Justin Anderson (Anderson Bros Outdoors)

Justin Anderson is the owner of Anderson Bros Outdoors, a landscape and deck designer in Buffalo. 

Not far from the Twin Cities, there is a small town called Corcoran. 

There isn’t much there, in terms of entertainment, but it’s where Anderson grew up, and also where at the ripe age of thirteen he started a lawncare business. 

“I finished high school online,” says Anderson, who wastes little time, as evidenced by his decision to get married at eighteen.

Nine months after getting married, some might assume Anderson had his first child, but instead, he opened Anderson Bros Outdoors, which at the time focused exclusively on landscaping jobs.  

“I contacted my lawncare clients for work,” he says.

Then, in 2022, his brother Kristoph joined the company and they leveraged his experience in homebuilding to start offering decks to homeowners. 

“We joined up and that evolved into doing patios and outdoor decks, and now we also build swimming pools,” Anderson says, touching on the various offerings his company has. 

At present, half of Anderson Bros’ work is decks, 40% is landscaping, and the rest is devoted to pool installation.  

“Most people want their house to look good,” Anderson bluntly replies when asked why people landscape their yards and revamp decks. 

“The house is often a reflection of the owner.”

While landscaping adds curb appeal to properties, it doesn’t get appreciated as much as decks do, primarily because decks are more tangible. 

You can literally host the family reunion on the deck in your backyard. 

“People like to spend a lot of time outside on their decks,” Anderson points out. 

Having traveled across most of Minnesota, I’ve seen decks that belong in magazines, but I’ve also been reluctant to step on decks that look like they may topple over if agitated by a size 12 Nike. 

“If you don’t like how a deck looks, how it functions, if it’s rotting out, or if you don’t like doing maintenance on your deck, that’s when it’s a good time to replace that deck,” Anderson explains. 

Actually, Anderson tells me that some people will replace their deck simply because they don’t want to re-stain it next year. 

“Again, the deck is an extension of the home,” he says. 

“Like we talked about earlier, homeowners want to be able to be outside and immerse themselves in all that their property has to offer.”

As I recently discovered, in Buffalo of all places, getting a new deck can cost more than a car.

Therefore, hiring the right deck company is crucial so that homeowners can ensure their sizable investment doesn’t become a catastrophe. 

At Anderson Bros Outdoors, Justin and his brother Kristoph are detail-oriented, meticulous in both the way they present information to homeowners, and ultimately build decks. 

“Our attention to detail actually is a handicap,” Anderson reveals, boldly. 

“We haven’t scaled as quickly as we otherwise could have because we spend that extra time trying to make sure the structure is properly intact, and that it looks great to the homeowner.”

An honorable sentiment, and Anderson’s words aren’t empty. 

For reference, the Buffalo-based entity spares little expense on their projects.

Everything from the framing, to the footing, to the actual decking material is first-class.  

“In some cases, people wouldn’t know these differences unless someone who was an expert in decks pointed it out to them,” says Anderson, who does just that. 

Building with premium products comes at a price, literally and figuratively. 

Transparently, Anderson Bros Outdoors is rarely the lowest price on the market, and that’s because they’re not even trying to compete on price. 

For example, when it comes to footings (deck support mechanism), Anderson and his team could install diamond piers above ground and save on cost, but they go deeper, literally, and install helicals that are positioned well below the surface, resulting in a deck that is more secure, and won’t move over time. 

“The helicals have a 75-year guarantee not to move,” Anderson mentions. 

This is where it gets good though. 

“The helicals are the most expensive option, and they are all we do,” he says. 

”We don’t do any other type of footings.”

Consequently, for homeowners looking to cut costs on a deck project, Anderson Bros Outdoors may not be an ideal fit, simply because they will not install materials they deem to be substandard. 

Like most investments, there is a cost-benefit analysis to be run, and with decks, the reality is that some homeowners won’t be in their home long enough to justify installing high-quality products. 

“Most people are not in their homes for that long,” Anderson says, and last I heard, the average was 7-10 years before owners vacate the premises. 

Anderson Bros Outdoors also differentiates themselves on the labor side of projects by predominantly using only in-house crews, many of whom are also Andersons (Justin has 11 siblings). 

His rationale for keeping labor in-house is simple.

“Quality control,” he says, before adding that they have previously used a subcontractor to help with workflow. 

“With that sub, we didn’t go looking for the cheapest sub. We ultimately partnered with him because we didn’t want to fall three or four months behind in the summer.”

Currently, Anderson Bros Outdoors stays plenty busy, despite being a more expensive decking contractor. 

Looking ahead, Anderson wants to expand operations to include having 50 employees at some point in the next decade. 

“Ideally, we are installing the best outdoor living spaces in Minnesota,” the Corcoran native proclaims. 

His statement is subjective, but Anderson remains steadfast in his belief that his company will always prioritize customer service and experience over volume.  

“In the short-term, homeowners will pay more for their deck when they work with us,” he readily acknowledges. 

“Long-term though, we offer more. We have warranties that are twice as long as they ordinarily would be, and we are giving warranties where there are none currently.”

Adds Anderson:

“We have these warranties and guarantees in place because our decks are not moving [structurally]. We haven’t had to go back out to any homes. That’s why I love decks. They are predictable, and if done right, are a top-notch product.” QS

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