Decking in Mindarie
Northern Decking Co builds composite, hardwood, pool and raised decks in Mindarie, the marina suburb in the City of Wanneroo. Homes here sit in salt air on sloping dune blocks, so fixings are stainless and decks are often stepped or raised. Every deck in Wanneroo needs a building permit, and the contractor quotes free after seeing the site.
- Postcode
- 6030
- Council
- City of Wanneroo
- Coastal lot rules
- Apply
- Last reviewed
- September 2026
Decks that suit Mindarie homes
Mindarie was built around its harbour. The marina and hotel opened the suburb in 1988, and the Mindarie Keys estate that followed from 1996 filled the dunes behind it with two-storey homes on sloping blocks, many of them angled for a glimpse of the water. The result is a suburb where almost every deck job has three things in common: salt air, a fall across the block, and an owner who wants to be outside looking west.
Stepped and raised decks on dune blocks
A Mindarie Keys block often drops half a metre or more from the house to the back fence. A deck that is level with the alfresco at the house ends up well over 500 mm at its far edge, which in the City of Wanneroo means the deck is treated like a balcony, with a 7.5 m setback to side and rear boundaries unless a reduced setback is approved. The usual answer is a stepped deck: one level at the door, a broad step down to a second level, and a privacy screen on the side that faces a neighbour. Where the fall is 1 m or more a balustrade is required, and stainless wire keeps the view.
Composite by the water
Most owners within sight of the marina choose composite. It does not rot, does not splinter, and does not need the oiling that salt air and full western sun would otherwise demand every year. Hidden clips give a clean surface and, being stainless, do not streak. Lighter colours stay cooler in the afternoon sun off the water. Hardwood is still a fine choice here for owners who want the warmth of timber and will oil it; merbau and spotted gum both do well with stainless fixings.
Pool and spa surrounds
Pools are common in Mindarie, and a deck around one has to grip when wet, drain away from the pool shell and leave the barrier compliant. The contractor designs the deck around the barrier, and where a raised deck would shorten the effective height of a fence the fence is dealt with as part of the job.
Hardware that survives the harbour
Every fixing on a Mindarie deck is stainless steel, 316 grade where it is close to the water. That includes the parts you never see: joist hangers at the ledger, stirrups on the stumps, bolts through the posts. Frames are kept clear of the sand with airflow underneath, because a frame that stays damp after a sea mist is the frame that fails first.
What to know before you build in Mindarie
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
Mindarie 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
Sand dunes over limestone. Lime was burnt from local limestone at Mindarie until 1948 and the kilns still stand in Coopers Park, so rock is part of the ground here. Footings go into sand on most lots and the contractor checks the first hole for limestone close to the surface.
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 Mindarie 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 Mindarie
Do I need a permit for a deck in Mindarie?
Yes. The City of Wanneroo requires a building permit for all decking regardless of height or floor area. Planning approval may also be required for decking over 500 mm above natural ground level, and decks over that height are treated like a balcony with a 7.5 m setback to side and rear boundaries unless a reduced setback is approved.
Will the salt air from the marina wreck a timber deck?
Not if the deck is built for it. Hardwood boards oiled when the colour goes flat and fixed with stainless screws last well beside the water. What fails on old coastal decks is galvanised hardware, so in Mindarie every screw, clip, hanger and stirrup is stainless steel.
Can a deck go around my pool in Mindarie?
Yes. Composite with a textured finish and 316 stainless fixings is the usual pick, and the deck is designed so it does not shorten the effective height of the pool barrier or create a foothold in the non-climbable zone.
My Mindarie block slopes. Does that change the deck?
It usually means part of the deck is over 500 mm at its far edge even if it is low at the house, which brings in the City of Wanneroo's balcony setback and screening rules and can call for a balustrade. The contractor measures the fall before designing.
Nearby areas we cover
Read about composite decking and raised decks, or our guide to composite versus timber decking. All areas.
Get a free quote in Mindarie
Send your details. The contractor calls you, looks at the site and quotes in writing. No obligation.