Decking in Clarkson
Northern Decking Co restores and replaces decks in Clarkson, a 1990s Wanneroo suburb of detached bungalows about 2 km from the ocean and within reach of the sea breeze. Much of the work is restoring or re-boarding a first-generation deck in composite with stainless fixings. Every Wanneroo deck needs a building permit; the contractor quotes free after a site visit.
- Postcode
- 6030
- Council
- City of Wanneroo
- Coastal lot rules
- Apply
- Last reviewed
- October 2026
Decks that suit Clarkson homes
Clarkson was laid out in the 1990s, with its north-eastern portion following from 1995, and its housing is mostly detached bungalows set among extensive parklands. Along Ocean Keys Boulevard the pattern changes to a strip of two-storey apartments beside the shopping centre, and the Somerly estate added a run of Keystart homes. Clarkson sits about 2 km from the Indian Ocean with Mindarie between it and the water, close enough for the sea breeze to bring salt through on a summer afternoon. That breeze is why so much decking work in Clarkson starts with a deck that is already there.
The first-generation deck
A bungalow built in the mid-1990s with a timber deck has a deck that is now close to thirty. The boards may or may not be tired, but the fixings almost certainly are: galvanised screws, hangers and stirrups that have spent three decades in salt-laden air corrode long before the timber gives out. The contractor looks under the deck first. A sound frame gets new stainless hardware and either a restoration of the existing boards or a re-board; a frame that has rotted is replaced, because new boards over bad bearers are a false economy.
Re-boarding in composite
Where the frame is good and the owner is done with oiling, composite on the existing frame is the usual answer in Clarkson. Joists are added to bring the centres in to what the board calls for, the boards go down on hidden stainless clips, and a picture-frame border finishes the edges. Composite decking does not rot or splinter, and the lighter colours stay cooler on a yard that faces west.
Decks that look onto parkland
The bungalows sit among wide parklands, and a deck on a lot that looks onto one is as much about the outlook as the alfresco. Low decks that take the living room out to the lawn are the common shape, and where a yard falls the deck steps with it. In the City of Wanneroo all decking requires a building permit, regardless of height or floor area, so every one of these jobs goes through the City first, and the quote should say who lodges it.
First decks in the newer streets
Not every Clarkson deck is a replacement. The north-eastern part of the suburb came later, and homes there and in the Somerly estate may be getting their first deck rather than their second. On those lots the fences are already in place, so the City of Wanneroo boundary rule shapes the layout: 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. The contractor sets the deck out to that line and builds it in stainless from the first stirrup.
What to know before you build in Clarkson
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.
Salt air
Clarkson is a coastal suburb, so the fixings, hangers and stirrups are stainless steel and the frame is detailed to dry out. Composite boards suit lots within reach of the sea breeze; hardwood works too when it is oiled and fixed properly.
The ground
Coastal sand, as across most of the corridor. There is no suburb-specific ground record for Clarkson, 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 Clarkson is or is not bushfire prone, because the map runs through suburbs and is revised.
How it goes in
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Footings
Stumps go into footings in the sand. Some sites in the far north hit limestone close to the surface and need core drilling.
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Joists
Joists go across the bearers at the centres the board maker specifies, typically 450 mm for hardwood and tighter for composite.
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Boards
Boards are laid from the house out with an even gap, fixed with screws or hidden clips.
Questions from Clarkson
Clarkson is 2 km from the beach. Does it count as coastal for a deck?
For the hardware, yes. The sea breeze carries salt over Mindarie and into Clarkson, and galvanised screws and hangers are what fail first on the older decks here. Every fixing on a Clarkson deck is stainless steel, and the boards are chosen with the breeze in mind.
Should I restore my 1990s Clarkson deck or replace it?
It depends on the frame, not the boards. If the stumps, bearers and joists are sound, a restoration or a re-board in composite brings the deck back with far less disruption than a rebuild. If the frame has rotted, the contractor says so and quotes a new deck. Looking at the frame is the first thing that happens.
Composite or timber for a Clarkson deck?
Composite is the usual pick this close to the coast because it does not need oiling and does not rot, and hidden stainless clips keep the surface clean. Hardwood still works for owners who want real timber and will oil it. Our composite versus timber guide weighs the two.
Do I need a permit for a deck in Clarkson?
Yes. In the City of Wanneroo all decking requires a building permit, regardless of height or floor area. Whether a repair that only replaces boards needs one is a question for the City on 9405 5000, and a new deck or a new frame certainly does. Ask for the quote to say who lodges the application.
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