Documentation by phase
Deck / Dock Planner
The Deck / Dock Planner phase lets you lay out structural elements for decks and docks: deck areas, beams, joists, posts, stairs, railings, and (for docks) platforms, walkways, finger piers, and piles. You can set lumber sizes and spacing; the app draws plan-view symbols and optional dimensions.
What this phase does
Select Deck / Dock Planner from the phase dropdown. The right panel shows tools and options for:
- Deck area — Define the deck footprint (polygon)
- Beams & joists — Place beams along edges; add joists with spacing (e.g. 16 in o.c.)
- Posts — Place posts or post rows with spacing and size
- Stairs — Add stairs with direction, rise/run, and landing
- Railing — Optional guardrail along edges
- Dock — Platforms, walkways, finger piers, piles, seawall references
Typical workflow
Draw or trace the deck outline (deck area tool or use Custom Shapes and then convert). Add ledger edge if attached to the house. Place beams, then joists (set direction and spacing). Add posts at corners and along spans. Add stairs and railing as needed. Set lumber sizes (e.g. 2×8 joists, 6×6 posts) in the panel; these can be used for cut lists or documentation.
Dock-specific elements
For docks: use platform, walkway, finger pier, and pile (or pile row) tools. You can set pile diameter, embed depth, freeboard, and gangway width. The plan view shows structural layout; export to PDF or DXF for permits or contractor handoff.