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How much lumber for a 12×16 ft deck?

Answer
58 boards, 13 joists, 8 posts
Deck area: 192 sq ftDecking boards (5.5" wide, 12' long): 58 boardsJoists (16" on center): 13Posts: 8 (2 beams)Screws: 744Linear feet of decking: 458 ftIncludes 10% waste factor

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How We Calculated This

Boards = ceil(rows × boardsPerRow × 1.10), Joists = ceil(width×12 / spacing) + 1

Area = 12 × 16 = 192 sq ft. Boards = 58 (with 10% waste). Joists = ceil(16×12 / 16) + 1 = 13. Posts = 8.

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Calculated using verified formulas. Last updated March 2026.