DeckMarket

Welcome to deck fantasy camp.

Design the deck that fits how you actually live: the grill by the kitchen door, a table for eight, a lounge chair in the afternoon sun, maybe a hot tub up top. Drag the edges, pick the boards and railings, then walk around it in 3D. It's free, it's fun, and you don't need an account to play.

When it feels just right, licensed builders near you can price it.

Denver, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Boulder, Adams and Douglas counties. Free for homeowners. I build decks

Design your deck

Drag the handles, move the stairs, pin notes. No account needed.

Pin a note anywhere: a door, a tree, a hot tub spot.
House wall, ledger board16 ft12 ft
192 sq ft, 42 in off the ground. Boards run along the house. 2x8 joists at 16 in on center (longest span 10 ft 6 in), 1 beam line in green plus the ledger, posts 7 ft apart or less. Drag the round handles to change the size. Drag the stairs to where they should land. A starting sketch for builders, who confirm framing and footings on site.
Furniture add as many as you like, then drag them into place
Board direction along the house
Railing
Denver: a building permit is likely needed

It's 42 in off the ground; permits start at 30 in.

Guidance from published rules; the building department decides.

192 sq ft rectangular deck

Get bids on this design

Free for homeowners. Sign in with your email and your design comes with you; add photos and a budget, then builders send first prices.

Built for both sides of the deck.

If you're the homeowner

  • A guided request covers shape, size, height, materials, railings, photos and budget, so you know you've asked well.
  • It's a strong starting point, not a blueprint: builders confirm the ground, your house wall and access on a site visit.
  • We flag when your city or county is likely to need a permit, and who should pull it.
  • Every bid lands in one table. Missing items and high deposits are marked before you hire.
  • Builders see your city and ZIP. Only the builder you hire sees your street address.
Design your deck

If you're the builder

  • Jobs arrive as a real starting point: shape, size, height, materials, photos, budget and timing. You still walk the site before you commit.
  • See which jobs you're licensed for, city by city and county by county.
  • Ask the homeowner questions before you price, and bid on the same plan as everyone else.
  • Connect your own AI agent to find jobs and draft bids. You approve before anything is sent.
See how it works for builders

From idea to hired builder in four steps.

  1. Design the deck

    Sketch it, place the stairs, pin notes. Framing and permit guidance update as you go. Then add photos and a budget.

  2. Builders respond

    Licensed builders in your area ask questions and give a first price on the same plan, line by line.

  3. Compare side by side

    See price, schedule, warranty, deposit, who pulls the permit, and how the deck connects to your house.

  4. Meet on site, then hire

    The builders you like visit to check the ground, the house wall and access, and confirm their price. Payment is between you and them.

See what each builder left out.

The cheapest bid often skips the parts you can't see: how the deck fastens to your house, what keeps it from pulling away, who handles the permit. DeckMarket asks every builder the same questions and marks the blanks.

The connection checklist follows the critical connections in Simpson Strong-Tie's deck guide and the American Wood Council's DCA 6, the references most building departments use.

Bid comparisonExample data
CompareExample Builder AExample Builder B
Total$34,500$29,800
Framing$9,800$8,000
Warranty5 yearsNot stated
Deposit30%50% (high)
Pulls the permitBuilderNot stated
Ledger attachmentSDWS screws, 16 in o.c.Lag screws
Lateral loadDTT1Z, 2 per ledgerNot stated
Beam to postBCS post capNot stated
Post baseABU66Z baseNot stated

Permit rules change at the county line.

Colorado has no statewide contractor license, so each city and county sets its own rules for decks and for who may build them. Here's where each county starts.

City and County of Denver

  • Zoning permit for uncovered decks 12 in or higher
  • Building permit at 30 in
  • Covered decks need both

Unincorporated Boulder County

  • Permit over 200 sq ft, if attached, or 30 in and higher
  • Most decks need stamped engineering
  • Footings at least 30 in deep

Unincorporated Adams County

  • Permit over 30 in
  • Any deck with a roof needs a permit

Unincorporated Jefferson County

  • Common thresholds: attached, over 30 in, or over 200 sq ft
  • Foothill lots often need engineering

Unincorporated Douglas County

  • Common thresholds: attached, over 30 in, or over 200 sq ft
  • Contractors must be listed when the permit is submitted
  • Many homes are in HOAs: get approval first

Unincorporated Arapahoe County

  • Common thresholds: attached, over 30 in, or over 200 sq ft
  • Most residents live in Aurora, Centennial, Littleton or Englewood, which run their own permits

Read the full permit guide, with links to each county's rules

Job boardExample data

  • Raised composite deck with stairs

    Lakewood 80226, Jefferson County. 20 × 14 ft, 54 in high. $30,000 to $45,000.
    Licensed here

  • Replace a pine deck off the kitchen

    Denver 80210. 16 × 12 ft, 30 in high. $22,000 to $32,000.
    Licensed here

  • Ground-level cedar platform

    Parker 80134, Douglas County. 12 × 10 ft, 10 in high. $8,000 to $12,000.
    No permit

  • Two-level deck with hot tub pad

    Longmont 80503, Boulder County. 24 × 16 ft, 96 in high. $60,000 to $85,000.
    License needed

For builders: jobs that arrive ready to price.

No vague leads. Each job has dimensions, height, materials and a budget range, and the board tells you which ones you're licensed to build.

Join as a builderHow it works for builders

What we check, and what we don't.

We check

  • Every builder's company before they can bid.
  • Contractor licenses, one per city or county, before a builder can bid on permitted work there.
  • That your street address stays private until you hire.
  • That reviews come only from completed, hired projects.

We don't

  • Handle payments. You pay your builder directly, on the terms in their bid.
  • Sign the construction contract. That's between you and your builder.
  • Replace your building department. Our permit guidance is a starting point, and we link to the official rules.

Planning a deck?

Spec it in about fifteen minutes and get bids you can compare.

Design your deck

Build decks?

Get specced jobs in the places you're licensed to work.

Join as a builder