How Many Boards for a 16x16 Deck?
Deck boards to buy
34 16 ft boards
256 square feet, 34 rows of full length 16 foot boards, joists 16 inches on center.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Deck length16 ft
- Deck width16 ft
- Board face width5.5 in
- Gap between boards0.25 in
- Board length you buy16 ft
- Joist spacing on center16 in
Deck boards to buy34 16 ft boards
| Deck area | 256 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Board rows across the width | 34 |
| Linear feet of decking | 544 lf |
| Boards at 16 ft | 34 |
| Joists at 16 in on center | 13 |
The material list this produces
| Deck boards, 16 ft | 34 |
|---|---|
| Joists, 16 ft | 13 |
| Joist hangers, each | 26 |
| Deck screws, lb | 8 |
Board length compared
Same deck, four board lengths.
| Board length | Deck boards to buy |
|---|---|
| 8 ft boards | 68 8 ft boards |
| 12 ft boards | 46 12 ft boards |
| 16 ft boards | 34 16 ft boards |
| 20 ft boards | 28 20 ft boards |
What else matters here
34 rows across 16 feet, every row a single 16 foot board, no joints.
Thirteen joists at 16 inch centers span the width.
What this calculator assumes
- A nominal 2x6 board is 5.5 inches of actual face. Nominal sizes are not real sizes, which is where most deck orders go wrong.
- Joist count is the span across the deck width at the spacing given, plus one for the last joist.
- Waste is not added. Add 5 to 10 percent if the deck is not a plain rectangle.
Questions people ask
How many deck boards for a 16x16 deck?
About 34 boards of 5/4 by 6 at 16 feet, one full board per row with no butt joints.
The deck calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.