Deckline Decks Elevated Decks & Balustrades
An elevated deck is where the substructure earns its keep. The higher the deck, the more load goes through the posts into the footings, so we engineer the footings and posts for the height and build the balustrade to the NCC, named on the quote so it passes rather than gets pulled up. Timber, metal or glass rail, decks off a high floor, a slope or a second storey, with the ledger flashed properly to the house.
What this job includes.
- ✓Decks a metre or more above the ground, engineered for the height
- ✓Deeper, engineered footings and properly sized posts and bearers
- ✓Balustrades to the NCC in timber, metal or frameless glass
- ✓Decks off a second storey or across a sloping block
- ✓Ledger flashed to the house, stairs built and balustraded to suit
The moment a deck goes over a metre up, the rules change
A ground-level deck is a finish job. An elevated deck is a structure. Once any part of the deck surface is more than a metre above the ground, the NCC kicks in: at least a metre of balustrade, gaps under 125 mm, nothing climbable in the lower 865 mm, and the whole frame engineered for the height and the wind. We have walked away from “fix the rail” jobs where the rail was the only thing right about the deck. The substructure underneath drove the call, not the balustrade on top.
Where elevated deck quotes split
The visible part is the balustrade. The honest part is the substructure. A cheap quote runs a single bottom plate at the base of the post, a short footing just below grade, and a rail that is exactly a metre tall and no more. Our quote names the post size, the footing depth (set for the height, not a default), the bearer span and the bracing pattern, and the rail height with a 20 mm margin built in. That margin is the difference between a deck that passes a council inspection and one that does not.
What an itemised elevated deck includes
- A structural drawing if the height or the wind load needs one (line item, not hidden)
- Footing depth and concrete spec set for the post height
- Galvanised post brackets above grade, never posts buried in soil
- Bearer and joist spacing called out for the board
- Stairs as their own line: rise, run, landing, balustraded to suit the height
- Balustrade to the NCC, the material and the fixing brand named on the quote
- A 10-year warranty on footings, bearers and posts, in writing
- The council approval path (CDC, DA or exempt) confirmed before we quote
We will not build an elevated deck to a price that skips the engineer or shrinks the footings to suit the budget. If the height and the wind say it needs more than that, the quote says it too. That is the line your council inspector and your insurer will care about, long after the build.
Priced by the m², itemised line by line.
The area in m² and the board and grade named, the footing depth and the bearer and joist spacing, the posts, the ledger flashing where the deck meets the house, the balustrade to the NCC, the stairs and any council approval. Not one round number for a deck.
- 1 Area in m², board and grade named. The price set by the m², with the board and its grade named: merbau or spotted gum, the composite brand, or H3 and H4 treated pine. Not one round number for "the deck".
- 2 The substructure, in full. The footing depth, the bearer and joist spacing, and the posts, sized for the height and the ground. This is the hidden frame that holds the deck up, and the line cowboys skip.
- 3 Ledger board and flashing to the house. Where the deck bolts to the house, the ledger board and its flashing, stated and detailed, because that join is what keeps water out of your wall.
- 4 Balustrade spec to the NCC. If the deck is over a metre up, the balustrade named to the NCC: timber, metal or glass, at least a metre high with gaps under 125 mm, so it passes rather than gets pulled up.
- 5 Stairs. Any stairs their own line: the rise, the run and the landing, built and balustraded to suit the height, not folded into a round number.
- 6 Council approval or CDC note. A plain note on which approval path the deck falls under, exempt, a Complying Development Certificate or a DA, so you know before we build, not after.
- 7 Warranty and finish. The 10-year footings, bearers and posts warranty in writing, the composite manufacturer warranty or the timber oil and coating, and how the finish is handled.
What happens, step by step.
Site measure and set-out
We measure the space, check the ground, the falls and the height, talk through board and balustrade, mark the set-out, then put a written by-the-m² quote in your hands.
Footings and posts
We dig and concrete the footings to depth, sized for the height and the ground, and set the posts plumb. The footings cure before any load goes on them. This is the substructure that holds the deck up.
Bearers and joists
The bearers and joists go on at the correct spacing for the board, closer together for composite, so the deck stays flat and never bounces. The frame is the deck; the boards are the finish.
Ledger and flashing
Where the deck meets the house we fix and flash the ledger board properly, so the join carries the load and keeps water out of your wall instead of bolting straight on.
Boards down
The boards go down at the right gap for drainage, screwed or hidden-fixed to the joists, raked and trimmed clean. Merbau, treated pine or the named composite, exactly as quoted.
Balustrade, stairs, oil and handover
We build the balustrade to the NCC and the stairs to suit the height, oil or finish the timber, clear the site, walk you around, and hand over the warranty and any compliance paperwork in writing.
The paperwork behind the price.
Public liability to $20M, and a 10-yr substructure warranty, all in writing, all on request.
Every deck is priced by the m², with the board and its grade named on the quote, the merbau or spotted gum, the composite brand, or H3 and H4 treated pine, and the substructure itemised: the footing depth, the bearer and joist spacing, the posts, and the ledger flashing where the deck meets the house. Any balustrade is built and named to the NCC. We hold a NSW Fair Trading building licence (000000C) and carry public liability insurance to $20M, and the guarantee is a 10-year written warranty on the footings, bearers and posts, the part that holds the deck up and the part cowboys skimp, plus the genuine composite manufacturer materials warranty where the boards are Trex, Modwood or Ekodeck. Deckline Decks is a composite reference site, so the licence number, ABN and contact details are illustrative placeholders, not a real operator; on a live build these are the real, verifiable credentials of the business.
Elevated Decks & Balustrades: common questions.
What balustrade does an elevated deck need?
Do elevated decks need bigger footings and engineering?
Can you build a deck off a second storey or over a slope?
Glass, metal or timber balustrade, what is the cost difference?
Get a free, itemised quote you can actually read.
Tell us what you need. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote with the work itemised, not just a number.