Having a deck on your home can add a great place for your family and friends to gather, while also helping to increase the curb appeal and property values of your home.

However, many homeowners may not know what size of deck will best be suited to their home. In general, most designers and architects will say that a deck should not consist of more than 20% of your home’s overall square footage.

This helps prevent the deck from overshadowing the size of your home or becoming an eye sore when it dominates the visual areas of your property.

Other Factors to Consider

In addition to staying within the 20% overall square footage suggestion, there are some other factors you can keep in mind when deciding on the size of your deck. These can include:

  • Building Codes. In many cases, you will need to apply for a building permit before starting your deck. Some cities may have limits to the size of deck you can have depending on the size of your home and property.
  • In addition to building codes, a Homeowners Association may have their own set of rules governing the size and style of deck you can install. You may need to apply for approval before starting any construction.
  • Entertaining Potential. When determining what size of deck you want, consider whether or not it will be a gathering spot for entertaining family and friends. If so, you want to be sure there is plenty of room for everyone to be comfortable.
  • Shape of Deck. The shape of the deck can also determine the overall size. Rectangle decks in the backyard may look much larger than decks of the same square footage that wrap around the exterior of the home.

Space Considerations

When designing a deck, space considerations will most likely be your biggest concern. This is not just the size of the deck in comparison to your home’s square footage, but it is more related to the size of the deck in comparison to the yard, as well as the size of the deck for entertaining.

A deck should not be larger than the largest room in your home. On most average property lots, this will still leave you plenty of lush green grass for your pets or children to utilize. However, you may need to downsize from a riding lawn mower to a push mower depending on the final size of the deck.

When it comes to entertaining family and friends, or using your deck for BBQing and grilling your favorite meals, the space considerations are somewhat minimal though can be involved. For example, if you have 4-6 people in your family, a deck that consists of around 150-200 square feet will offer room for comfortable seating and mingling.

If you have a larger family or intend to invite friends and neighbors over for a cookout, the square footage requirements can expand up to 400 for everyone to be comfortable.

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