Decking in Carramar
Northern Decking Co builds hardwood and BAL-rated decks in Carramar, the golf course suburb in the City of Wanneroo, where most homes date from the late 1990s and 2000s. Lots that back onto fairways or bushland get BAL construction where the DFES map applies. Every Wanneroo deck needs a building permit, and the contractor quotes free after seeing the site.
- Postcode
- 6031
- Council
- City of Wanneroo
- Coastal lot rules
- Not usually
- Last reviewed
- October 2026
Decks that suit Carramar homes
Carramar grew up around a golf course. The course opened in 1994, the land was cut out of Neerabup the following year, the name was approved in 1997, and the suburb did most of its growing between 2001 and 2011. That leaves a housing stock of late 1990s and 2000s homes, many of them on lots that look onto fairways or onto the bushland beside the suburb. Decking in Carramar is shaped by those two neighbours: the course on one side and the bush on the other.
Decks that face the fairway
A home on the course wants its outdoor room pointed at the green, not at the side fence. Decks on those lots tend to run along the back of the house rather than push deep into the yard, so the table and the chairs face the open ground. Hardwood suits that setting: merbau or spotted gum, pre-drilled and face-screwed in stainless, oiled when the colour flattens, warm underfoot and in keeping with the view. Our timber decking page covers the boards and the care they need.
Built to the BAL level, if the map says so
Carramar sits beside bushland. Whether a given lot falls inside a mapped area is a question for the DFES Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas, not for us, and the map runs through suburbs rather than around them. Where a lot is inside, the deck is designed to the BAL level of the assessment under AS 3959. At the lower levels that can still be a timber deck, built from the listed bushfire-resisting hardwoods, with the gaps, the supports and the space beneath detailed to the standard. As the level rises the materials and the detailing change with it, and the BAL assessment goes in with the permit application.
The permit applies to every deck
In the City of Wanneroo all decking requires a building permit, regardless of height or floor area. On a Carramar deck that is part of the first conversation rather than a surprise at the end, and if the lot falls so that the far edge of the deck rises past 500 mm, the contractor checks the planning side at the same time.
Twenty years on
The oldest Carramar homes are now past twenty, and the decks that went in with them are at the age where boards cup and fixings stand proud. If the frame under one is sound, a re-board in new hardwood with stainless screws brings it back. If it is not, the contractor says so and quotes a new frame, because new boards over a tired frame is a job that gets done twice.
What to know before you build in Carramar
City of Wanneroo
- All decking requires a building permit, regardless of height or floor area.
- Planning approval may be required for decking over 500 mm above natural ground level.
- Decking over 500 mm is treated like a balcony, with a 7.5 m setback to side and rear boundaries unless a reduced setback is approved.
The ground
Coastal sand, as across most of the corridor. There is no suburb-specific ground record for Carramar, and the first footing hole confirms what the contractor expects.
Bushfire map
Check your lot on the DFES Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas. If it is inside a mapped area the deck is built to the BAL requirements of AS 3959. We do not say here whether Carramar is or is not bushfire prone, because the map runs through suburbs and is revised.
How it goes in
-
Footings
Stumps go into footings in the sand. Some sites in the far north hit limestone close to the surface and need core drilling.
-
Joists
Joists go across the bearers at the centres the board maker specifies, typically 450 mm for hardwood and tighter for composite.
-
Boards
Boards are laid from the house out with an even gap, fixed with screws or hidden clips.
Questions from Carramar
Do I need a permit for a deck in Carramar?
Yes. In the City of Wanneroo all decking requires a building permit, regardless of height or floor area. Planning approval may be required for decking over 500 mm above natural ground level, which the contractor checks on any Carramar lot with a fall before the design is settled.
My Carramar home backs onto the golf course. Does that change the deck?
It changes the design more than the rules. A deck on a course lot is usually laid along the back of the house so it faces the fairway, and any screening is about privacy from the course rather than from a neighbour. The boundary rule still applies: decks should be set back at least 900 mm from a boundary, or can go to the boundary if 900 mm is kept between the deck and the house, subject to overlooking rules.
Is Carramar bushfire prone?
That is not something we state for any suburb. Carramar sits beside bushland, and whether a particular lot is inside a mapped area is a question for the DFES Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas, which runs through suburbs and is revised. Look up your own address. If the lot is mapped, the deck is built to the BAL requirements of AS 3959 and the assessment goes in with the permit application.
Which timber suits a Carramar deck?
Merbau and spotted gum are the usual hardwoods this far from the coast, fixed with stainless screws and oiled when the colour flattens. Both are listed bushfire-resisting timbers under AS 3959, so they also suit a deck that has to meet the lower BAL levels.
Nearby areas we cover
Read about bal-rated decking and timber decking, or our guide to deck approvals in joondalup and wanneroo. All areas.
Get a free quote in Carramar
Send your details. The contractor calls you, looks at the site and quotes in writing. No obligation.