When designing a deck, how much final and useable square footage will be one of the first considerations. But how big should it be? That is the question we will address today in our blog and go over the considerations at play to make that decision.
Bylaws and HOAs
Before drafting your dream deck, you have to first look at your local bylaws or any HOAs rules that may apply. No matter how big your house or property is there may be restrictions on how big your deck can be. So, you or your deck professional has to evaluate this first.
Deck Use
The next consideration is what do you want to do on your deck. Do you want to eat out there? Cook out there? Sit around with friends? Do you want a play area for children? Some spaces can do double duty, but, in general, you would allot a certain amount of square footage for each use.
For example, if you want to eat on the deck, what size table to you want? To give an example for discussion, if you want a round table that is 48 inches in diameter with four to six chairs, you would need 48” plus an additional four feet on each side of the table to allow for easy circulation around the table’s chairs. That’s a square area of about 12 feet by 12 feet just for the table and chairs.
Budget
Budget is another important consideration, as a larger deck costs more than a smaller deck. However, the relationship between size and cost is not linear. There will be a higher upfront cost for any size deck because the same site prep and installation of footings are similar. However, a bigger deck usually means more footings plus extra joists and decking material which will obviously cost some more. The point here is that a deck that is twice the size of another deck does not cost twice the price, more like 1.5 times the price. There is some cost benefit in scaling up.
Keep in mind that a deck that is high off the ground like a floor or more above ground level will be significantly more expensive than a deck that is six inches off the ground because footings that are 15-20 feet high or more are a lot more work to install for the deck professionals.
Design and Scale
The last important consideration in our view is the overall design and scale. You want the deck to look like it’s part of the house and yard, and not an afterthought. A giant home with a tiny deck will look odd. So, the deck scale should be in keeping with the scale of the house. Otherwise, it looks like you ran out of funds when you got to the deck.
A large deck on a smaller house does not look so out of place, because then deck becomes like another (outside) room for the house. A large deck is wonderful selling feature for potential buyers who want to use the deck for several purposes.
If you are baffled about what your deck should look like, give us a call on the Lower Mainland at (604) 626-7100 and let us help you. This is our area of expertise. We can help you design and build a deck that is the right size for your house.
Deck Experts, based in Surrey, BC, are professional deck builders with a long track record of success. We offer free estimates and long warranties and can build or fix any deck around. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about decks, please call us at (604) 626-7100.
