A deck over 30 inches needs a guard, and the takeoff now counts it

The free deck takeoff now lays out a guard on decks over 30 inches: posts, balusters under the 4 inch gap and rails in the lumber order.

Tools and projects · 1 min read · Source
wall-framing-takeoffdeckguardtakeoff

A deck takeoff that stops at the decking leaves out the part inspectors look at first. Most codes ask for a guard where the walking surface is more than 30 inches above grade, with no gap a 4 inch sphere can pass.

The free wall-framing takeoff now lays one out for a deck. For the sample 16 by 12 ft deck at 36 inches, ledger on the house, it finds three open edges (the outer edge and both sides), 8 posts (the two corners are shared), balusters 29 inches long spaced to stay under the 4 inch gap, and six 2x4 pressure-treated rails that join the deck's lumber order. Freestanding decks add the fourth edge.

What it does not do: size the posts, check how they attach to the framing, or know your local code. The 30 inch threshold, the 72 inch post spacing and the 4 inch gap are the usual model-code figures, held in limits so you can change them. The tests are hand arithmetic, not a permitted plan. If you have a real deck's guard detail, that is the check it needs.

The tool is at the wall-framing-takeoff page on the portfolio site; the plan key is deck.guard.

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