Building a deck

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Curious to get input from different areas here. Have an approximately 11x19' area I want to build a deck on in our back yard. Pricing out materials for composite (top end/max price), accounting for spillage/waste, would guess 4-5k range.

Have started getting bids and one company wanted $28k to do the work, which seems ludicrous to me for 2-3 days labor.

Any experience you want to share here / things to watch out for / ask for during the build process? Doubt I'm skilled enough to make something decent to DIY, but outside of the column/beams supporting it vertically the rest is lay it down even and nail/screw it in which I was hoping to get for 10k or less.

In the NW Arkansas area if it matters.
 
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Intrinsic

Intrinsic

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The only thing I can probably offer right now would be, in my opinion, get a sweep on the deck rail. There should be a code for how large or small it should be. When I redid the deck at my previous house the builder talked me in to putting one in (and at the time the max height was either golf ball or baseball, can’t remember). In this house they did not have one and sweeping the limbs and leaves off are a huge pain in the dick. Everything gets stuck in the railing.

Think about if you want to do any lighting and if it will be solar or require hardwire, planning ahead would make that easier. Some of the solar options work well for me though but previously I did stair lights and it was a pain doing it after the fact.

The handrail I preferred to have the outside flush, with the overhang on the inside. That prevents people from reaching their fingers in to a blind spot where there may be a wasp nest or nail. A little easier to see and maintain if you have visibility from the deck.

My parents recently did an expansion on theirs and in their area and when the cost of wood was out of control it was just as effective to go composite. No idea if that’s still the case. I’d probably go composite if I had to do this deck.

That’s off the top of my head. If you were in Little Rock I could give you a recommendation for the guy who did my old one that is awesome.
 
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Burnem Wizfyre

Burnem Wizfyre

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I read the title as being a dick and came here to post tips but turns out I’m a retarded dick.
 
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Intrinsic said:
The only thing I can probably offer right now would be, in my opinion, get a sweep on the deck rail. There should be a code for how large or small it should be. When I redid the deck at my previous house the builder talked me in to putting one in (and at the time the max height was either golf ball or baseball, can’t remember). In this house they did not have one and sweeping the limbs and leaves off are a huge pain in the dick. Everything gets stuck in the railing.

Think about if you want to do any lighting and if it will be solar or require hardwire, planning ahead would make that easier. Some of the solar options work well for me though but previously I did stair lights and it was a pain doing it after the fact.

The handrail I preferred to have the outside flush, with the overhang on the inside. That prevents people from reaching their fingers in to a blind spot where there may be a wasp nest or nail. A little easier to see and maintain if you have visibility from the deck.

My parents recently did an expansion on theirs and in their area and when the cost of wood was out of control it was just as effective to go composite. No idea if that’s still the case. I’d probably go composite if I had to do this deck.

That’s off the top of my head. If you were in Little Rock I could give you a recommendation for the guy who did my old one that is awesome.
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Composite looks like its more expensive than regular lumber, but to me worth it for not having to do as much shit to handle maintenance/upkeep. Rest of the advise is good to know about too, thank you
 
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