is it CHEAPER to build a DECK, DIY style or to HIRE a contractor?
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- Опубликовано: 28 мар 2024
- Let’s build a deck with pressure treated wood and composite decking. I’m going to breakdown the cost for DIY and disclose how much professional contractors quotes. Is it cheaper to build a DECK, (DIY style) or to hire a contractor?
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Don’t put post in the concrete. Those are going to rot. Pour the pier and get the brackets that bolt the post to the pier and also keep them 1/2” or so off the ground.
Yeah that was my thought as well. Just not gonna last as long as it would have otherwise. Not sure about covering the sides of the deck with a solid piece of wood either cuz you might want more airflow there.
They now sell heat shrink pvc that prevents Rot. They're called postsaver or green . Or you can dip it in liquid rubber.
Exactly what I was wandering, I remember a South Korean video about building houses where they specifically explained how you don't want wood to be in contact with concrete.
@@SeriousBons Also.. apparently there are other methods you can do to isolate the wood from surface. However you do not want to trap the moisture in the wood. So a bag or wrap that went around the entire part of the post thats going into the ground may not be great as it may trap water once it rains or dew..therefore causing rot to occur down the road.
They still last 10+ years
Forget professional contractors...what you just did WAS professional. Nicely done and enjoy the compliments
Exactly my thoughts. DYI but it's a lot easier when you're basically a contractor.
That’s the only problem with videos like these. The skill set/labor is obviously a huge factor so it isn’t fair to call it cheaper. Not to mention tools and time required.
Speaking as a DIYer who just built his first deck nothing about a deck is technically challenging and overall the process is pretty forgiving. Even buying the required tools you'll save money. And you will still have the tools when the project is done
@@aknorth1053firstly if you consider yourself a diyer so I’ll assume you have significant experience. Secondly, no screwing or nailing some boards together to make a deck isn’t very difficult. Properly getting square, level, plumb and slopes with foresight of future potential issues with the correct materials and steps so that it’s long lasting with max capacity of safety for the years it will be used is something entirely different. To your last point, if you don’t use the tools regularly they will have been a one time purchase that actually didn’t save you money. Especially if missed some steps or for whatever reason the deck has to be rebuilt in 5 years rather than 20.
The guy probably works for the military engineer sector. He is not a newbie
I’ve built quite a few decks. You did a great job. Can’t say I’ve figured out a way to not be hunched over. Good way to keep rodents and snakes out is to keep it clean under there. Use landscaping to seal the remaining gap. I always think if there isn’t a food/ water supply, they won’t want to be there. But if there’s a will there’s a way.
built hundreds of decks, best advice for laying the boards and ur back, stand on the ground, not the deck, while you work, when possible, brings your work up to you a good bit depending on the decks lvl. there are some tools to make it so u can screw while standing, but they kind of suck, i jus do it the old fashion way.
Dude you absolutely crushed it! Well done.
I agree 100% on your home being your main destination and using money on it instead of vacation.
I stumbled upon your channel from Tiktok, and I am hooked brother. We are kindred spirits, and I love watching creative and motivated people tackle awesome projects. I'm binging all your videos now! Keep it up man, love what you're doing, and how you're doing it.
Thank you so much for the kind words brother 👊👊 what can I say, but YOU rock!
Your DIY tool kit is better then most contractors,
Great job, my only criticism is you should have checked your bearers into your posts rather then screwing them. The whole sheer weight of that deck is on those screws when it could be sitting directly ontop or housed into the posts. Great work.
I absolutely agree with everything you said about vacation and home... Makes so much sense to me!!!😊 Plus you did an amazing job!!!❤
Not only did you save big money, you did a fantastic job!! Well Done!!
I love the little tabs on top of the joists, such a great idea.
Dude that is a great finish. Awesome job. If only the weather here in the UK was good enough to warrant a deck that big.
Thanks man! 👊 you’re weather must be very wet. I honestly don’t know. But I know our weather this season has been awful. I can’t wait for summer lol 😂
Well you have better weather than me in Norway. And there are some huge decks here anyways
Just WOW, amazing! Im seriously considering building deck on my own, this video is inspiring! Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful work! Thanks for sharing. I hope your family is enjoying your handiwork.
Looks great.
So relaxing and soothing to watch. And inspiring to do these jobs by myself too!
Vacations can add so much enrichment to your life if you stay away from tourist attractions. Go to a nearby National Forest and find some random place to have a dispersed campsite away from an organized campground. No cost for the campsite, take food you already have, just have to spend money on fuel and camping gear you can use for years and might come in handy when the power goes out. Nothing like unplugging for a few days and making some memories.
Just took my family of 5 to Disney, Sea World, spring training ball game and water park. Drove from Canada and whole trip was less than $5gs Cnd.
Love the deck and video for saving money. I did this with a 80’ fence a few years ago. $4500 quote completed for $1950 DIY!! (And I have new tools)
Very cool. And thank you for the kind words. It was a fun project for sure. But wow, I have no idea how you pulled off Disney and traveling that far for less than $5k though. We went there last year for 4 days and drove from florida lol and we spent $10k. Our hotel room was horrible too. And we went as cheap as we could with food and every thing. And we did nothing special or big. Some friends of mine go there twice a year and it cost them around $10k each time. Disney actually estimates for a family of 4, you will spend $5k-$9k for less than a week. We’re definitely not travel pros though 🤷♂️
I’ve always done my own Reno’s you know it’s going to get done right no corners cut and that feeling of accomplishment when your done is hard to beat and you’ve done a killer job it looks perfect
Thank you so much and I totally agree with you.
Having a contractor do my deck. He never put the plastic that I saw you put. Will that be a problem?
I totally agree with your position on vacations and the cost, out of control for what you get(in my opinion) Im building my own deck right now, like you, had the same thoughts about hiring etc...WAY too expensive! Great job! plus I learned a few tricks watching you lay the joist for the picture frame. Liked and subscribed.
I believe the building code in my area won’t let you hold the deck up with bolts or screws. The frame would be resting on top of the support post not bolted to the side of them. Deck looks good though, nice work.
Don’t tell them you’re building it then.
@@user-xg6zy2oi9c There’s always that option as well…ground level deck probably is a non issue.
@@michiganracer1181 yeah no reasons screws can hold a deck as long as you’re not putting very large weights hot tub etc.
Those posts are also not code where I live. The screws holding the joists to posts are not intended to be load bearing.
@@n1west be reet as we say in Yorkshire.
Great Job Donnie! Keep up the DIY !!!
Wow, man I really love the way you do things. Beautiful deck!
Little bit off topic. Had a 2 / 3 story English Basement "walk out" house with a hill from basement floor level to next floor. The original berm wall was railroad ties. UGLY and becoming rotten. Contractor cost to redo was $14,000 in 2000. Went to local stone supplier. Cost for blocks, needed other stuff + delivery to front of house was less than $4,000. Soil removed was pure black dirt. Made a nice raised garden with it .Took most of summer to excavate, reinforce soil, prep, and install block. Wall was 4 1/2 ft high x 24ft length.
Fantastic work, Donnie! It turned out amazing! 😃
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
We will for sure and thank you so much!!! 😊
Great project. Once we get to settle in one place, i plan on doing the same thing. Make your home the place that you want to "get away to" and you'll be happy all the time.
Yes! I love hearing that. We just bought this house last year after renting for 10 years so I’ve been dying to do home projects. I seriously want to diy my entire house into a place we never want to leave. I want to build awesome memories right here 👍👍
@DesignsbyDonnie with skill and all of the free info on youtube, you'll build a place that other people want to come to as well. Lol good luck and I look forward to seeing your other projects.
Whoever taught this guy how to do this was knew what they were doing. This is awesome
AMAZING deck! Seriously awesome work 🎉 I also totally understand your thoughts behind traveling.
That said, I make less than $85k a year with a family of five and we find ways to travel abroad for half of the year! It’s all about motivations and sacrifices. Our house is definitely lacking on the beauty front, but it has a solid foundation, new roof, windows, and doors, and it is filled with travel memories and photos 🙌🏻
It’s not for everyone, but I wouldn’t trade our crazy lifestyle for anything else (and I’m sure you would say the same 😄).
For the wildlife that may want to nest underneath: You can fasten 1/8” galvanized steel screening along the lower perimeter of the deck and dig down 3’ + 3ft 90 degrees out from the deck, then fill back in with same dirt or whatever.
Hey bud! That was an absolutely intelligent, esthetic, and beautiful build! Great work! Enjoy your pool and beautiful deck with your family. Cheers!
Honestly, you crushed it man well done! Personally I love traveling; we mostly go out of season to avoid crowds, but sometimes it's awesome to experience something new with a huge group of fellow humans.
Hey! You can have the deck and the vacation too considering what you saved!!! All the more reason to DIY :D
Great job, this gives me the inspiration to redo my back deck, I was quoted 19k and I estimate around 6k in materials, I just need to make the time for it now, I love the way you did the frame.
The trouble you went to with the joists to get a flat plane is admirable. However the way you set the posts on some gravel instead of frost free footers will eventually cause the deck to settle and most likely not evenly.
Like another commenter mentioned the posts should be resting on concrete not encased in it. By doing so the PT 4x4 will rot because it will take much longer for the wood to dry after a weather event.
For your and everyone else who might read this I will say that a post can rest on a buried footer of it is done properly. But the best way is to pour the footer to above grade then add a post bracket that is anchored to the footer. This really is the best way since the formula of chemicals that is used to preserve wood was changed to eliminate arsenic some years ago. The new AZQ does not work as good as the old CCA which is why it is recommended to use the flashing tape on to of the joists to prevent water intrusion into the boards.
If you had hired a experienced and knowledgeable professional then you would know that the posts and footers were done right. That is the most crucial structural element of any build. As you did it you have to cross your fingers and hope for the best.
Good luck with that.
Looks really great !!!
Congratulations !!!
Greeetings from Argentina ! 🇦🇷
That looks absolutely incredible! Well done!
I like it!
Would definitely DIY it and have.
I tend to incorporate free materials in mine, sometimes it needs replacing sooner but like you said it’s my free time.
It is fun to travel in Europe😅 But I am still enjoying what you do too, there is no conflicts. Wow, your work is amazing❤
What exceptional craftsmanship. Excellent job!
You’re too kind, but you made my day. Thank you.
As far as keeping rodents out I’d say make a 2 foot walkway all the way around the 3 back sides with white 3/4 rock and fill high enough to patch any exposed openings
That is a beautiful deck and I appreciated your desire to keep animals out. I have a shed and those little boogers found every weak point I had on the low side of the deck. Skunks loves porches, decks and air conditioners, especially air conditioners. If you really want to keep them out get some hardware cloth at a hardware store of all places. Dig about 8 inches into the ground all around your deck. Nail half of it below ground and the other half above ground. Make sure the corners are overlapped. That might keep them out but only time will tell. Chipmunks also like these same places. I had one find a one inch hole by my garage door and he used it for a long time until he filled the whole area up with his food store. I am never telling the next homeowner about this. Now you have the inside skinny on it. Good luck. note: gravel helps keep the skunks out. They don't like digging in gravel for long. You might consider a railing around the back of it. The first kid that falls off and you might get sued. All you need is one crazy mother going off on you and they are out there not to mention kids don't listen.
Nice work! Turned out great! Looks like a fun project. Wish I had the space for something like this.
Nothing more satisfying to accomplish something on your own, and improving your skills along the way. Nice work!
I think many people would agree with me that this is beyond DIY work 😂. I criticized you in my head, but that was all jealousy thought of how my work would not come even close to half of this. Such great works.
Awesome job.. that deck looks amazing!
• On the intro, I’m from Louisiana but it’s really like Texas border so I’ve been to Buc-ee’s quite a bit. I’ll say this when traveling that is absolutely the place to stop, the gas is priced reasonably ( Sams club prices), the bathrooms are always immaculate. Those bathrooms are so clean it’s like a hospital lol. They have a wide variety of snacks, food, drinks to restock for the road or get a decent meal in.
- Taking selfies there is wild.
-• The vacation perspective is all matter of how you grew up, lived and are you doing it within your means. I never had a vacation growing up the closest thing to that was Class Field Trips to the Zoo or NASA. I’m extremely frugal, all I do is work and stay home. So much so I only fill my truck up once every 10-14 days lol sometimes longer than that. When I was working full time at a casino and a full time college student I had my first solo vacation to Vegas spent in 08’ flight and room was $700. I won $2800 second night entire trip was paid for and I and winnings. I’ve had other trips to LA, San Diego, Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa, Fl. Those trips were more pricey as couples trips but when you work as much as we do it’s good to decompress sometimes.
My home is on peers so I’ve always wanted a back deck, so I could walk out my French doors sit out back or grill on the back deck. Had a cheaper Pit rust and rot because water pools in the backyard from heavy rain so this would alleviate that problem as well.
My home was recently renovated from past hurricane damage. They did a good job but for the total of 170k I feel like the whole home should have been touched up. I got no improvements in the kitchen. Did not remove a wall to make it open. No talks for the back deck. My front deck was rebuilt a made even better I’d prefer to bbq in the back though.
This took 2 weeks? Bbut it only took 9 minutes to watch. It was a pleasure to look at, greit editing 👍
Very nice job! Do you mind listing what materials you used in the description, IE: Trex composite deck or which? Thanks for the info
Great job, you absolutely nailed it ( no pun intended )!
Wow you nailed it man, excellent work!
My only critique is the math you shared. $50-$60/sqft for a 400sqft deck would come out to $20k-$24k, not $15k-$16k. This makes your savings even more intense!
Incredible build! I need that cement mixer!
Great job on the deck build. Only thing I didn’t like was putting posts down into concrete like a fence post. That’s gonna be a tough repair being that the deck is so close to the ground. You shouldn’t have to worry about it for another 10 years. Make sure you have good drainage and airflow under the deck.
Great meticulous framing and deck board installation. ? When you cut the decking with the track saw, prior to installing the "middle board", how did you prevent cutting into the black tape on top of the framing?
This job is pro af. Nothing diy about this. Loved the joist jig for easy positioning. I wish I would've done that.
You killed it nice work I’ve seen pros not do as well
I have a deck with composite surface built in 2011, some joists that are rotten at the top, due to the fact that a composite dock does not get stain. My old deck had joists from 1993 and were still in good shape.
Great work, Mate. To keep critters out of the underside, have you considered putting a river rock boarder around the base? It'll still let any water drain out, but keep animals from entering.
I think it came out fantastic. I would use some large stone, with Nichole riprap put around the base to hide blackboards that you put up. It will also also help her critters from getting there.
Looks great. I didn't think you could countersink screws in composite that has the scallops on the underside. Is there something I'm missing?
Good job. The only suggestion I have is that not all wood is square if you're going to home depot / Lowes. Please make sure its not warped or have a curve on the short side to it by placing the lumber on the floor whereever you are getting your lumber from to make sure its not bad.
Bro you killed it! Nice
@5:00 I can totally relate to lower back pain. I’m 6’3” and sometimes I feel like a giraffe, squatting to do floor work.
Dude you crushed it! Excellent work AND you saved $11,000 if you hired a contractor 🤯
DIY is great if you have all the tools. You did a great job and having all the right tools is a part of that. My problem is that to do a one-off project like your deck, which I am contemplating and why I watched your video I need the tools only once and that is expensive. Unfortunately where I am I do not have the luxury of hiring any gear. Well done though.
Great job. You are the man!
Holy smokes you did a good job on that is that composite decking your using?
I rebuilt my back deck which is 12ft high near the end of 2022. I had a contractor come out and quote it and he quoted $20k. I did the whole project for $4k, and that's with Trex decking. I did tape all the tops of the joists as well and it was a pain, but I'm planning on this deck outliving me so it was worth the effort. Taping joists while 12 feet off the ground was "fun".
Way nicer than I could have made it lol. Looks awesome dude!
It looks good, but the beams shouldn’t be fastened by bolts on the posts like that. The beams should rest on top of the beams with Simpson plates to join the two together. There are lots of code books out there for free to use as reference.
Multiple code violations on this project. The treated posts aren't allowed to be below grade now either. The methods used are good methods, just not code compliant anymore.
Very nicely done looks great. And I share your stay home and enjoy your life philosophy.
Great deck bro...very nicely done. Muscle relaxers and plenty drinking water; and stretches. You have to build up endurance and flexibility NOT to get those pains. Keep doin well👊
You can’t take shots at Buccees brother. Lol, good work man.
Awesome work man!
Very nice job and I would DYI it if I did not have 5 back surgeries. Again great job and enjoyed your video.
Great job dude! I enjoyed this video
Awesome work btw!! the new tape they use ive done it before and havent and im not sure how i feel about it yet, the house and wood needs to breath, sometimes the tape actually traps water and doesnt allow it to evaporate and dry so im not sure how it will actually work out but well see in the next 25 years wont we, great job btw!
Deck came out great. Great work. New subscriber. 👍🏿
Lovely job. You guys have some great tools, did you have hire that specialist kit. Here in rainy England snakes are not so much of a problem but for the rats I use 1/2 " rat mesh round the bottom to close that little gap. Your framework was awesome.
Closing off the sides of underneath the deck limits air circulation and will promote wood rotting, especially if you didn’t seal the cut ends of the treated lumber. I bought a house that had the deck built the same way, and it is all rotted after less than 10 years.
Also burying the posts in concrete makes it difficult to replace in the future. Suggest to use those post anchors so posts stay above ground level.
Wow, that’s awesome. Just out of curiosity, why did you choose to not make it level with the patio?
Tell me how it feels next time when the sun is scorching hot? Secondly, pools without fences, are these widespread in the U. S or varies according to state?
Great job on the deck! 👍👍
With that said there should have been permit costs.
We left out costs like material delivery
Debris removal
That track saw alone is 650-700$.
You saved a large sum of money but it was less then 11,000$
What if you made a small rock pit border going around the outer edge which would bridge the opening between bottom of deck and ground? Could also do mulch instead and plant some ornamental trees/shrubs around your deck
Pressure treated lumber is 10-15 years before it starts to rot for deck boards, the joists usually last longer. But WILL rot where the screws go in....unless you put that seal strip on which blocks water from following the screw into the wood.
Nice, I go to Lowe's a lot myself for the Military discount as well as the Lowe's reward points.
International travel. That's where I spend my money. Domestic not so much. I have seen the USA and it's okay but International travel is amazing. But I still do DIY projects and loved your video!
Do you have any plans that you used? I would love them
Turned out great, well done!
My only concern would be water drainage.
Thank you and I’m a little concerned myself. So far we’ve had two rain storms and from what I can tell the water is running out really well. But I see every spot to make sure but I’m keeping an eye on it. 👍
Great job, jaw-dropping actually
To avoid critters going under it, try really small wire net, like chicken coop wire but finer wholes and it would be best if you can lock it underground and make it reach before you put the skirt you painted.
Make sure you get plenty of shade on the deck. I have the same color trex and in the summer it gets SUPER hot. Even my dogs don’t want to walk across the deck in the afternoon.
@joshcortright says don’t put post in the concrete. Also, maybe a stronger connection than simply screwing girder to post. Wonderful craftsmanship but less inadequate connections and footings.
Hilti makes a deck screw gun, standup operation. I’ve only used them on steel deck, but I imagine they work just as well on wood
Looks great!
hey hunny forget about that romantic vacation to italy we got a deck now!
I liked your method for getting straight lines with the picture frame. Its too late for me but I cut all of my boards first, not noticing that my miter saw 0 was not actually zero'd, so all of my boards have a slight miter to them. Its a $700 mistake I am willing to live with at this point.
Also, I've been all over the world traveling, something about being in your own backyard that no corner of the world (or Buckey's) can replicate, and why I also invest time and money into my personal oasis.
That is a stellar build. Not sure I would have 2 free weeks to build something like that.
I agree with most of everything you said except the Disney thing, I took my family of 4 not including me and my wife for 3 days and we only spend 2500. Including airfare and hotel and a rental car. Great job on the deck.
ground level deck, sure this is a good job. any deck more then 2 feet off the ground this wouldn't pass building code.
What does adhd have to do with it? Hyper focus?
Great job!
Plus look at what you learned
Buc-ees is an oversized and huge gas station that can get crowded enough to be need traffic cops- but the food is excellent. Totally excellent. Prices are good too. (Note- over 100 gas pumps, still gets crowded though.)
They make a standing drill attachment to keep you from having to kneel to drive the screws. For straightening boards I think you have to be at deck level though.
that is incredible and kinda inspires me to DIY mine (once I have the funds)
All depends on how one values their time/worth. I recall taking a week of leave to learn/do a rebuild on my car engine. I was young had plenty of leave in the bank but didn’t make crap for money….so the time to do myself was a worthwhile investment
Don't say nothing bad about BUC-EES. I'm a fellow DIYer as well. But every once in a while, I plan a trip I read about as a child. Last year was Egypt. Great flight, food and accommodations. As a DIYer, where else would I go to get inspiration to build!!