[jshilan]

Are they using real gold and silver in the decking? If so that may justify those numbers since gold is $1000 an ounce. Otherwise those prices seem very high, and we work just outside of NYC which is pretty pricey.

The reality is that you do really need to know what is actually being proposed from a material and design perspective. It seems like you should ease your way into being a full service design/build firm and start with smaller projects and sub out some of the work to get an idea about pricing.

Large jobs are exciting but they can easily bury a newer company (or really any company). Big projects and big dollars do not necessarily translate into big profits.

Start small, learn the market, your business and the clientele and then slowly get into larger more involved projects. It's OK to bite off a little more then you can chew, you just don't want to choke.

[matteberry58]

Depending soil conditions and weight on deck, you may want to bell out post holes at the bottom. If needed, erosion control below deck? Vegetation or landscape fabric covered with gravel or river rock.
Good Luck!