Project Estimator

Plan your deck
with the calculator.

Enter your deck dimensions, pick a profile, and get board count, joist count, fasteners, labor and total cost. Built around real American Pro profile widths and our 7.5% standard overage.

Inputs

Tell us about the deck.

All fields update the estimate live. Defaults reflect 2026 domestic market pricing, override anything that doesn't match your job.

1. Dimensions
The side that runs parallel to the wall.
ft
in
The side that runs out from the wall toward the yard.
ft
in
2. Decking line
Both are 1" × 5.5" actual with a 3/16" gap. Standard PVC defaults to $6.00/ft, TrueGrain Deck defaults to $8.00/ft. Override below if your dealer pricing differs.
3. Layout
Perpendicular is the most common; boards run away from the house.
Use 12" OC for diagonal boards or heavier loads.
4. Pricing (defaults included)
$ / ft
$ / ft
$ each
$ each
$ / sq ft
North Jersey deck-install rates run $10 to $35 per sq ft. $15 is a typical mid-market install. Set to 0 for materials-only.

How we compute it

Board geometry
1" × 5.5" actual board face with a recommended 3/16" gap. Effective coverage per board = 5.6875".
Standard lengths
12 ft, 16 ft, 20 ft. We pick the length that minimizes waste, no spliced rows under 20 ft span.
Spans over 20 ft
One 20 ft board plus the smallest standard board that covers the remainder, single-overage applied once.
Joists
Joist count = floor(span / spacing) + 1, plus a doubled rim joist on each end. Joist length matches the perpendicular deck dimension.
Fasteners
Face-screw + plug system, 2 screws and 2 plugs per board-to-joist intersection. Switch to hidden clips with your dealer if you prefer.
Overage
7.5% applied once to total board length. Costs derive from purchased-length, not theoretical-length, so pricing reflects what you actually buy.
Defaults
Standard PVC $6.00/ft, TrueGrain Deck $8.00/ft, PT 2×8 joist $1.65/ft, $0.09 each on screws and plugs (works out to $36 per 100 sq ft fastener), labor $15/sq ft.
What we don't include
Footings, beams, ledger flashing, railing, stairs, permits. These vary too much by jurisdiction and design to put in a generic calc, talk to your contractor.
Spans over 40 ft
Out of scope. Get a structural drawing, our engineering team can help: contact engineering.