How to Calculate Deck Layout

A deck can be a nice addition to your home, but if you're on a tight budget, you don't want to waste money. One way to avoid doing that is by determining the correct amount of materials that you need to build the deck. Calculating the area of the deck's layout is an important step in the planning process.

Tape measure

Instructions

- 1
  Sketch out the layout of the deck onto a piece of paper. If the deck has a simple, rectangular shape, this isn't necessary, but do it if the deck is oddly-shaped. Break down the different sections of the deck into rectangular sections.
- 2
  Measure the dimensions of the deck along the lines you broke it into and write them down in the proper location on the sketch.
- 3
  Calculate the rectangular areas by multiplying the length of width of each section.
- 4
  Calculate the triangular areas by multiplying the base of the triangle by the height, and dividing it in half.
- 5
  Calculate any circular area of the deck by dividing the diameter of the circle in half to get the radius. Square the radius by multiplying it by itself, then multiply that number by pi (3.14).
- 6
  Add together all of the different sections to get the sum of the deck's layout.

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