How big of a deck can i realistically build for $3500

**dan_6** · 24th January 2008, 09:12 PM

i've had a bit of a poke around the forum before, decided to sign up this time, got alot of good info.

Basically i've got an allocation of $3500 to build the biggest deck i can out back, i'll most likely go with the 90x19 Merbu, and a 6 to 8mm gap between boards. (mind you i have no idea what the merbu costs, anyone know the best place in canberra for that?)

from all the guys that do this regulary, or anyone thats build a few, how big will that allow me to go.

VERY early stages obviously

i'll be using a fair few sadles dynabolted to the path out the side, and it'll start out about 900 high and due to the slope in our block, get closer to the ground the further out you get, so mabey ending up with 200-300 clearance depending on how far i can go etc.

but yeah mainly just after $$ per square meter including the framework underneath/nails etc etc. but seperate rough costing is fine too, ie, it'll cost you X ammount for the frame work of X size and X ammount to cover it, etc

Thanks
Dan

**Waldo** · 24th January 2008, 09:20 PM

G'day Dan,

I've just rung up $3,700 on timber, fasteners and cement for 2.9m x 7m deck and pergola. Normal t/pine for the guts with 160lm of 140 x 19 merbau and 5 x 4.2m and 1 x 2.4m of 90 x 90 merbau posts I'm still to buy 3 x 3.6m and 1 x 1.2m of 100 x 100 cypress posts, handrails and roofing. It doesn't take much to kiss the money bye.

How big, I don't know for $3,500. I'm probably looking at $4 1/2K

**pharmaboy2** · 24th January 2008, 10:12 PM

$3.50 plm for merbaus, gives about $41 / m^2, $35 for sub floor (with cheap design for spans etc). call it $80 a square metre for materials only - leave $500 left over for incidentals - beer, fancy fasteners, oil, and kennards hire. whats that work - 6 m by 6m or something.....

**dan_6** · 24th January 2008, 10:14 PM

Hey, thanks for the quick replies
ok that post motivated us to go and do some measuring, we came up with

6000 x 4000 square deck, and its more like 500 high, missus over estimated there.

and a seperate but joined to main deck area as a landing from the sliding door that is going in soon.
it will be 2500 deep and 2300 wide. as a seperate small kind of deck i guess

im not sure how i'll go about decking that part as i only have 95mm clearance to the old rear patio cement pebblecreted area (about 1500x2000) to level it with the step to the laundry door that means it'll leave room for sweet bugger all joist to nail to, 75mm dyna bolted down somehow, is it ok to mount straight to there, or should some kind of token clearance be left underneath, for runoff etc....

Cheers
Dan

**dan_6** · 24th January 2008, 10:27 PM

but thinking about all that, we might go 8000x4000 on the main part, (we have room to go to the other end of the house back the other way if we can afford it)

**brynk** · 25th January 2008, 09:22 PM

gday dan_6

our deck is 10m x 3m to date we have spent about $3500 and it has moved a little on since my last post. here is the costings of the deck to date at the time my last post was completed...

<table x:str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; 453pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="605"><col style=" 61pt;" width="81"> <col style=" 56pt;" span="6" width="75"> <col style=" 56pt;" width="74"> <tbody><tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl24" style=" 12.75pt; 61pt;" height="17" width="81">Structure</td> <td class="xl24" style=" 56pt;" align="right" width="75">Coatings</td> <td class="xl27" style=" 56pt;" align="right" width="75">Fixings</td> <td class="xl27" style=" 56pt;" align="right" width="75">H'ware</td> <td class="xl27" style=" 56pt;" align="right" width="75">Plumbing</td> <td class="xl27" style=" 56pt;" align="right" width="75">Timber</td> <td class="xl27" style=" 56pt;" align="right" width="75">Tools</td> <td class="xl25" style=" 56pt;" align="right" width="74">G Total</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl24" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Deck</td> <td class="xl29" x:num="130.95" align="right">131</td> <td class="xl30" x:num="57.8" align="right">58</td> <td class="xl30">
</td> <td class="xl30">
</td> <td class="xl30" x:num="1227.2760000000001" align="right">1227</td> <td class="xl30">
</td> <td class="xl31" x:num="1416.0260000000001" align="right">1416</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Footings</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="35.2" align="right">35</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="35.2" align="right">35</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">General</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="17.54" align="right">18</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="17.54" align="right">18</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Ledger</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="20.56" align="right">21</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="16.33" align="right">16</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="36.89" align="right">37</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">N/A</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="21.89" align="right">22</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="299.94" align="right">300</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="321.83" align="right">322</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Plumbing</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="" align="right">180</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="" align="right">180</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Rails</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="49.82" align="right">50</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="" align="right">234</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="283.82" align="right">284</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Steps</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="" align="right">126</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="" align="right">126</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl28" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Substructure</td> <td class="xl32">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="81.19" align="right">81</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="18.4" align="right">18</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl33" x:num="606.31" align="right">606</td> <td class="xl33">
</td> <td class="xl34" x:num="705.9" align="right">706</td> </tr> <tr style=" 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl26" style=" 12.75pt;" height="17">Grand Total</td> <td class="xl35" x:num="130.95" align="right">131</td> <td class="xl36" x:num="226.91" align="right">227</td> <td class="xl36" x:num="91.82" align="right">92</td> <td class="xl36" x:num="" align="right">180</td> <td class="xl36" x:num="2193.5860000000002" align="right">2194</td> <td class="xl36" x:num="299.94" align="right">300</td> <td class="xl37" x:num="3123.2060000000001" align="right">3123</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
r's brynk

**BustedThumbs** · 25th January 2008, 11:19 PM

I budgeted $100 per square metre and that seems to have worked well. Nearly (HAH!) finished and i'm just under budget.

**Dirty Doogie** · 25th January 2008, 11:39 PM

IF you have to hire tools you'll likely use 10% of the budget - and deck finishes will eat another 10%. I'm guessing here - but I wouldnt plan to start anything over 25 sq mt for that money.

**oohsam** · 26th January 2008, 10:47 AM

I have spent 3,500 and mine is 12x4 using 140x19 merbau and cypress pine stumps, posts...thats including a handrail with balustrading. I shopped around and did price matches where i could to save the cash.

**dan_6** · 28th January 2008, 01:57 AM

thanks guys, looking good for what i can do with the cash, i'll have to shop around canberra a bit and find a good price on the decking, just for the hell of it when i was picking up something else at bunnings, i checked the price on the 90x19 and it was $3.98 per lineal meter, but im sure its cheaper elsewhere.

**bingoshelley** · 28th January 2008, 02:24 AM

Originally Posted by dan_6

thanks guys, looking good for what i can do with the cash, i'll have to shop around canberra a bit and find a good price on the decking, just for the hell of it when i was picking up something else at bunnings, i checked the price on the 90x19 and it was $3.98 per lineal meter, but im sure its cheaper elsewhere.

hey dan go to grays auctions i think they have one in canberra but merbu is only $1.25 mt and everything else is cheap as i just brought some from melb great quality best price ive found cheers shelley

**Trav** · 29th January 2008, 11:21 PM

Dan

I reckon you could get up to about 30 sq m for that kind of money, assuming that you didn't need any new tools etc. And face it, every project like that needs new tools. Even if you use them on another project later on... or don't use them for ages...whatever. Just as long as you get some new toys.

Shop around - bunnings is hideously priced on some stuff. Try pinus sawmills, CAA timber.

Trav

**dan_6** · 26th February 2008, 10:56 AM

every place i call about decking the price seems to go up more

Pinus
$3.90 l/m + $22 delivery

CCA
$4 l/m + $44 delivery

Fyshwick bulding supplies
$4.40 l/m + $40 delivery

Monaro timber
$4.50 l/m + $66 delivery !!

still calling

**manoftalent** · 26th February 2008, 11:50 AM

while your calling and getting prices ......ask them this as well ...is it "random lengths" or pack length ..ie: 2.4mt 2.7mt..3.6...

pack length is dearer than random lengths ....if you have designed a deck and want specific lengths such as all 2.4mtr you will pay more ...random lengths may not always suit your purpose ( it may contain several "shorts" 1.2mtr lengths for instance)....and be totally useless to you ...so allow 5% extra in material supply to cover for this, and dont be afraid when ordering to state ..you will take random lenghts , but no "shorts" smaller than ( whatever is useless to you)....

**journeyman Mick** · 26th February 2008, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by dan_6

......... i'll most likely go with the 90x19 Merbu, and a 6 to 8mm gap between boards...............

A 6 - 8mm gap is way bigger than the usual 3mm and will look lousy, IMO.

Mick

Thread: How big of a deck can i realistically build for $3500

Thread Tools

Search Thread

How big of a deck can i realistically build for $3500

Similar Threads

So you want to build a deck?

Tools required to Build Deck?? Help required.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions