FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe
How-To

Deck Design

A guide to the basics of deck construction.

By Scott Grove Issue 29

Synopsis: A thorough discussion of the design decisions that go into making a durable exterior deck, such as choosing the most appropriate materials and building it so it won’t trap water and rot. The information is fundamental and should be useful no matter what style of deck you’re building. The emphasis is on above-ground components.

A properly built deck should last a lifetime. But for this to be possible, you must constantly think about nature’s elements as you design and build it. If you don’t, trapped moisture can promote bacterial degrade that will slowly eat your deck away.

Planning the deck

A deck is an intermediate space between the controlled environment of a house and the raw elements outdoors. Since a deck can expand the living area of the house and serve as an entry, it’s important to consider traffic patterns in your planning. Avoid paths that cross through activity areas, and arrange for them to be as direct as possible. A path improperly located can isolate small areas and render them nearly useless.

A deck can accentuate the good features of an area and minimize the bad ones. It can conceal a fuel tank or snuggle around a tree. Decks are great for hiding ugly foundations, service meters or old concrete patios. Let these existing elements influence your deck design and they’ll make your job easier. The space under a deck can be used to store firewood, too.

Safety is an important consideration when designing a deck. For instance, a landing in front of a door needs plenty of room to allow the door to open with at least one person on the landing. A low walkway that may be just fine without a railing in the summer can be most dangerous in the winter, when snow conceals its edges. Define these edges and all corners, using posts, trees, bushes, rocks or any other visual device on or off the deck that will help make the feature more obvious.

Designing a deck can seem complex if you’ve never built one before, so beginners should make a detailed drawing of the entire layout, board by board. Once the design is on paper, it’s fairly easy to compile a list of materials. Planning the layout and orientation of a deck is at least as important as building it.

Estimating costs

We’ve been building decks in New York State for seven years, and we use the following figures for rough estimates of the materials and labor needed to build a deck: $8 per sq. ft. for decking (including the framing and footings), $7 per sq. ft. for stairs, $10 per lin. ft. for simple railings, $15 per lin. ft. for bevel-cut railings and $20 per lin. ft. for benches. These figures reflect our company’s wage scale, construction speed and craftsmanship, and if a deck design is particularly unusual we’ll adjust the figures upward. For those who work alone or with minimal help, the following materials-only estimate, based on prices for #1 pressure-treated lumber in New York State, will help determine approximate costs: $3.00 per sq. ft. for the decking lumber, $4.50 per sq. ft. for stairs, $2.25 per lin. ft. for railings, and $8.25 per lin. ft. for benches. The type of construction you use, and the level of detail you include, will have a significant effect on the expense of your deck.

For more photos and information on deck design, click the View PDF button below. 

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Sign Up

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

×
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
View PDF

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Systems and Products for an All-Electric Small Home

Choosing windows, doors, HVAC, plumbing systems, and finishes with sustainability and healthful materials in mind.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Linda Reeder: Architect, Professor, and Author
  • A New Generation of Builders Take Part in FHB House KS
  • Journey to Building a New Old Home
  • Introducing FHB House South Carolina

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Justin Fink Deck Building Course announcement
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Podcast 409: PRO TALK With Passive House Trainer Mariana Pickering
  • Earthquake-Resistant Housing
  • Building Homes to Survive Wildfires
  • Raising and Air-Sealing Tall Walls
View All

Architecture and Design

View All Architecture and Design Articles
  • View of the house and the landscaping
    High-Performance Demonstration Home
  • Remodeled house with white and black siding
    Staying Put By Remodeling
  • Elizabeth DiSalvo
    Keep Craft Alive Podcast: Ep.11, Elizabeth Disalvo, Net-Zero Architect
  • Elizabeth DiSalvo
    Elizabeth Disalvo, Architect
View All Architecture and Design Articles

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • 2021 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Tool Guide 2022
    Buy Now
  • Outdoor Projects
    Buy Now
Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 307 - June 2022
    • How to Raise a Post-Frame Home
    • Trimming Deck Stairs
    • Evolving an Energy-Efficient Envelope
  • Issue 306 - April/May 2022
    • Framing Stairs to an Out-of-Level Landing
    • Building a Zero-Energy Home for Less
    • Good-Looking and Long-Lasting Traditional Gutters
  • Issue 305 - Feb/March 2022
    • The Steady Surge in Residential Solar
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: William B. Rose
    • How Good Is Your Air Barrier?
  • Issue 304 - Dec 2021/Jan 2022
    • Why You Need Blower-Door Testing
    • Passive-House Standards for Everyone
    • Window Replacement With a Side of Rot Repair
  • Issue 303 - November 2021
    • Compact Cordless Miter Saws
    • Maximize Space with Thoughtful Built-Ins
    • 10 Essentials for Quality Trim Carpentry

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to set_percent%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in