Deck Board and Fastener Takeoff
The decking surface takeoff a deck builder orders from: boards run the length, so the count across the width is ceil((width_in + gap) / (board face + gap)) -- the gap falls between boards, not after the last. A 12 x 16 ft deck of 5.5" boards at a 0.25" gap needs 26 boards, 458 lineal feet at 10% waste, 13 joists (ceil(length x 12 / 16" OC) + 1), and 676 deck screws at 2 per board per joist. Sizes the surface and fasteners only, not the joists, beam, posts, or footings, which come from the span tables and the load. A takeoff estimate; the deck plan governs.
Formula and source
boards = ceil((deck_width_ft x 12 + gap_in) / (board_face_in + gap_in)); lineal_ft = boards x deck_length_ft x (1 + waste_pct/100); joists = ceil(deck_length_ft x 12 / joist_spacing_in) + 1; screws = boards x joists x 2.
First-principles deck-surface takeoff (the same carpentry take-off basis as fence-estimate and residential-framing), by name; the deck plan and the lumber on the rack govern.
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