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. Longer boards mean fewer end joints and more offcut risk.
| 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
This is the size where the numbers land perfectly: 34 rows across 16 feet, every row a single 16 foot board, no joints and almost no offcut. It is the reason 16 by 16 is such a common deck size, and it is worth knowing before you talk yourself into 15 by 17.
Thirteen joists at 16 inch centers span the width. At 16 feet a 2x8 is at or past its limit for most species at that spacing, so this is usually a 2x10 deck rather than a 2x8 one. Check the span table rather than matching whatever the neighbor used.
Beam and footing sizing is the other thing that changes at this size. A 256 square foot deck carries real load, and the beam that supports thirteen 16 foot joists is not the beam that supported a 12 by 12.
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.
What joist size for a 16 foot span?
Usually 2x10 at 16 inches on center for common decking species, but the exact answer is in your code's span table for the species, grade and spacing you are using.
How far apart should deck footings be?
It depends on beam size and joist span, not on a fixed number. The beam span table in the residential code sets it, and a 16 by 16 deck usually lands between six and eight feet.
The deck calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.