larry Pritts, Dec. 2016** > We contacted Craig at Outback to build a deck for our new swim spa and to replace a concrete pad with patio pavers. Once we talked to him about those projects and decided on materials and colors, we decided to also have the old wood deck on the back of our house replaced to match the swim spa deck. > We couldn't be happier with the results and how beautiful they turned out! Our family and neighbors have commented on what a huge transformation they've made and how nice everything looks. > We recommend Outback Construction very highly to anyone looking for a professional and quality builder. Great job, Outback! **Comment from Outback Construction:** > Wow...so nice for a client to include pictures with their review! And Larry's photos are much better than the ones I took. **★★★★★ — Kevin Missel, Dec. 2016** > From the planning to the construction, OutBack owners and crew provided nothing but the highest quality service and workmanship. I highly recommend them. **★★★★★ — Jimmy Haddix, Dec. 2016** > After getting estimates from 8 other Contractors to have my deck replaced by a screen porch I chose Outback Construction because Craig Wilson was the only one that listened to what I, well my wife, wanted her screen porch to look like. We wanted a combination of wood and vinyl and Craig sat patiently with us for hours to get it the exact way she wanted it. End effect was a near perfect product that should be in Southern Living Magazine. Custom screens and other small touches that were added by Craig and his Lead Carpenter were more than expected. I liked the work so well that I did another contract and had Outback tear out and replace my front porch with composite and vinyl which turned out awesome. Would hire Outback again without looking anywhere else. Craig's professional but southern friendly attitude makes it really easy to get across what you want or need. Told Craig what I could spend and gave a limit that I could go and he brought the project in under what I expected. That's why I could afford to have the front porch replaced. Also had a Garage Door replaced and a small roof built above door. Work was started and completed when I was told they would be. **Comment from Outback Construction:** > I have to admit, what really made the end product pop was Jimmy's awesome stain job. He's stained decks before so knew how to proceed but did seek my guidance on what product and color. As always, I suggested Cabott's in as light a color (or neutral) as he could stand. It's always easier to go darker later down the road than it is to go lighter. The stain he chose really brought out the grains of the wood. I need to get his pictures posted. **★★★★★ — Peder Wennberg, Dec. 2016** > Carig is very professional and accommodating. Came up with a great design at a reasonable cost and completed the job ahead of schedule. Would highly recommend Outback Construction! **★★★★★ — REBECCA RECTOR, Dec. 2016** > We had a three season screen porch built with EZ Breeze windows. Craig and the crew were professional, kept to timelines, communicated well, and kept the job site clean. Our new porch is beautiful and beautifully built. Everyone who sees it is astounded at how well-built it is and by the fact that we don't have any construction horror stories to share. We are happy that we chose Outback Construction. **Comment from Outback Construction:** > Once we got her brothers out of the way, Ms. Rector and her mother were a joy to work for. She kept very detailed notes on every conversation we had and of all the details she desired in her project. I'm extremely proud when we can please someone as detailed as that....and she was a great help if ever my memory failed me on a detail. > Her kindness to my crew (she made sure they had cold bottled water on those really hot days) made them happy to be working on her project and I think they even put a little extra care into the small details. **★★★★★ — largepuppy1, March 2015** > Our 400 sq ft original, non-treated lumber deck required staining just about every year and then we only used a couple of days a year due to bugs, heat, cold &/or rain! We decided that a sunroom with a much smaller composite deck would be much more useful. After putting t off for more than 10 years, we finally got around to replacing the deck and decide that we did not want a "stick built" sunroom but rather we wanted a "kit-built" one. The reason is that the county codes require stick built sunrooms to have a minimum of two feet of wall at each corner, each direction and this would have resulted in having a room addition vice a "sun" room. Kit built sunrooms are virtually all windows which provides us with a full, outdoorsy panoramic view of out backyard. We also had put off replacing our vinyl siding and new roof and we wanted everything to match so we also had Outback perform this work plus put a roof over our front porch. > > We checked around and there were very few company's that even offered a kit built sunroom and we came across Outback Construction while attending the annual homeowner show at the Coliseum. We really liked the owner, Craig Wilson and his approach. He not only came out personally to work up the quote but probably more importantly he provided many very helpful suggestions with regard to design, windows, etc. As it turned out, he was just about the lowest price also which was a real bonus. He also allowed me to provide & install the heat pump unit myself vice going with his minimum code compliant heating strips & window AC. He did however talk me in to using his HVAC contractor for a few $$ more than doing it myself but in the end, due to scheduling conflicts with that contractor, I ended up having to buy it and install it myself (for the most part). Actually, to activate the heat pump/AC warranty the manufacturer requires that a HVAC licensed technician (does not have to be a dealer or contractor, just anyone with a license) has to perform the evacuation and activation of the unit). In my case, due the our design and desire to mount the air handler portion above the door on the house end of the sunroom vice on the side or opposite end and due to out of stock issues with the internet discount vendors and thus not having the actual unit onsite when we had to install the coolant lines in the wall to avoid stalling Craig's construction, I ran into issues connecting the lines to the unit and also needed a HVAC contractor to complete the final hook up and activation procedure and it was very hard to find a HVAC contractor that would do just that portion but Craig got a buddy, Atlantic Plumbing, to agree to do it and now I have a new favorite HVAC contractor who I'll use to maintain my house systems as well. NOTE: whether you decided to do it yourself or get a contractor to do it, I highly recommend going with a larger than required, ultra high efficiency heat pump/AC split unit with a SERE rating of 23 which cost me only about $1800 online vice probably $1100 for a 12 SERE, smaller unit as the electricity savings will probably make up the difference in a year or two and you'll have a nice, toasty warm sunroom in the winter that will be cool in the summer even with a south facing sunroom with all windows. > > Now back to the review. I did my due diligence and thoroughly checked out Outback. Craig's "I Love Me" book (photos of past jobs) contained an appreciatory letter from a deck customer that I knew who is a prominent attorney in Williamsburg who I had worked with and when I talked to him he highly recommended Craig. FYI, after completion of our sunroom and deck, we also had Outback put a sunroom on our oldest son's house (next door), new vinyl siding & window wrapping which was also done very much to our satisfaction. **★★★★★ — osprey18, Feb. 2015** > Outback Construction remodeled our Sun Room and added a bay window to our house where there was previously brick and no window. > They completed the remodeling on time, did a great job, and even better, their price was competitive within the Hampton Roads, VA area. > They workers were clean, respectful, and highly qualified. > As for Craig! He will take care of just about any remodeling or large construction job. > Craig is excellent on follow-up. > Recently, we had some questions about the work done. He arrived on time and the very next day. We are still completely satisfied with the work they completed. > Outback Construction are visionaries who provide sound advice while remaining within your budget. > I recommend Outback Construction! I am unaware of other contractors that perform to their High Standard. **Comment from Outback Construction:** > It's gratifying to know we reached our goal of making a dream come true. We strive with every project to exceed customer expectations and create something we can be proud of. Being available to our customers and reacting to their needs even well after the project is completed we believe is as important as the project itself. > Thank you for the kind words osprey18. **★★★★★ — ecanuel, Dec. 2014** > Craig was a pleasure to work with - he was very responsive to phone calls and e-mails and was always prompt for meetings. He had lots of great suggestions for improving our porch and we are really enjoying the new outdoor space. Without hesitation, I would recommend Outback Construction to others. **★★★★★ — grumpyart, Dec. 2014** > I initially hired Outback Construction to expand a deck for me. They more than doubled the size of my old deck, and they were extremely respectful of both my property and my time. The job was completed in the time estimated and the quality of work was OUTSTANDING. I now have an amazing 20x20 Fiberon deck that will last a lifetime. It has allowed us to reclaim our backyard and be able to entertain. Everyone that sees it, comments on the quality of the work. > > Their knowledge of local codes and the products available on the market was tremendous. Where some of my ideas would have had an extremely high cost to me, they made recommendations based upon my ideas, and their suggestions came out better than my original ideas. > > I have since used them on all building and construction projects around my home. They have completed every job with superior quality and expert craftsmanship. > I have referred them to several friends that have been thrilled with their work and their pricing. > They provide outstanding value and craftsmanship and I highly recommend that anyone in need of a contractor whether it be for a new deck, a new sunroom, or a remodel of existing structure, contact them. If you don't you will never know what outstanding work you will be missing. > > I would have given them 10 stars if I could. > They have completed multiple jobs for me since I initially hired them in the summer of 2012. They have completed projects for me every year since. ## Selected projects - [Williams Deck, Patio and Canopy](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/williams-deck-patio-and-canopy-pj-vj~723599) - Location: Newport News, VA - Photos: 7 - [Todd Gazebo and Deck](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/todd-gazebo-and-deck-pj-vj~2114700) - Location: Williamsburg, VA - Photos: 6 - Description: Custom designed treated wood deck with divider board to eliminate butt joints. Added a screened gazebo on angled corner of deck. - [Bevacquz](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bevacquz-pj-vj~723483) - Location: Newport News, VA - Photos: 3 - [Lloyd Sunroom](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lloyd-sunroom-pj-vj~723547) - Location: Yorktown, VA - Photos: 4 - [Shaw Sunroom and Deck](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/shaw-sunroom-and-deck-pj-vj~935838) - Location: Yorktown, VA - Photos: 4 - Description: Added a 16' x 16' pre-fab sunroom to act as a extra family room and primarily as a playroom for grandchildren. Covered exterior of sunroom with vinyl siding to match house to give impression of an addition built with original house. Custom deck with Trex Transcend composite decking and a white vinyl rail to create a maintenance free deck space. Customer requested the custom composite skirt on both sunroom and deck. - [Phillips Maintenance Free Screen Porch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/phillips-maintenance-free-screen-porch-pj-vj~2114709) - Location: Yorktown, VA - Photos: 5 - [Ricca EZ Breeze Porch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/ricca-ez-breeze-porch-pj-vj~2114691) - Location: Williamsburg, VA - Photos: 4 - [Canuel Porch Conversion](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/canuel-porch-conversion-pj-vj~935746) - Location: Gloucester Point, VA - Photos: 11 - Description: Replaced everything below the roof to create a new and usable seasonal living space. Using 4-track vinyl windows we were able to create more than a screen porch at a fraction of the cost for a sunroom or addition. - [Lofton Front Porch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lofton-front-porch-pj-vj~5682714) - Location: Seaford, VA - Photos: 5 - [Dorfman EZ Porch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dorfman-ez-porch-pj-vj~5682700) - Location: Yorktown, VA - Photos: 7 [See all 10 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/outback-construction-pfvwus-pf~629811965) ## Community Q&A **Q: How is screen attached? Did you use a system like Screen Tight?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: No we did not. We made our own trim out of PVC material...ran one set of trim toward the outside edge, stapled screen to trim and then ran another set of trim on the inside to "picture frame" the screen. We've used Screen Eeez (sp) on a couple of occasions but never the Screen Tight system...don't really care for. Craig H. Wilson - Pres. OutBack Const. **Q: how do you keep mosquitos away? Is under the deck screened?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Yes. Depending on the decking product used (and it's fastening style) screen is either installed on top of the joists, or under, before the decking is installed. **Q: Pergola with retractable canopies vs. retractable awning** *(in Polls)* I'm torn between two shade solutions for my back deck: a retractable Solair awning and a pergola with retractable canopies on tracks. Help me decide! Here's my deck. Comments and suggestions welcome. A: How is your area for wind? Sudden thunder storms? You have to be more careful with a retractable for the above weather situations than the pergola system if your pergola system is like the brand that we typically install (ShadeTree) Another company to consider is Craftbilt for a retractable or pergola system. It really depends on if you want to lower your shade system every time you want to use the deck or spend a little extra and already have it in place. **Q: OK to hire an unlicensed & uninsured tile setter?** *(in Polls)* I found a tile installer that seems to be really good, has good references, and knows his stuff. My concern is he is not licensed and not insured. If I insist on those things we can go through his former employer (before he went independent) to fall under that license and insurance, he will do the work but the cost will be higher because former employer now gets a cut. I have had nightmares with people that are licensed so having a license doesn't guarantee anything. In fact my licensed GC regularly uses an unlicensed tile installer and doesn't think it should be a deal breaker. This guy will not charge me anything up front. No deposit and nothing for materials. He finishes the job and he gets paid if I'm happy with the work. And if I am not happy with the work in progress I can cancel the job and not owe him anything. I feel like this offers me some protection against shoddy work and he definitely won't be one of those guys that disappears with your deposit. A: Workman's Compensation lets you off the hook if he gets hurt on your project. Without it, you have to pay for any injury and if he slices off his hand while cutting tile he could end up owning your house. Liability insurance covers him (and you) for any damages he may cause in the course of work. Unlicensed, uninsured contractors (and yes he's a contractor) can and should do work cheaper because they don't carry the overhead and pay the taxes a licensed contractor does. While he sounds like a great guy and has made you a fair offer by not taking any money until the job is complete he's working "under the table" and that means he's "stealing" from those of us that operate a legitimate business. When your GC hires a tile setter then that tile man automatically becomes covered by the GC's insurances. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-05.*