Deck Calculators: Cost, Materials, Boards & Framing

Deck joist span chart

Maximum spans by size, species and spacing

Deck beam span chart

Beam sizes against post spacing and deck depth

Deck railing height & code

Guard heights, loads and baluster spacing

Deck permit requirements

When you need one, what it costs, which inspections

How to estimate a deck

Turning a footprint into a material list

Which calculator to use

Picking the right tool for the question

Putting a hot tub on a deck

What it takes to put a hot tub on a deck

Deck ledger board: size, fasteners and flashing

What size ledger board a deck needs (2x8, 2x10 or 2x12), the bolt and screw spacing from the DCA 6 table, the flashing order, and walls that cannot carry one

How deep do deck footings need to be?

How deep deck footings must go, why the frost line sets the number, typical depths across the US, and what happens if they stop short

Deck vs patio vs porch

The real differences between a deck, a patio and a porch

How long does a deck last?

Realistic deck lifespans for pressure-treated pine, cedar, composite, PVC and hardwood, plus what actually kills a deck first

Repair, resurface or replace?

A practical test for whether to repair, resurface or rebuild a deck, what each costs, and the findings that mean a rebuild

Freestanding vs attached decks

When a deck has to be freestanding, what the extra beam and footings cost, and why self-supporting is often the easier permit

Deck stair code requirements

Code limits for deck stairs

How to build a deck

The full sequence for building a deck

Deck maintenance schedule

A year-by-year deck maintenance schedule

Deck board patterns and direction

How board direction, diagonals, picture-frame borders and herringbone change the framing, the waste and the cost of a deck

Deck safety inspection checklist

A deck safety checklist covering the ledger, posts, joists, fasteners, railings and stairs, and which findings mean stop using it

Deck material list: what to buy for a 12x16 deck

A complete deck material list worked for a 12x16 attached deck

Deck joist spacing: 12, 16 or 24 inches on center

How to choose deck joist spacing

Under deck drainage systems: types, cost and what to buy

Under deck drainage compared

How to build a ground-level deck

Build a ground-level floating deck

Deck footing options compared

Poured piers, deck blocks, helical piles and ground screws compared

How to build a deck over a concrete patio

Three ways to put a deck over a concrete patio (tiles, sleepers, pedestals) with a 12x12 worked example, materials, costs and the drainage rule to follow

The cheapest way to build a deck

The cheapest ways to build a deck, priced side by side for a 12x12 deck with our calculators, plus the savings that work and the ones that cost more later

Tools needed to build a deck

The tools needed to build a deck, grouped by stage, with what to rent and what to buy, and how the tool bill changes a 12x12 DIY deck's real cost

Second-story deck cost

What a second-story deck costs