Edits Byrealist

Siding crew cut into my deck without permission while I was out of the country. I gave them permission to remove the deck boards if they needed access, but I clearly said not to cut them.

When I came back, I found that they had cut through most of the deck boards and almost all of the joists without asking me or telling me in advance.

They told me they would fix it themselves, but they will not pay for another contractor to do the work. After what happened, I’m not comfortable letting them continue.

They also said they could rebuild the whole deck, but I would have to pay for that out of pocket. The deck is over 20 by 20 feet, so rebuilding would be expensive.

I had plans to replace the top boards with composite or another long-lasting material in the future, but now I’m worried the frame underneath is compromised or poorly patched.

I still have about 11000 dollars from the insurance payout that I haven’t paid them yet. I also used this same company for the roof, but now I’m questioning whether I can trust them to do the work properly.

We’re new homeowners and new to the country, so we’re not sure what our rights are in this kind of situation.

Can I ask them for compensation or money for the damage they caused

If yes, how much would be reasonable to ask, considering they cut through most of the frame without permission

Am I within my rights to hold the 11000 dollars until this is resolved properly

What should we do next if we don’t feel comfortable letting them continue the work
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. We just want the job done right and don’t want to be taken advantage of

Productive way to use under deck space?

Novice here - how does my framing look for Hardieboard soffits?

What are these framing boards called? A friend is asking if they can remove these boards (circled). I included some other pictures of questionable quality areas I noticed.