A sundeck can increase not only the value of your home, but the quality of your life. A deck extends your living space to the outdoors, allowing you to live your life more ideally and take full advantage of every square foot. If you’re dreaming of adding or renovating a deck, these free deck design tools and apps can inspire your creative side and help make your vision a reality.
You don’t need to waste your time trying out multiple deck design apps. To help you know exactly where to begin, we’ve tried them out for you. Here is our report on the perks and drawbacks of each free deck design tool:
7 Free Deck Design Tools Compared
1. Decks.com
One of the few free deck design tools that’s not affiliated with a decking materials brand, this easy-to-use online software makes deck design approachable for any inspired DIYer. The program provides simple deck designs for you to base your actual deck structure off and allows simple resizing of the height, dimensions, and shape. Check out this video overview of the deck design software:
This app has lots of perks, including the ability to download a permit plan, order list, breakdown list, and plan specs. However, as you can only choose between a generic composite or pressure treated pine as building materials, the usability of these perks is somewhat limited if you’re planning to build with another material. Despite the materials limitations, you can get a strong idea of the general shape and design features you’d like to have in a deck.
2. Trex
For being one of the most well-advertised decking companies in the world, this is the only free deck design tool without a video overview of the software. Thankfully, you’re not missing too much. This design tool has an approachable interface with simple options to give you an idea of price, but overall is somewhat inflexible.
You can choose from one of three pre-designed deck layouts and change the total square footage, but not the dimensions. While you only have the option of designing with Trex composite, you can check out their various colours and railing styles to see what combinations you like. The software also gives you a materials list and Trex can point you in the direction of a local retailer or deck builder to make your dream design a reality.
3. TimberTechand Azek
Although it shares other design apps’ limitation on building material selection, this deck designer’s robust building features are super intuitive to use. It offers a range of customizability from deck height, dimensions, and railings to board rotation, lighting, and accents. You can even add furniture and accessories to complete your dream design.
Even better: Your bill of materials is available to review at any time. When you’re ready to get started, you can print off a PDF copy of everything you’ll need. Whether you’re serious about designing a new sundeck, or just looking for some productive entertainment, this deck design tool is worth a click.
4. Fiberon Decking
Similar to the TimberTech interface in look and feel, it is slightly less robust and less intuitive. It has everything you need in a deck designer with some fun bells and whistles like a custom landscape and lighting designs. Check out this video summary of the Fiberon Deck Design tool:
5. Big Hammerby Home Depot
If you’re serious about designing beautifuldecks (or if you’re a deck builder) this software is a strong contender. Although they advertise being able to use this software online, it doesn’t seem to be possible. Unlike previous options, you need to download and install this software to use it. However, it only works on Microsoft operating systems, so Mac users are out of luck. See if it seems worth the trouble, based on this video:
6. MiTek Deck Designer
It takes a few minutes to get started with MiTek, as you need to sign up for a free account first, but it’s well worth your time. Whether you’re a new homeowner or a professional deck builder, this tool will help you visualize your deck construction.
MiTek primarily supports wood and composite deck planning. They also have composite and aluminum railings in a variety of colours to use. This is a great feature for bringing the whole look of your deck together. Some of our favourite features in this tool are the ability to change the dimensions of your deck, add stairs, and see what a privacy wall would look like. This free decking software is well worth a look at!
7. Dek-Vision by Duradek
This free software is the best tool around for visualizing vinyl decking plans. It’s easy to use, intuitive to figure out, and loads quickly. This deck makeover tool really brings your deck construction to life. As a bonus, there is no sign-up process to get started.
Begin with uploading a photo of your current deck or use one of the handy pre-loaded deck images. From there, have fun seeing how all the different vinyl decking colours and patterns look on your deck. In addition, you can complete your look with Durarail railing, and test out various siding options to create the perfect look. We recommend anyone looking for a vinyl deck use this tool to help choose the right colour.
What is the best free deck design software?
While there are many useful deck design tools, two stood out for us: The TimberTech and Azek Deck Designer, and Duradek’s Dek-Vision.
If you’re planning on building a composite sundeck, TimberTech’s tool is the best. For all your vinyl decking plans, go for Duradek. Both of these tools allow you to explore layouts, colours, and decor combinations. They’re the most comprehensive and usable tools that we’ve tried, and we’re sure you’ll have fun using them!
Looking for expert insight on your deck design that goes beyond the screen? If you need help choosing deck materials, or designing deck plans, contact us for a free consultation and quote today.
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