That brick in the last pic looks like it needs some work before adding anything on top Maybe a couple of pics from further back so we can see the whole area.

Would sistering the notched joists make a big difference in strengthening them?

I’m not a structural engineer (though you should have one look at this) If you look at the notched joists as sleepers they should have been cut accurately to rest on the concrete. As they are they will fail. The rest of the deck structure should be able to be supported without those sleepers. None of this looks correct, especially the 6x6 just resting on a garden wall- do you know what kind of footer that has? Decks and petunias have different loads.

Reducing a 2x8 to a 2x2(?) is not a notch.

And resting it all on a collapsing garden wall and concrete porch supported by soil buttressed by that self-same wall is not a long-term improvement.

It's hard to imagine a city building official approving this.

Its a 2x10 reduced to a 2x3.

No garden wall is collapsing. one wall of a concrete and brick porchbis damaged by using a jackhammer.

Did you actually pay someone for this "nice hack" job?

Agree with the above comments, and to add my 2 cents how is that ledger attached to the brick veneer since it cannot be attached directly to it? What is that splice in the ledger above the window in the 2nd picture?

Do your customers pay you when you insult them too?

Hate to say it, but that is a poorly set up deck that isn't going to hold up over time.

The corner on that brick needs attention and tuck pointing before a deck gets put on it. There is a lot of missing mortar and the angled cracking of some of those bricks and the whole corner being damaged from jackhammering means that corner isn't being well supported and likely will crack/buckle further with the additional stress of a deck on it. Makes me wonder a bit whats lurking behind the creative cement work on the other wall and stairs. That should have been addressed before any deck was started on top of it.

The 4x4 posts don't look like they are fully mounted on the brick, and they are just resting on the brick. Those should get some anchors at the least. The posts are also notched- and the board they are supporting is set too low to the level of the concrete of the porch. As a concequence of that not great set up those top boards have too much of a notch cut out of them- if you are removing more than half the width of the board that is too much notch cut out and you are compromising the structrual integrity of the board. The fact that the boards also are not cut to rest properly on the cement and needs shims to help support spots is just going to speed up the potential failure point after use.

What does the rest of the deck and it's supports and footings look like? What has your local building inspector had to say about this job so far?

I really appreciate your detailed thoughtful comments. i’m having the building inspector look at it tomorrow regarding these exact concerns.

@Chris Simmons As a matter a fact I do when I see "hack jobs" done by "fly-by-night contractors" to prevent a disaster down the road because of a deck failure and prevent their family members or guests from ending up in ER.

Not to mention none of my customers find that insulting, instead they appreciate the honest opinion, and most offer to pay for it.

im not the least bit offended. im grateful.