calcanvil

Deck Construction Cost Calculator

16′ × 12′ · 24 board rows across the width
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458 lf of decking

26 rows × 16′ = 416 lf net (+10% waste). Joists: 13 at your spacing (this is a count only; sizing is a code-table question). ≈672 screws.

Typical crew rate for this trade: $43-$71/hr (modeled from BLS median wage × published burden/markup band). How we model costs.

Reference material price: 2x4x8 #2 Premium KD-HT Stud, $4.15/each (typical retail, sampled 2026-08-15; local prices vary). How we model costs.

  • Decking rows = deck width ÷ (board 5.5″ + 0.25″ gap): board gap is a product spec (Trex specifies 3/16″ side gaps; wood convention ~1/4″).
  • 10% decking waste for cuts/culls is a trade convention, labeled; diagonal decking runs 15%+.
  • Joist count (not size) at 16″ on-center is spacing arithmetic; joist size and span are structural questions, so use your code's span tables (IRC R507-class) instead of a web calculator.
  • ≈3.5 screws/sq ft (2 per board-joist crossing), a fastener-maker convention, labeled.

Want quotes from local pros for this project? We’re gauging demand for a pro-matching service. No contractor network exists yet: this is a get-notified list, not a quote request.

Why This One Is Different

This calculator counts the boards, joists, and screws your deck footprint actually needs before it ever puts a dollar figure in front of you, the reverse order most deck cost pages use. It starts with the takeoff: how many linear feet of decking your footprint actually needs once board width and the manufacturer's gap spec are applied, how many joists that framing calls for at 16-inch spacing, and how many screws hold it together. Only after those quantities are locked in does a labor band enter the picture (built from a published carpenter wage, not a flat per-square-foot guess) alongside a sampled 2×4 stud price as a framing-lumber reference point. Joist depth and span stay off this page; that's a code-table question.

Where the Numbers Come From

  • The gap between boards is a manufacturer installation spec, not a preference, and it changes how many boards you buy: board count follows area ÷ (board width + gap), and Trex specifies 3/16″ side-to-side spacing, with end gaps set by temperature. Source: Trex, "How to Space Deck Boards" (official installation guidance)
  • This calculator adds 10% to raw decking length for cuts and culls, a trade-estimating convention, not a code figure; diagonal decking patterns typically need 15% or more. Source: quantity-takeoff framing convention (construction-estimating canon), labeled
  • Joist count at a given on-center spacing is spacing arithmetic and exact; joist size and allowable span are governed by IRC R507 and the AWC span tables behind it, a different question this calculator does not answer. Source: IRC R507 / AWC deck-code document map (construction-estimating canon)
  • A single 2×4×8 stud priced at $4.15 (Home Depot, Seattle-area, sampled 2026-08-15) is used here as a framing-lumber reference point, not a decking-board price, since decking is a different product class entirely. Source: calcanvil materials basket, sampled retail (see /methodology/)

More Questions

Can I build a deck cheaper by doing the framing myself?

The material quantities here don't change based on who's building: this page separates the stud and board takeoff from a modeled labor band precisely so you can see what DIY labor actually saves versus what the lumber itself costs.

Related Calculators

Formulas, waste factors, and cost models on this page follow the sourced conventions on our methodology page. Estimates only; verify with your supplier and local code.