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A 16 ft wide by 12 ft deep wood deck, attached to the house with a ledger, with the walking surface 3 ft above the ground. A ledger on the house and a beam on three posts carry 2×8 joists at 16 in on center; guards run around the three open sides. Every part is below, in the order the steps use it. Nails, screws and deck clips are not listed.
≈6–9 working days, plus concrete cure time and inspections
This is a typical example, not a design. Footing size, lumber sizes, spans, spacing and every connector come from your approved plans and local code — check them before buying or cutting anything. Stairs aren’t shown; they have their own rules for risers, treads, handrails and guards.
A deck attached to the house needs a building permit in most Southern California cities, and one this high needs guards. With the approved plans in hand, the ledger line goes on the wall and the footings get located off it.
≈½ day · 3 footings · 7 ft on center · beam line 10 ft 6 in from the wall
Parts: 1 set × Layout stakes & string line
Call 811 (DigAlert) at least two working days before digging, so buried gas, power and water lines get marked.
The siding or stucco comes off where the ledger goes, so the ledger fastens straight to the house’s rim (band) joist — never just to the siding. It’s a treated 2×8 here, as deep as the joists, with its top where the top of the joists will be.
≈½ day · 16 ft ledger · 12 fasteners, 2 staggered rows · 2 flashing pieces lapped
Parts: 1 × Ledger, 2×8 × 16 ft, treated; 12 × Ledger fastener, 1/2 in bolt or lag (type per plans); 2 × Ledger flashing, 10 ft piece
Water behind the ledger rotting the house framing is one of the most common reasons decks fail. A ledger can’t go on brick veneer or a cantilevered floor — those decks are built freestanding, on their own posts.
Each post sits on its own concrete footing. This example uses 18 in round footings with the bottom 12 in below grade; the real size and depth come from the plans, based on the load and the soil.
≈½ day, then cure time per the plans · 3 footings · 18 in round, 12 in below grade + 3 in above · ≈6.6 cu ft of concrete
Parts: 3 × Footing, 18 in round (size per plans); 13 × Concrete mix, 80 lb bag; 3 × Post base with standoff, 6×6
Most of lowland Southern California has little or no frost, but mountain areas do; your city sets the minimum depth. The concrete count includes about 10% waste (one 80 lb bag makes about 0.6 cu ft).
Short 6×6 posts go into the bases, cut so the beam top lands exactly where the joists sit: level with the bottom of the ledger. The beam is three 2×10s nailed together, set in a metal post cap on each post.
≈½ day · 3 posts ≈14 in · (3) 2×10 × 16 ft beam · 7 ft between posts, 1 ft past the end posts
Parts: 3 × Post, 6×6, ≈14 in (cut to fit); 3 × Post cap, 6×6 post to 3-ply beam; 3 × Beam ply, 2×10 × 16 ft
This is a dropped beam: the joists sit on top of it instead of hanging from it. The beam size and post spacing come from the plans’ span table.
Thirteen 2×8 joists run from the ledger out over the beam, 16 in on center, including an end joist at each side. A metal hanger holds each joist at the ledger, and a rim joist closes off the ends.
≈1 day · 13 joists · 16 in on center · ≈10 ft 4 in from ledger to beam · ≈1 ft 6 in past the beam
Parts: 13 × Joist hanger, 2×8; 13 × Joist, 2×8 × 12 ft; 1 × Rim joist, 2×8 × 16 ft
Sight each joist and set the crown up. The end hangers can’t wrap past the ledger ends, so plans often call for a concealed-flange hanger there. How far joists may run past the beam is limited; the plans set it.
Full-depth blocking between the joists, right over the beam, keeps the joists from rolling over and ties the frame together. The hangers do that job at the ledger, and the rim at the far end.
≈2 hr · 12 blocks · one row over the beam
Parts: 12 × Blocking, 2×8, cut to fit
Some plans use metal ties from each joist to the beam instead, or add a row of blocking mid-span. Build what the plans show.
Many plans tie the deck frame into the house’s floor framing, so the deck can’t pull away from the house. The code’s standard detail uses a hold-down device at two places, each within 24 in of an end of the deck.
≈2–3 hr · 2 devices · each within 24 in of an end · rated 1,500 lb each in the code’s standard detail
Parts: 2 × Lateral hold-down set (per plans)
Whether this is required, and which hardware to use, comes from the plans and your building department.
A deck more than 30 in above the ground needs guards on its open sides. The 4×4 guard posts go in now, bolted inside the rim and end joists, before the decking covers the framing.
≈½ day · 8 posts · ≈4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 9 in on center · 2 bolts each
Parts: 8 × Guard post, 4×4, ≈43 in; 16 × Guard-post bolt, 1/2 in, with washer
A guard has to hold a 200 lb push at the top, and that load lands on the post bolts. Use the post-to-framing detail on your plans or the one the rail maker has tested.
The deck boards run parallel to the house, across the joists, notched around the guard posts. They start with a full board at the outside edge, where it shows most, and work toward the house.
≈1–1½ days · 26 boards · 5.5 in wide · 16 ft long
Parts: 26 × Decking board, 5.5 in × 16 ft
Board gaps, fasteners and joist spacing limits come from the decking maker — composite boards in particular have their own rules. Follow the instructions or the warranty may not apply.
Top and bottom rails run between the posts, balusters fill the space between the rails, and a 2×6 cap rail runs along the top of the posts.
≈1–1½ days · 85 balusters · ≈3¼ in clear gaps · 36 in to the top of the cap
Parts: 8 × Guard rail, 2×4 × 12 ft; 85 × Baluster, 2×2, ≈29 in; 3 × Cap rail, 2×6
Pre-assembled railing kits work too, as long as they meet the same height and opening rules and are installed to the maker’s tested detail.
That’s the deck, start to finish. After the final inspection, check it once a year: tight ledger flashing, solid guards, and no soft spots in the framing.