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A RedX Decks Alternative for the Sales Conversation

RedX draws the deck for the permit office. PaperPlan renders it for the homeowner. If the job isn’t sold yet, start with the render.

By Monty, Founder, PaperPlan · Updated June 11, 2026

Try PaperPlan free — render the finished deck on your own backyard photo in about 15 seconds.

Why this page exists

Sell first, draft second

Construction drawings convince inspectors. Photorealistic renders convince homeowners. Don’t spend drafting time on an unsold job.

Homeowner-readable output

A framing plan means nothing to most buyers. Their own backyard with the finished deck means everything.

No modeling session

RedX asks you to build the deck in 3D before it can output anything. PaperPlan asks for a photo.

Brand comparison built in

Show Trex against TimberTech against AZEK on the same yard while the homeowner is still deciding.

How it works

Upload a backyard photo. Use any phone photo of the build site. No measurements, no CAD file.
Mark the deck area. Drag to outline where the deck goes. Add stairs or a railing line if you want them.
Choose material and design. Pick composite, PVC, cedar, or pressure-treated. Compare looks on the same photo.
Generate the render and share. Get a photorealistic render in seconds. Send it to the homeowner or attach it to a proposal.

RedX Decks Alternative for the Sales Conversation

RedX Decks is a 3D deck builder that outputs serious construction documentation — joist and beam layouts, stair stringers, elevations, cut lists, permit packets. PaperPlan does none of that. What PaperPlan does is win the conversation that happens before any of it matters.

Feature	RedX Decks	PaperPlan
Primary output	Permit-ready drawings, framing plans, cut lists	Photorealistic render on the homeowner’s photo
Audience	Permit office, inspectors, your crew	The homeowner deciding whether to buy
Input	3D deck modeling session	Phone photo plus a marked deck area
Time to first visual	A modeling session per design	About 15 seconds
Materials story	Structural and framing focus	Trex, TimberTech, AZEK, Fiberon, cedar, PT on the same yard
Proposal	Construction documentation	Branded PDF proposal with client acceptance (Pro)

RedX Decks is genuinely strong at what it does — framing layouts, stringer math, load calcs, permit packets — and PaperPlan does not attempt any of it. The two tools bookend the job: sell the deck with PaperPlan, then draw it for the permit in RedX. Plenty of crews should own both.

Common questions

Does PaperPlan generate construction drawings?

No. PaperPlan produces photorealistic renders and sales proposals, not framing plans or permit documents. For those, RedX Decks or your drafter remains the right tool.

Is PaperPlan affiliated with RedX?

No — independent product, independent company. This page exists because deck builders search for both and deserve a straight answer about which moment each tool serves.

Why not show the homeowner the 3D drawing?

Because homeowners buy what they can picture on their own house. A technically accurate 3D model in a generic scene reads as a diagram; their actual backyard with the finished deck reads as the future.

What does PaperPlan cost?

Two free renders after sign-in, then $99/mo (regular $149) for 250 renders a month, all materials, no watermark, and proposal export.

Keep researching

An ArcSite Alternative for Showing, Not Drafting — ArcSite does CAD drawings and takeoff-driven estimates. PaperPlan is the visualization alternative: the finished deck rendered on the homeowner’s actual backyard in about 15 seconds.
A Cedreo Alternative Built Only for Decks — Considering Cedreo for deck design? PaperPlan is the photo-first alternative for deck-only crews: render the finished deck on the homeowner’s actual backyard in about 15 seconds, from a phone.
Deck Proposal Software That Starts With the Render — Deck proposal software for small crews: render the finished deck on the homeowner’s photo, then export a branded PDF proposal with scope, pricing, timeline, and terms — before you leave the driveway.
Deck Design Software, Built for the Sale — Deck design software built for small contractors. Photo-first, mobile-first, and engineered for the sales workflow — render the deck, share it, and export a branded proposal.
AI Deck Design on Your Actual Backyard — AI deck design that starts from a photo of your actual backyard — not a template. Photorealistic renders in about 15 seconds with real Trex, TimberTech, AZEK, and Fiberon boards. Free to try.