Pool decking in Perth's northern suburbs
Northern Decking Co builds pool surrounds and pool decks across the City of Joondalup and the City of Wanneroo. Boards are chosen for grip when wet and for salt and chlorine, fixings are stainless, and the deck is detailed to keep the pool barrier compliant. Quotes are free.
What you get
Wet feet, salt and chlorine
A pool deck lives a harder life than any other deck on the property. It is wet most days of summer, splashed with salt or chlorinated water, walked on barefoot, and it sits in full sun. Every material choice follows from that.
Boards. Composite is the usual pick because it does not splinter, does not need oiling where feet are always wet, and grips well in the textured finishes made for pool areas. Hardwood works around a pool if the owner is happy to keep up the oiling and accepts that fixings will show. Either way the board should have a surface that grips when wet.
Fixings and hardware. Stainless steel everywhere the water reaches, 316 grade near salt water pools. Galvanised fixings pit and streak around a pool within a couple of seasons.
Drainage. The deck is set so water runs off the boards and away from the pool shell, not into the gap between the deck and the coping where it sits and breeds mould.
The barrier comes first
Pool barriers in WA have to meet the Building Regulations and AS 1926.1, and a deck can change what the barrier is measured from. A raised deck beside a fence can shorten the effective height of the fence. A deck built close to a barrier can create a foothold in the non-climbable zone. The contractor designs the deck around the barrier, not the other way round, and where the deck changes the barrier the barrier gets fixed as part of the job.
Coping and edges
Where the deck meets the pool, the edge is finished with a fascia or a picture-frame border that hides the cut ends and gives a clean line along the coping. The gap to the coping is set so water gets through and toes do not.
Under the deck
Pool decks are often low, close to the paving, so the frame is built with airflow in mind: enough gap for the timber to dry, and a fall in the ground underneath so water does not pool against the stumps. On lots near the beach the frame is treated pine or hardwood on stirrups off small concrete footings rather than stumps straight into the sand.
Approvals
Both councils treat pool decking like any other decking for planning and permits, and the barrier rules apply on top. The panel below has each council’s current position, and the contractor confirms the barrier requirements as part of the design.
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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Boards
Boards are laid from the house out with an even gap, fixed with screws or hidden clips.
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Finish
Fascia and trims go on and the deck is oiled, or a composite deck settles into its finished colour.
What changes the price
- Size
- More area is more boards, joists and fixings, but the rate per square metre usually falls as the deck gets bigger.
- Height
- A deck over 500 mm needs more structure, probably a balustrade, and may need planning approval and privacy screens.
- Material
- Composite costs more per board than most hardwood, and hidden clip systems add to that, but it is the last money you spend on the surface.
- Access
- A deck at the back of a narrow lot means carrying everything through by hand and takes longer.
- Approvals and engineering
- A building permit, drawings and any engineering for a raised deck are real costs that sit outside the build itself.
We do not publish prices, because two decks of the same size can be very different jobs. Read what affects the cost of a deck, then get a free quote from the contractor.
Approvals
City of Joondalup
- Building permit requirements depend on the deck. Confirm with the City of Joondalup on 9400 4000 before work starts.
- For a single house or grouped dwelling, development (planning) approval is not required for decking 500 mm or less above natural ground level.
- Decking over 500 mm can avoid planning approval if it meets the R-Code setbacks for the lot's density.
- A deck within 7.5 m of a side or rear boundary needs a privacy screen at least 1.6 m high.
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.
Check the DFES Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas for your lot. Decks in a bushfire prone area have to meet the BAL construction requirements of AS 3959. DFES Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas.
Questions people ask
Can a deck go right up to the pool edge?
Yes, with the coping detail and drainage sorted so water runs off the deck and not under it. The pool barrier still has to meet the rules, so the deck cannot create a climbable zone.
Composite or timber around a pool?
Composite is the usual choice around pools because it does not splinter and does not need oiling where feet are always wet. Timber works if you are happy to keep up the oiling.
Does a pool deck affect pool fence compliance?
It can. Anything within the non-climbable zone of the barrier matters, and a raised deck can change what counts as the ground level. The contractor checks the barrier rules as part of the design.
Get a free quote
Send your details. The contractor calls you, looks at the site and quotes in writing. No obligation.