DeckBuild's canvas is a drawing tool built by deck builders, not a general-purpose CAD program. DeckBuild knows how you build and saves you money on every deck. The learning curve is measured in minutes, not weeks.
14-day free trial · No credit card
The drawing tool
Every tool on the canvas is built around how a deck actually goes together, so the drawing is field-accurate from the very first click.
Draw any footprint
Sketch the outline corner by corner: L-shapes, notches, bump-outs, freestanding or ledgered against the house. Drag a corner to chamfer it to 45°, and type the exact edge length instead of eyeballing a drag. Everything lands on a clean.
Smart snapping & live dimensions
The canvas snaps to the grid, to clean angles, to house edges, to your other decks, and to footing lines, so edges land square without fighting the cursor. Every edge, joist, beam, and railing dimension places itself automatically, with leader arrows that route around each other instead of piling up.
Multi-deck, multi-level & resurface
Draw multiple decks that snap flush together and step up or down in level, all on the same plan. Re-decking an existing structure? Resurface mode lets you quote a re-deck against the surface without re-framing what's already standing.
Everything on the plan
Trace the house
Trace the house wall and add doors, windows, basement doors/windows, A/C unit, and vents, so the deck relates to the structure it actually attaches to. Change deck edges to ledger and the framing automatically adjusts.
Stairs, railings & gates
Run railing along any edge, drop stairs off any side, and place gates with a hinge post and swing direction. Cocktail rail caps are one toggle, on the deck or the stairs.
Landscaping
Add trees, bushes, mulch beds, stone, walkways and decor. Mulch and stone beds even auto-wrap around the deck with clean curves, so the plan shows the finished backyard.
Markup & annotations
Drop text notes, arrows, and manual dimensions anywhere on the drawing. Call out a detail for the crew or the inspector without leaving the canvas.
Work fearlessly
The full editor works on a phone or tablet, with a touch toolbar, pinch zoom, and type-to-place measurements, so you can rough out the deck standing in the customer's yard while the sale is hot. It autosaves as you go and commits when you're ready, so you can roll back anytime.
Straight answers
No. If you can draw a deck with a pencil, you can draw one in DeckBuild. The canvas snaps to clean angles and house edges for you, and you type exact lengths instead of dragging precisely, so the drawing is accurate without any CAD skills or training.
L-shapes, notches, bump-outs, 45° chamfered corners, multi-level, and multiple decks that snap flush together, freestanding or attached to the house. If you can build it, you can draw it.
Yes. The full editor works on a phone or tablet with a touch toolbar, pinch zoom, and type-to-place measurements. It's the real editor, not a read-only view, so you can draw and show a client on the spot.
No. DeckBuild autosaves as you draw and lets you commit a version when you're happy with it, so you can roll back to an earlier state anytime. There's also a guided walkthrough with a practice sandbox deck to learn on.
Start your free 14-day trial, sketch a real deck on the canvas, and watch DeckBuild turn it into a framed, dimensioned plan in real time. No credit card required.