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Deck design templates

Fifteen complete, buildable starting points. Pick the one closest to your yard, see the real spec, and render it on your own photo before changing a thing.

These are base platform allowances, not complete quotes for the pictured designs. Railing, stairs, lighting, skirting, benches, pergolas, special board patterns and extra framing for height or multiple levels need separate quotes.

The templates

  • Ground-level lounge: Low cedar platform that hugs the yard. No railing, no stairs, just deck. Base platform allowance (USD): $4,200 – $6,700. Pressure-treated benchmark: $25 – $40 / sq ft installed (USD). Pressure-treated is a budget proxy here; the pictured cedar needs its own quote..
  • Classic raised deck: The bread-and-butter build: 16×12 composite, aluminum balusters, boxed stairs. Base platform allowance (USD): $8,600 – $13,400. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • L-shaped wraparound: Picture-frame border on an L footprint with cable railing and open stairs. Base platform allowance (USD): $9,500 – $14,700. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Two-level entertainer: Main deck stepping down to a lower lounge with wide platform stairs. Base platform allowance (USD): $14,000 – $21,800. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Herringbone showpiece: Premium herringbone field, glass panels, and lit picture-frame stairs at dusk. Base platform allowance (USD): $11,500 – $17,300. PVC benchmark: $60 – $90 / sq ft installed (USD). PVC is a budget proxy for the pictured premium composite; herringbone labor is separate..
  • Floating island: Freestanding platform set at an angle in the yard, with diagonal coastal boards. Base platform allowance (USD): $6,300 – $9,800. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Skirted porch deck: Charcoal diagonal boards with full skirting, access door, and an entry landing. Base platform allowance (USD): $6,300 – $9,800. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Poolside platform: Wide, low driftwood platform with breaker boards and string lights for evenings. Base platform allowance (USD): $9,000 – $14,000. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Evening glow deck: See the deck after dark: lit post caps, stair risers, and under-rail glow. Base platform allowance (USD): $8,600 – $13,400. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Outdoor dining deck: A dinner-party layout with a real table zone, tucked-away grill, and post-cap glow at dusk. Base platform allowance (USD): $8,600 – $13,400. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Pergola retreat: Picture-frame boards, a shaded pergola lounge, and string lights for slow evenings. Base platform allowance (USD): $7,600 – $11,800. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Private escape deck: Wood privacy rails and a side screen turn a close-neighbors yard into a charcoal retreat. Base platform allowance (USD): $7,600 – $11,800. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Garden starter deck: A compact cedar first deck with planters, matched skirting, and an easy garden landing. Base platform allowance (USD): $2,000 – $3,200. Pressure-treated benchmark: $25 – $40 / sq ft installed (USD). Pressure-treated is a budget proxy here; the pictured cedar needs its own quote..
  • Modern mesh platform: A clean charcoal platform with architectural mesh rails and a built-in back-edge bench. Base platform allowance (USD): $7,200 – $11,200. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..
  • Family gathering deck: Room for Sunday dinner, the grill, extra bench seating, and wide stairs down to the yard. Base platform allowance (USD): $11,300 – $17,600. Composite benchmark: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)..

Cost assumptions and sources

U.S. planning allowances in USD for a simple, single-level deck, including ordinary materials and contractor labor. These are PaperPlan editorial assumptions, not surveyed averages or a local quote.

  • Pressure-treated: $25 – $40 / sq ft installed (USD)
  • Composite: $45 – $70 / sq ft installed (USD)
  • PVC: $60 – $90 / sq ft installed (USD)

Multiply deck area (width × length in feet) by the selected installed rate, then round each end of the range to the nearest $100.

Demolition, permits and engineering, taxes, stairs, railing, roofs, unusual foundations and difficult site access need separate quotes. Location, product selection and labor can put a real bid outside these ranges. Canadian projects need local CAD pricing.

The manufacturer sources below explain scope and cost drivers; they do not validate PaperPlan’s exact installed-rate bands. Supplier material estimates should not be compared directly with an installed project budget.

Sources and assumptions reviewed . Confirm the scope and current price with local contractors before budgeting a build.

Common questions

Are these real buildable designs or just pictures?

Each template is a complete deck spec (dimensions, height, railing, stairs, materials) produced by the same geometry pipeline the PaperPlan Advanced Designer uses. The page numbers are read from the spec itself.

Can I customize a template?

Yes, that is the point. Open any template in PaperPlan, render it on your own backyard photo, then change the size, material, railing, or layout from a working starting point instead of a blank screen.

What do these decks cost to build?

Each range uses platform surface area and the displayed rate class. U.S. planning allowances in USD for a simple, single-level deck, including ordinary materials and contractor labor. These are PaperPlan editorial assumptions, not surveyed averages or a local quote. These are base platform allowances, not complete quotes for the pictured designs. Railing, stairs, lighting, skirting, benches, pergolas, special board patterns and extra framing for height or multiple levels need separate quotes. Cedar and premium-pattern templates identify where a different material class is used as a budget proxy.

Do I need the templates to use PaperPlan?

No. You can upload a photo and design from scratch. Templates exist to skip the configuration and get to a finished-looking deck in one tap.

Deck planning guides