Deck boards calculator

Job sheet

Plumb deck board job sheet

16 ft deck.

  • Boards2626 across, 1 stock length per run.
  • Stock16 ftFace 5.5 in plus 0.125 in gap.
Plumb deck board job sheet
16 ft deck.

Boards: 26 (26 across, 1 stock length per run.)
Stock: 16 ft (Face 5.5 in plus 0.125 in gap.)

The count

Boards across = deck width ÷ (face + gap), rounded up. If the deck is longer than one stick, each run takes another stick. A 12 foot wide deck is 144 inches. A 5.5 inch face and a 1/8 inch gap is 5.625 inches. That is 26 boards for a 16 foot deck that matches 16 foot stock.

Picture-frame borders and breaker boards are extra. Add them after this count. Joists are not boards. Footings under the posts are the concrete calculator. The nominal tally, if the yard sells by board feet, is the board foot calculator.

FAQ

Is this board feet?

No. Board feet is the volume the yard tallies. This page counts pieces. A 5/4×6 deck board has a 5.5 inch face in the PS 20 dressed table. The board-foot tally still uses the nominal size, on the board foot page.

What about composite?

Same count. Use the face width on the composite board, not a wood nominal size. The gap is whatever the clip or the instructions call for.

Sources

  1. NIST PS 20-25, Table 3: A nominal 6 inch board dresses to 5.5 inches. That is the face used in the default.