Most budget decks are a rectangle with a grille, a dining table, and not much else. Many of today’s decks are far more creative, however, and include zones and features for a variety of activities.

Of course, a complex deck won’t be appropriate for all clients. “I always want to know how long they intend to own the home,” says Caleb Hunt, owner of Creative Concepts & Design, a Kansas City company that specializes in outdoor spaces. If they plan on selling in a few years, simple and budget-friendly is probably best. If it’s a forever home, the process and the result become a lot more fun.

Navigating Constraints

Even the forever home client will have space and budget constraints, though. With those constraints in mind, how do you guide them to a design they will want to use again and again?

Skilled design/builders like Hunt think like architects. They approach the deck as an outdoor room that may include zones for cooking, eating, and lounging. They ask questions that get clients talking about what they want and what they can afford.

A lot of people will envision a deck with a dining table and some chairs, for instance, but are those even necessary? Sean Collingsgru, owner of Premier Outdoor Living, a deck and patio builder in Tabernacle, N.J., believes there are better uses for a deck’s limited real estate. “We often steer people away from dining spaces,” he says. “Decks are mostly used for informal gatherings, and most people won’t gravitate to the table.”

Bar seating takes up less space and will get more use. “It’s what I see people gravitate towards,” says Collingsgru. “With a bar top, you can fit five or six seats into 30 square feet, while a table and chairs night need 120.”

To maximize space further, integrate the bar top into what Collingsgru says is the most asked-for space: an outdoor living room. A 16-by-16-foot covered area is enough for a seven-person sectional couch, a standalone seat, and bar seating along the back of the couch. That’s 12 or 13 seats total. If budget and space permit, make it a little bigger and add a fireplace.

Whatever spaces the clients opt for, itis important design around the intended furnishings. Get the dimensions of each piece, then remember to include enough walking space around them.

How Big Should It Be?

You also need to help clients decide how much deck they want. Bigger isn’t always better. Collingsgru starts the conversation by asking these questions: “If it’s a random Friday or Saturday night and you’re having an impromptu get-together, will there be six, 10, 15 people? And do you like to throw big parties a few times a year, such as on Memorial Day and Labor Day?”

He recommends not designing the deck for those large gatherings. Besides being super expensive, a space that’s too big and unused most of the time will feel uncomfortable. Instead, scale back the deck but take steps to make sure they homeowners can accommodate those big gatherings.

Hunt agrees. He says those “steps” can lead down to a patio, which will provide more space at an average square footage cost that’s 20% that of a deck. The clients could opt for formal dining on one level and casual entertaining on the other. If their yard space is big enough, suggest a pop-up tent for those big parties.

If clients are interested in a hot tub, the ground level won’t require beefed-up framing. And if it’s a second-story deck, the hot tub can be placed underneath it. “It becomes a value-engineered intimate space,” says Hunt.

Multiple levels can be a nice touch and have become popular on high-end decks. “On a second-story deck, we might do six stairs to a lower level, three stairs to a landing, and three steps to the ground,” says Collingsgru. These features can get pricey, but where the budget allows, they help define the spaces and introduce a cool visual element.

Also don’t assume that the deck needs to run the length of the house; depth is more important. A 12-foot-deep-by-24-foot-wide deck—a common feature on older tract homes—really limits design choices and does a poor job at accommodating furniture. According to Collinsgru, that narrow width will put a table or couch too close to the stairs or the home’s entrance to feel comfortable. The ideal minimum depth is 16 feet, but 14 is better than 12.

Even if the deck will serve mostly as a landing to get people to a patio, Collingsgru and Hunt both advise against making the landing too small. “We want to draw people outside,” says Collinsgru. A big landing will be more inviting and is a great space for a grill.