DeckBuild builds your plot plan automatically from just the job address: a satellite image of the property, the lot lines from county records, your deck placed on the house, and every setback dimensioned. Done for you, on a scaled PDF sheet with your title block, with no per-plan fee.
14-day free trial · No credit card
How it works
DeckBuild's done-for-you plot plan includes the house outline, the deck and stair placement, and the required setbacks.
The moment you open the plot plan, DeckBuild loads a satellite image of the job site and the lot lines from county GIS records.
DeckBuild sets your designed deck overlaying the satellite image, stairs and all. If it's a little off, rotate it and drag it into place.
Setbacks are automatically measured from the deck's building to each property line. Edit as you see best, then easily export/download from there.
The old way vs. DeckBuild
Most permit offices want a plot plan in the permit packet. That used to mean drawing a second plan by hand, remembering (forgetting) to measure setbacks, or paying for every job to have someone else draw it.
Pay per plot plan, or draw it yourself
DeckBuild
Satellite imagery
The satellite image shows you everything from the house to the driveway, and the trees to the fence line. It optionally prints faded behind the plan so the permit office sees the real property.
County property lines
Pie-shaped cul-de-sac lots, corner lots, curved frontages, and lots with a jog in the back line all work. DeckBuild labels and measures each lot line, finds the street side, and dimensions the deck and setbacks. Anything look a little off? You're in complete control: add measurements, move measurements, and even drag endpoints.
Have a survey?
When the homeowner has a surveyor's plat, optionally upload it instead: a PDF, PNG, or JPG, even a phone picture of the paper copy. Set the scale and trace the lot lines over the top. No address lookup needed.
The plot plan sheet
A complete, done-for-you sheet that goes out with the rest of your plan set.
Site features
Trace the driveway corner by corner, and drop in a septic tank or drain field with two clicks. Each one is labeled on the sheet, and you can move, resize, or turn it any time.
Your sheet, your way
Pick between font colors so that text and measurements reads over any satellite image. Size the text and the compass, move the labels, and choose whether the image prints at all.
To scale
The sheet prints at a true scale like 1" = 20', with your title block, the lot line lengths, the parcel number, the lot area, a compass, and your notes. Pick the text color and size so it reads cleanly over the image.
The package
The plot plan closes out the same PDF as your plan view, elevations, and load schedule, so the permit packet is one file. Need it on its own? Download the sheet by itself.
Straight answers
No. They're included in every DeckBuild plan, with no per-job fee. Each plan includes automatic property lookups: 30 a month per user on Pro, 5 during the free trial, and 2 per project on a homeowner plan. Reopening a property you've already looked up is unlimited, and a plot plan traced over a survey or drawn by hand is free as well.
No. Property lines from county GIS records and satellite images are approximate. Many building departments accept a builder-drawn plot plan for a deck permit, but when yours asks for a stamped or certified survey, a licensed surveyor may need to be involved. If you already have a survey, upload it and use DeckBuild to trace over it to add the deck.
Yes, as an option, faded behind the linework so the dimensions stay easy to read. If you want a clean sheet, you can export your plot plan without the satellite imagery.
No. It dimensions how far the deck actually sits from each lot line, so the numbers are right there. Whether that meets the local rule is job and municipality specific.
Upload the property's survey (PDF, PNG, or JPG up to 25 MB) and trace the lot over it, or type the distance from the deck to each property line and DeckBuild draws the lot for you.
The plot plan draws from the same design as your plans, so a bigger deck or a new set of stairs shows up on it, with the setbacks automatically re-measured. No second fee, no redraw.
Start your free 14-day trial, design a real deck, and open the plot plan: the satellite image, the county lot lines and your deck are waiting, setbacks measured. Export it with the rest of your plan set. No credit card required.