{
  "slug": "deck",
  "title": "Deck Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Deck Cost Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deck",
  "summary": "Decking boards, joists, and total build cost.",
  "description": "Composite decking costs two to three times pressure-treated pine up front but skips staining every other year. This prices boards, framing, footings, and labour together.",
  "formula": "Boards = Area ÷ (Board width × length), plus waste. Framing scales with joist spacing.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=deck",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "length",
      "label": "Deck length",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 16,
      "unit": "ft",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "width",
      "label": "Deck width",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "ft",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "boardWidth",
      "label": "Board width",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5.5,
      "unit": "in",
      "min": 2,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "boardPrice",
      "label": "Price per linear ft of board",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3.2,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "labor",
      "label": "Labour",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": "$/sq ft",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "waste",
      "label": "Waste allowance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": "Cuts, breakage, and mistakes. 10% is standard.",
      "default": 10,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 40
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Estimated deck cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "area",
      "label": "Deck area (sq ft)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "linearFt",
      "label": "Decking linear feet",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "boards",
      "label": "Decking material",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "framing",
      "label": "Framing material",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "labor",
      "label": "Labour",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "joists",
      "label": "Joists at 16 in OC",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Deck length: 16 ft",
      "Deck width: 12 ft",
      "Board width: 5.5 in",
      "Price per linear ft of board: 3.2 $",
      "Labour: 20 $/sq ft",
      "Waste allowance: 10 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated deck cost: $5,688.96",
      "Deck area (sq ft): 192",
      "Decking linear feet: 460.8",
      "Decking material: $1,474.56",
      "Framing material: $374.40",
      "Labour: $3,840.00",
      "Joists at 16 in OC: 13"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter deck length (ft).",
      "Enter deck width (ft).",
      "Enter board width (in).",
      "Enter price per linear ft of board ($).",
      "Enter labour ($/sq ft).",
      "Enter waste allowance (%) — Cuts, breakage, and mistakes. 10% is standard..",
      "Read your estimated deck cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "length": 10,
        "width": 7,
        "boardWidth": 3.3,
        "boardPrice": 1.92,
        "labor": 12,
        "waste": 6
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "length": 16,
        "width": 12,
        "boardWidth": 5.5,
        "boardPrice": 3.2,
        "labor": 20,
        "waste": 10
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "length": 26,
        "width": 19,
        "boardWidth": 8.8,
        "boardPrice": 5.120000000000001,
        "labor": 32,
        "waste": 16
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the deck cost calculator work?",
      "a": "Composite decking costs two to three times pressure-treated pine up front but skips staining every other year. This prices boards, framing, footings, and labour together. The underlying maths is: Boards = Area ÷ (Board width × length), plus waste. Framing scales with joist spacing."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "6 values: deck length, deck width, board width, price per linear ft of board, labour, and waste allowance. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the estimated deck cost result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fence",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/lumber",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/paver"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Deck Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/deck)"
}