Two-Level Entertainer
Main deck stepping down to a lower lounge with wide platform stairs.
Two levels solve the tall-deck problem: instead of one high platform with a long stair run, the deck steps down through a wide landing into a lower lounge that owns the yard. Cooking happens up top; the fire pit conversation happens below.
The spec
| Footprint | 16×12 ft (192 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft |
| Decking | Classic composite, both levels |
| Railing | Yes |
| Stairs | Yes |
| Skirting | Full |
| Second level | 12×10 ft at 2.5 ft |
| Installed cost (est.) | $14,000 – $21,800 |
Best for
- Walk-outs 5 ft and up, where a single level feels like a balcony
- Entertaining: separate zones without separate structures
- Sloped yards — the lower level absorbs the grade change
Similar templates
- Classic raised deck — The bread-and-butter build: 16×12 composite, aluminum balusters, boxed stairs.
- L-shaped wraparound — Picture-frame border on an L footprint with cable railing and open stairs.
- Herringbone showpiece — Premium herringbone field, glass panels, and lit picture-frame stairs at dusk.
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