Plan your deck. Compare materials.
Estimate costs. Find suppliers.
Calculators that show their working, decking specs taken from manufacturer pages with the date we checked, and suppliers nobody pays to be listed with.
Everything for the deck you are planning
Composite decking
Boards compared on published specs, prices per m², colours and sizes.
Aluminium deck frames
ClickDeck, Futurewood and NewTechWood systems, spacing vs span.
Timber & merbau
Durability classes, H3 pine and tannin.
Decking pedestals
Adjustable supports for slabs and roofs.
Colours
Every colour our verified boards come in.
Steps, stairs & balustrades
Approved Document K and NCC limits, with worked examples.
Board sizes
Which length wastes least on your deck.
Screws & clips
A2 or A4 stainless, and the maker’s own fixings.
Two markets, two sets of rules
United Kingdom
Composite boards compared on published specs, clips and fixings, planning permission in England, Wales and Scotland, and Approved Document K for steps and balustrades. Prices in GBP.
- 39 pages
- 3 calculators
- Millboard, Eva-Last, Trex, Ecoscape
Australia
Aluminium deck frames and pedestals, merbau and timber under WoodSolutions, bushfire ratings, NCC stairs and barriers, and pool decking. Prices in AUD.
- 27 pages
- 3 calculators
- ModWood, Ekodeck, Futurewood, ClickDeck
From measurements to an order list
- 1
Count what you need
Enter deck size, board size, gap and joist centres. You get boards with waste, joists, clips and a lineal metre total, with the formula shown.
Decking calculator → - 2
Compare on published facts
Sizes, joist centres, warranty years and slip or fire statements, each from a maker page with the date we read it. Missing data stays “not published”.
Compare boards → - 3
Check the rules
Height, area and boundary limits decide whether you need approval, and barriers start at a 600 mm drop in England and 1 m in Australia.
Planning permission → - 4
Ask for quotes
Makers rarely publish prices, so put your quotes into the cost calculator. A missing price makes the total “Partial”, never zero.
Cost calculator →
What decking costs per m², installed
United Kingdom (BestBuilders, September 2026)
| Softwood | £80 to £140 |
|---|---|
| Hardwood | £140 to £220 |
| Composite | £120 to £220 |
Other 2026 guides run higher for hardwood and composite. VAT status is not stated.
Australia (What’s The Damage, October 2026)
| Treated pine | $180 to $350 |
|---|---|
| Merbau | $300 to $550 |
| Composite, mid-range | $280 to $700 |
| Aluminium | $600 to $1,000 |
GST is not stated. Compare more guides.
These are third-party estimates, not maker prices. Most manufacturers don’t publish them, so the calculators leave prices for you to fill in.
Rules that change the plan
Decking above this height normally needs planning permission. Guarding is expected above a 600 mm drop.
Read the rulesRise for a private stair in Approved Document K (2013), with a going of 220 to 300 mm.
Steps guideExempt-development ceiling, with a floor no more than 1 m above ground and 900 mm from the boundary.
Build a deckWhere a fall of 1 m or more is possible, a deck barrier must be at least 1 m high with openings under 125 mm.
Stairs and barriersMeasure once. Order the right amount.
Rows, boards, joists, clips and cost per m², with every formula printed under the result. A missing price is never counted as zero: the total says Partial instead.
Answers with sources
Recently added
Questions people ask first
Short answers from our guides, each linked to the page with the sources.
How many boards do I need for a 5 by 4 m deck?
30 boards of 5.4 m with 10 percent waste, using 137 mm boards, a 5 mm gap and 13 joists at 450 mm centres. The calculator prints every step so you can check it. Read more
Do I need planning permission for decking in England?
Decking more than 30 cm above the ground normally needs it, and guarding is expected above a 600 mm drop. Wales and Scotland have their own rules. Read more
Can you paint composite decking?
Makers mostly say it needs no paint, and one seller says painting voids the warranty. Ask your maker in writing before you start. Read more
Does composite decking get hot?
Dark colours do. ModWood says a board in full sun runs 20 to 25 degrees above the air temperature, and Futurewood says dark boards can run 20 or more above. Read more
What screws should I use near a pool or the coast?
For timber decks, WoodSolutions requires stainless steel fixings within 1 m of a pool edge or within 1 km of the coast. Composite boards use the maker’s own clips or screws. Read more
Is merbau cheaper than composite?
The cost guides overlap: merbau $220 to $550 per m² installed and mid-range composite $200 to $700 in Australia. Your quotes decide, so enter them in the calculator. Read more
Independent, dated and honest about gaps
Sources on every page
Specs come from manufacturer pages, standards bodies and official guidance, each with the date we read it. Retailer and seller claims are labelled as theirs.
No invented numbers
If a maker doesn’t publish a spacing, slip rating or price, the page says “not published”. We don’t estimate safety figures.
Nobody pays to rank
Suppliers and brands are listed A to Z, and listing is free. Affiliate links aren’t active, and we’ll disclose any before they are.
Conflicts shown, not hidden
When two sources disagree, for example on acclimatisation time or board gaps, both are shown with their sources so you can ask the maker.
Methodology · Editorial policy · Sources · Affiliate disclosure
Brand pages built on verified data
Teosad is an independent guide. We do not sell decking, and we do not give engineering approval. Methodology · Affiliate disclosure