Decks, Fences & Patios

Build and estimate decks, fences, patios, and outdoor structures.

Calculators

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Deck Calculator
Full deck material list: boards, joists, beams, posts, concrete, railing and cost
Fence Calculator
Determine posts, rails, pickets, and materials for any fence project
Deck Beam Span Calculator
Determine beam sizes and footing dimensions for deck structure
Fence Picket Spacing Calculator
Calculate perfect equal spacing between fence pickets

Cheat Sheets

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Deck Building Cheat Sheet
Deck sizing tool, IRC 2021 joist and beam span tables by species, footing size, ledger fastening, stair calculator, code diagrams and FAQs
Fence Building Guide
Post spacing, concrete footing requirements, board patterns, and gate construction
Paver Patio Installation Guide
Base preparation, sand bedding, pattern layouts, edge restraints, and polymeric sand
How to Refinish a Deck
Condition quiz, deck stain calculator with cost, weekend timeline, sanding and application, which-stain matrix, mistakes and FAQs

Guides & Articles

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The best DIY and home improvement Facebook groups in 2026
Seven active Facebook groups where DIYers get real answers, how to post a question that gets fixed, and the jobs where crowd advice will cost you money.

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