This 160-square-foot 10x16 deck is long and shallow, for a yard without much depth: a table at one end, a grill at the other. It runs 16 feet along the house and 10 feet out, which keeps the framing light, with 2x8 joists and a two-ply 2x10 beam. Add your address and we’ll draw this deck on your own lot.
Design any deck in the free wizard and get the same toolkit, built for your exact dimensions:
Ready for a permit? Add your property and the full permit set is drawn on your actual lot.
Design your own deck
Decide on this deck and price the build.
Most building departments want a site plan showing the lot, house, deck, and setbacks, plus a framing plan, elevations, structural details, general notes, and the ledger attachment detail. The permit set is all of those, drawn on your actual property from public records, with IRC 2021 citations on the framing plan. The free planning set above does not include these sheets.








| Deck size | 16'-0" x 10'-0" (160 sq ft) |
| Height above grade | 4'-0" |
| Attachment | Ledger to house band joist |
| Joists | 2x8 at 16" on center |
| Beam | 2-ply 2x10, dropped |
| Footings | 14" diameter piers, 36" deep (4) |
| Decking | 1x6 composite |
| Guard rail | 36" Fortress rail system |
| Stairs | One straight flight, front edge, 4'-0" wide |
| Design loads | Moderate snow, cold frost zone |
Most jurisdictions require a permit for an attached deck. Your building department will typically ask for a site plan, framing plan, elevations, structural details, and the ledger attachment detail. This set includes all of those. Check with your local building department for their specific requirements.
The materials and cost estimate in the free planning set comes to about $6,400 for this design, with composite decking, the Fortress rail, 8% sales tax and 5% for waste, at average home center prices. Your region and supplier will move it. Labor adds $15 to $35 per square foot if you hire a contractor.
This design uses 2x8 at 16" on center for the deck frame, set 4'-0" above grade. Every member size is calculated from the IRC 2021 prescriptive span tables, with the code section cited on the framing plan.
This design calls for 14" diameter piers, 36" deep (4). Footing diameter and depth are sized for the beam load and the frost depth in a cold climate zone. Your building department may require a different depth based on your local frost line.
The free planning toolkit includes two documents. The planning set has the deck layout with dimensions, a materials and cost estimate, and a lumber cut list. The build guide explains how and why, from digging footings to the final inspection. Together they are everything you need to plan the build, price the lumber, and understand the construction before you start.
The permit set ($29.99) adds framing plans with IRC 2021 code citations, elevations, structural details, general notes, a site plan drawn from your actual lot and house, and a title block with your name and address on every sheet. It is what your building department needs to issue the permit. The free planning toolkit does not include permit drawings.
Short guides to each kind of sheet in this package.
Got the planning set? Ready to submit to your building department? The permit set adds framing plans, elevations, structural details, and your property on every sheet.
Add my property, $29.99