Raised decks in Perth's northern suburbs
Northern Decking Co builds raised decks over 500 mm across the City of Joondalup and the City of Wanneroo, with stairs, balustrades and privacy screens where the council requires them. Height changes the approvals and the structure, so the contractor looks at the site before quoting.
What you get
What counts as raised
Both councils draw a line at 500 mm above natural ground level. Below it, a deck is a simple structure with simple rules. Above it, the deck is treated more like a balcony: planning approval may come into it, privacy screens are usually required within 7.5 m of a side or rear boundary, and the structure has to be engineered for the height. That 500 mm line drives most of the design decisions on a raised deck.
Structure for the height
A raised deck stands on posts rather than stumps, with bearers bolted to the posts, bracing where the height calls for it, and footings sized for the load. On sand the footings are concrete pads or bored piers; where limestone is close to the surface in the far north the posts are core drilled and grouted in. The contractor has the structure engineered where the height or span needs it, and the drawings go in with the building permit application.
Stairs
Every raised deck needs a way down. Stairs are built to the same rules as inside a house: even risers, treads deep enough for a whole foot, a handrail where there are more than a couple of steps, and the same board and fixing choices as the deck so they weather the same way.
Balustrades
The National Construction Code requires a barrier where the fall from the deck is 1 m or more. It has to be at least 1 m high, and where the fall is more than 4 m it cannot have climbable elements between 150 mm and 760 mm above the deck. Lower decks often still get a balustrade for comfort, especially with children. Options run from timber posts and rails to stainless wire to glass panels; on a coastal lot the metalwork is stainless.
Privacy screens
Screens are the part owners do not expect. In the City of Joondalup a deck within 7.5 m of a side or rear boundary needs a privacy screen at least 1.6 m high. In the City of Wanneroo 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, and screening is how most reduced setbacks get approved. A well built screen is part of the deck, in the same timber or a matching batten, not a bolt-on afterthought.
Under the deck
A raised deck creates a space underneath. It can be left open with a skirt of battens for airflow, enclosed for storage, or fitted with a drainage membrane under the boards so the space stays dry. Which one suits depends on the height and what you want from it.
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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Bearers
Bearers are laid across the stumps and levelled.
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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.
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
Do I need planning approval for a raised deck in Joondalup?
Decking over 500 mm above natural ground can avoid planning approval in the City of Joondalup if it meets the R-Code setbacks for the lot. A deck within 7.5 m of a side or rear boundary needs a privacy screen at least 1.6 m high.
When does a deck need a balustrade?
The National Construction Code requires a barrier where the drop from the deck is 1 m or more. Lower decks often still get one for comfort.
Does a raised deck need a privacy screen in Wanneroo?
Decking over 500 mm is treated like a balcony in the City of Wanneroo, with a 7.5 m setback to side and rear boundaries unless a reduced setback is approved. Screening is how most reduced setbacks get approved.
Get a free quote
Send your details. The contractor calls you, looks at the site and quotes in writing. No obligation.