Decks and pergolas
built to sit flat
Merbau, spotted gum or blackbutt, framed properly and finished so the boards still sit flat in five years. Built across Melbourne's inner north and eastern suburbs.
How a deck job runs
Four stages, in the order they happen in your backyard — footings and bearers, joists, boards, then the handrail and handover.
- Step 1 · Bearers and footings
Site visit and measure
Dan walks the yard, checks levels, drainage, access and whether the existing frame is worth keeping. Usually 30–40 minutes.
- Step 2 · Joists at span
Written quote in AUD
Itemised by materials, labour and disposal, with a timber option or two so you can see what the upgrade actually costs.
- Step 3 · Decking boards
Build
Most decks up to 30m² take four to seven working days. You get a start date, not a vague window, and a text if weather moves it.
- Step 4 · Handrail and handover
Walk-through and handover
We walk the finished deck together, sort anything you're not happy with, and you get the workmanship guarantee in writing.
Same backyard,
eleven days apart
A Northcote rebuild: rotten step and patchy lawn out, spotted gum over a new treated pine frame in. Drag the rule across to see it, or use the arrow keys.
What's it likely to cost?
Most people want a number before they pick up the phone. Have a play with the sizes and timbers below — it will get you in the ballpark, and it costs nothing to have Dan measure it properly.
Book a free on-site quoteIndicative deck estimator
Move the slider and pick your timber for a ballpark figure in AUD. It is indicative only — every yard is different, and the real quote is free and always done on site.
Indicative range
$–$
AUD, materials and labour, GST inclusive. Roughly 500 per m² at this size.
Indicative only — not a quote and not an offer. Demo figures for this example site. A real quote is free, itemised in writing, and always measured on site.
What's included
Everything below is in the quoted price unless the quote says otherwise in writing.
Strip-out and disposal of the old deck
Boards, frame, stumps and fixings pulled up and taken away in a covered trailer. Skip hire included in the quote where the job needs one.
Ground prep and footings
Excavation for concrete footings or galvanised stirrups, set to level and given time to cure before framing starts.
Structural frame in treated pine
H4-rated bearers and joists at the correct span for your deck height, bolted rather than nailed at every bearer connection.
Hardwood decking laid to a set gap
Merbau, spotted gum or blackbutt, pre-oiled on the underside, spaced with a gauge so the run stays consistent end to end.
Stairs, handrails and privacy screens
Built to the riser and going the job actually needs, with balustrade to code wherever the drop calls for it.
Pergola or roof over the top
Posted pergola, slatted roof or Colorbond-style cover, tied into the existing structure and flashed properly where it meets the house.
First coat of decking oil
One full coat once the timber has dried out, plus a written note on when to recoat and what to use.
Site left clean
Offcuts removed, screws swept up with a magnet, garden beds and paving hosed off before we hand it back.
Deck questions we get asked
A straightforward rebuild of 20–30m² is usually four to seven working days once footings have cured. Add a couple of days for stairs, screens or a pergola. Wet weather can push it out — you'll get a text the night before if that happens.
It depends on the height off the ground, the size and your council. Low decks under 800mm are often exempt, and anything higher or roofed usually isn't. Dan will tell you at the quote which category your job falls into and what the council process looks like.
Merbau is the cheaper, stable, reliable option and it's what most inner-north decks are built from. Spotted gum costs more but holds colour better and takes traffic harder. Both need a recoat every 12–18 months in Melbourne's sun.
Usually yes. We fix a low-profile frame down to the slab so the finished deck height still works with your door thresholds, and we leave airflow underneath so the timber doesn't sit wet.
Get a price on your deck
Send through the rough size and what's there now, and Dan will book a site visit — usually within a couple of days.