This is a free deck estimate template with the full build already itemized: permits and site prep, footings and foundation, framing, decking and surface, railings and stairs, finishes and skirting, then labor and cleanup. Load it in the builder, delete what the job doesn't need, and price what's left. The rates come empty by design: your crew, your market, your numbers.
Deck estimates go wrong under the deck. The boards are the easy math; it's the ledger flashing, the post base anchors, and the footing inspection that fall out of a quote first, and the inspector shows up whether or not the estimate mentioned it. This template carries three separate inspection lines, footing, framing, and final, because that's how many times the build stops for a signature. An estimate that stops at build deck passes none of them on paper and pays for all of them in practice.
Every section below loads into the builder exactly as listed. This is the actual checklist, not a preview of one. Delete what your job doesn’t need and price the rest.
Permit, drawings, utility locate, and layout as flat lines; demolition of the old deck, clearing, and surface protection scale by the square foot, with erosion control and mobilization closing it out.
Permits, design, and mobilization are lump sums (flat); demolition, clearing, and protection scale with area (sq ft).
Excavation and concrete by the cubic yard, gravel by the ton, piers, post bases, and ground-contact posts by the count, and the footing inspection before anything gets built on top.
Concrete by volume (cu yd); gravel base by weight (ton); footings and post bases counted each.
Ledger board and flashing by the linear foot, posts, beams, joists, blocking, hangers, and hardware, then the framing inspection before it all disappears under decking.
Beams, joists, and ledger measured by run (ln ft); posts and hardware counted each.
Joist tape, deck boards by the square foot, a picture-frame border, hidden fasteners, fascia, and the stair and landing surfaces.
Deck field measured by area (sq ft); border, fascia, and edge trim by run (ln ft).
Railing runs, balusters, and handrail by the linear foot; railing posts, stringers, treads, and post caps by the count. The section the inspector reads most closely.
Railing and infill runs by length (ln ft); posts, stringers, and treads counted each.
Skirting and lattice by the square foot, an access hatch, surface prep, stain and sealer by the gallon, and deck lighting per fixture.
Skirting / lattice and prep by area (sq ft); stain and sealer by volume (gal); fixtures counted each.
Carpentry, helper, and supervision by the day, equipment rental, the dumpster as a flat line, haul-off by the ton, final cleanup and inspection, plus a contingency allowance.
Crew labor by day; disposal by weight (ton) or lump sum (flat). Overhead & profit is the percentage modifier.
Open it in the builder and the build is already sequenced, utility locate through final inspection: footings and piers, ledger and joists, deck boards, railings and stairs, skirting and stain, the dumpster. Delete what this deck doesn't have. A ground-level platform drops the stair lines in seconds.
Put in your rates and what each line actually costs you: deck boards by the square foot, railing by the linear foot, piers by the count, concrete by the yard, crew by the day. The P&L updates while you type, so the margin is something you watch, not something you audit later.
Export a clean client estimate: prices, quantities, one total. It's generated from a copy that never held your costs, margins, or internal notes, so there is nothing in the file to scrub and nothing for a curious client to find.
The full guide (units, tax math, deposits, exports) lives on the Help page. It’s genuinely thorough. We’re as surprised as you.
For the longer answer, there’s a guide: How to Write a Construction Estimate.
Seven sections in build order: permits and site prep, footings and foundation, framing, decking and surface, railings and stairs, finishes and skirting, and labor and cleanup. Inside them are the lines deck quotes drop: the utility locate, ledger flashing, joist hangers, hidden fasteners, stair stringers and treads, and inspection lines at footing, framing, and final. Delete what your build doesn't include, and the numbers left over are the job.
Line by line, in the units the trade already uses. The deck field runs by the square foot; ledger, beams, joists, and railing by the linear foot; piers and stair stringers by the count; concrete by the cubic yard; stain by the gallon; crew by the day. Underneath, every line multiplies out the same way no matter the label. What actually moves a deck price is height off grade, footing count and soil, railing length, and how many stairs the site demands, and the P&L keeps score while those drivers stack up.
As flat lines the client can see. The template opens with a building permit, plan and design drawings, and a utility locate, and it carries a footing inspection, a framing inspection, and a final inspection where the hold points actually fall. Itemized, they're part of the price; absorbed, they're part of your margin. There's also a contingency allowance in the labor and cleanup section, and if you take money up front, an informational deposit line puts the up-front number on the document before work starts, without touching the total.
Yes, and not free-with-an-asterisk. The builder runs without an account, and the free plan includes every export: client PDF, Excel, CSV, an internal budget export, and a read-only share link that packs a client-safe copy into the link itself. A free account adds one cloud-saved estimate. If a client asks for a deck building quote template, send the same document. An estimate and a quote are the same paper wearing different names. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription: your name, logo, and contact line on client exports, no Estimatery footer, unlimited cloud saves, and a Saved Items catalog for the lines you bid on every deck.
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