How many deck boards do I need for a 12×12 deck?
A 12 × 12 ft deck is 144 square feet and takes 29 deck boards of 16 ft (5/4 × 6, with 10 percent waste), or 29 boards of 12 ft. Framing it at 16 in on center takes 10 joists, and fastening it takes about 546 lb of deck screws or 273 hidden clips.
Deck boards for a 12×12 deck by board length
| Board length | Boards to buy (10% waste) | Linear feet bought |
|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | 58 | 464 |
| 12 ft | 29 | 348 |
| 16 ft | 29 | 464 |
| 20 ft | 29 | 580 |
For 5/4 × 6 boards (5.5 in wide) with 1/4 in gaps laid across the 12 ft dimension: 26 rows and 464 linear feet before waste. Pick the length that divides your deck with the least cutoff.
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Lumber list for a 12×12 deck
- Decking: 29 boards of 5/4 × 6 × 16 ft, which is 464 linear feet plus waste.
- Joists: 10 pieces of 2 × 8 (spans to 12 ft) or 2 × 10 (spans to 15 ft), each 12 ft long, at 16 in on center. Composite decking usually requires 12 in spacing; check the brand.
- Rim joists and beam: two rim joists of 12 ft, plus a doubled 2 × 10 beam of 12 ft on 6 posts of 4 × 4 or 6 × 6 at 8 ft spacing, each on a concrete footing. The concrete calculator sizes the footings.
- Ledger: a 12 ft 2 × 10 lagged to the house every 16 in, with flashing, if the deck attaches to the house.
- Hardware: 20 joist hangers, 546 lb of 2-1/2 in deck screws, and a box of structural screws or 1/2 in lags for the ledger and beam.
- Stairs: figure them separately with the stair calculator.
What a 12×12 deck costs
Pressure-treated 5/4 × 6 decking runs about $1.50 to $2.50 per linear foot, so the boards alone are $696 to $1,160. Framing lumber, hardware, and footings add roughly $864 to $1,440, putting the whole deck at $1,728 to $2,880 in materials, or $12 to $20 per square foot. Composite decking at $4 to $7 per linear foot raises the board cost to $1,856 to $3,248. A contractor-built pressure-treated deck of this size typically prices at $4,320 to $7,200; composite runs $6,480 to $11,520.
Common questions
How many 16 foot deck boards for a 12x12 deck?
29 boards of 5/4 × 6 with 10 percent waste. In 12 ft boards it is 29, in 20 ft boards 29, and in 8 ft boards 58. Boards run across the 12 ft dimension in 26 rows.
How many joists do I need for a 12x12 deck?
10 joists at 16 in on center across the 12 ft length, plus two rim joists. For composite decking at 12 in on center, add about a third more.
How many screws for a 12x12 deck?
About 546 lb of 2-1/2 in deck screws for 144 square feet, at two screws per board per joist. With hidden fasteners you need about 273 clips, usually sold in boxes rated by square footage.