12x16 Deck Material List: Boards, Joists, Screws, Footings
A 12x16 deck (192 square feet) with the boards running the 16 ft way needs 29 deck boards of 16 ft, 13 joists of 12 ft and about 676 screws. With the boards running the 12 ft way instead, the same deck takes 39 boards of 12 ft, 10 joists of 16 ft and 700 screws. Both lists are below, and the deck materials calculator opens on this deck.
Part of the project planner: Planning and building a deck.
A 12 × 16 ft deck is the size the deck planner suggests for a table, a grill and a seating group together. Most are built with the 16 ft side along the house and the deck coming 12 ft out.
12x16 deck material list, boards running the 16 ft way
This is the usual layout: the 16 ft side along the house, the boards parallel to it, and the joists spanning the 12 ft out from the house.
| What to buy | How much | How we worked it out |
|---|---|---|
| Deck boards, 16 ft, 5.5 in wide | 29 | 26 rows across the 12 ft width, with 10% waste |
| Joists | 13 | 12 ft long, at 16 in on center along the 16 ft side |
| Deck screws | 676 | Two per board at each joist |
| Joist hangers, up to | 26 | One per joist end hung from a ledger or rim |
| Joist tape | 156 ft | On the top of every joist |
| 80 lb bags | 26 | Footing concrete, for example 6 footings, 12 in across, 3 ft deep. Your plans set the number |
| Stain or sealer | 1 gal | One coat at about 200 sq ft a gallon (2 gal for two coats) |
Beams, posts, the ledger board and railings come from your plans and local code.
How the numbers are worked out
- Rows: the 12 ft width is 144 in. Each row takes 5.625 in (a 5.5 in board plus a 1/8 in gap), and 144 ÷ 5.625 = 25.6, so 26 rows.
- Boards: 26 rows plus 10% waste is 28.6, rounded up to 29 boards of 16 ft.
- Joists: the 16 ft side is 192 in, and 192 in ÷ 16 in = 12 spaces, which needs 13 joists.
- Screws: 26 rows × 13 joists × 2 = 676.
The same deck with the boards running the 12 ft way
Turned the other way there are more, shorter rows: 35 rows instead of 26, and the joists become 16 ft long, which usually means deeper lumber or a beam under the middle.
| Board direction | Rows | Boards to buy | Joists | Screws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boards run the 16 ft way | 26 | 29 of 16 ft | 13 of 12 ft | 676 |
| Boards run the 12 ft way | 35 | 39 of 12 ft | 10 of 16 ft | 700 |
In the calculator the first box, deck length, is always the way the boards run, so swap the two numbers to see the other layout.
Which board length to buy
Sixteen-foot boards are the natural choice: each one is a full row, with no joints. With 12 ft boards every row needs a second piece to finish the last 4 ft, each joint has to sit on a joist, and the count goes from 29 up to 39.
| Board length (boards run the 16 ft way) | Boards to buy | Joints |
|---|---|---|
| 8 ft boards | 58 | A joint in every row |
| 10 ft boards | 46 | A joint in every row |
| 12 ft boards | 39 | A joint in every row |
| 16 ft boards | 29 | None: one board is one row |
| 20 ft boards | 29 | None, with a 4 ft cutoff from each board |
With narrower 2x4 boards (3.5 in) this deck takes 44 boards of 16 ft, and with wide 2x8 boards (7.25 in) it takes 22.
Joists and screws by spacing
The 13 joists are 12 ft long and hang between the ledger on the house and the outer beam or rim, which is why the list allows up to 26 hangers.
| Joist spacing | Joists, boards the 16 ft way | Screws | Joists, boards the 12 ft way | Screws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 in | 17 | 884 | 13 | 910 |
| 16 in | 13 | 676 | 10 | 700 |
| 24 in | 9 | 468 | 7 | 490 |
Footing concrete by number of footings
The number of footings comes from your plans, so the list above uses 6 only as an example. For footings 12 in across and 3 ft deep, with 10% extra:
| Footings in your plans | 80 lb bags of concrete |
|---|---|
| 4 footings | 18 |
| 6 footings | 26 |
| 8 footings | 35 |
| 9 footings | 39 |
| 12 footings | 52 |
Checks before you start
- Sixteen-foot boards overhang a pickup bed by a long way: have them delivered or flag and strap the load.
- Get a permit and find out the frost depth for your footings.
- Size the joists for the 12 ft span from the span tables for your lumber.
- Use hot-dip galvanized or stainless fixings for treated lumber.
Other sizes: 8x8 deck, 10x12 deck, 12x12 deck, 12x20 deck, 14x20 deck, 16x16 deck. See also the materials list for a deck and how many deck boards you need. The 12x16 deck boards page counts the boards running the 12 ft way. These are estimates for planning.
Frequently asked questions
How many deck boards for a 12x16 deck?
29 boards of 16 ft when the boards run the 16 ft way (26 rows across the 12 ft width, with 10% waste). If the boards run the 12 ft way it is 39 boards of 12 ft in 35 rows.
How many joists for a 12x16 deck?
13 joists of 12 ft at 16 inches on center when the boards run the 16 ft way, or 10 joists of 16 ft when the boards run the 12 ft way. The span table for your lumber decides the joist size and whether a beam is needed.
How many screws for a 12x16 deck?
About 676: 26 rows × 13 joists × 2 screws. With the boards the other way it is about 700.
Which way should the boards run on a 12x16 deck?
Most often the long way, parallel to the house, so that the joists span the 12 ft out from the ledger: 29 boards of 16 ft and 13 joists. Run the short way it takes 39 boards of 12 ft and 10 joists of 16 ft. Your plans and the joist span decide.
How much concrete for the footings of a 12x16 deck?
It depends on the number of footings in your plans. As an example, 6 footings 12 inches across and 3 feet deep take about 26 bags of 80 lb mix. Your frost depth and plans set the real size and number.
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Estimates only. Quantities depend on your materials, site and supplier. Confirm important numbers before you order, and follow local building codes for anything structural.
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