What size footing do I need for my deck?

FOOTINGS: – Poured concrete footings should be a minimum of 8” wider than the posts (4×4 post – 12” min. width, 6×6 post – 14” min. width), a two level deck or deck with roof – 24”x24”. – The bottom of the footings must be a minimum of 36” below finish grade level.

How much weight will a concrete pier hold?





A single 8” x 16” concrete block can carry 8,000 lbs. Don’t go over 36′′ high. The single blocks that can be used for your pier can easily carry 5,500 lbs. They limit a dry stack, single block pier to 5,760 lbs.

How deep should a concrete footing be for a deck?

For most deck applications, in most jurisdictions, the width of a footing should be 20 inches round and a minimum of 24 inches deep. It is important that the base of the footings be solid, and in many cases you will need to keep digging until you reach undisturbed soil.

How many footings do I need for a floating deck?

For an 8×10′ freestanding deck, you’ll need six footings. Unless you have access to a power auger, that’s a lot of digging. After digging each hole, you will need to install tube forms into each. Each tube form then needs to be filled with one 60 lb.

How many footings do I need for a 12×20 deck?

Quick Attached Deck Footing Chart

Size of Deck Beam Size Number of Footings
16′ x 16′ (3) 2×8 3
20′ x 12′ (2) 2×8 3
20′ x 14′ (2) 2×8 3
20′ x20′ 2 beams (2) 2×8 6 (2 rows of 3)

How many footings do I need for a 12×16 deck?





A standard deck will need four footings parallel to the house, but they will need to be temporarily braced by 6 inch-by-6 inch posts. Using doubled boards, you will then need to build beams on the top row of the posts to frame the edges of the deck. These must be topped with adjustable post caps.

How much weight can a 12 inch sonotube hold?

Sonotube Round forms are designed for 12 feet of full liquid head, ie: 12 feet x 150 psf/ft = 1,800 psf. Sonotube Commercial and Finish Free are designed for 20 feet of full liquid head, ie: 20 ft x 150 psf/ft = 3,000 psf.

How do you calculate pier load?

To determine the load of a deck pier, you must take half the length of the joist span multiplied by half the length of the beam span (measured from pier to pier). This number is then multiplied by 50, which is the 40 psf live load, 10 psf dead load mentioned earlier.

How do you calculate deck load?

To determine the maximum load capacity of your deck, start by calculating its total area and multiply by 50 psf. So, a 100 sqft deck would be designed to support 5000 lbs. Do not get confused with what weight you might think or want to load the deck with.

Should you use 4×4 or 6×6 deck posts?



Deck posts must be a minimum of 4×4 according to the IRC but many jurisdictions require a 6×6 post as a standard. To avoid code violations, many deck builders choose the 6×6 even if the 4×4 is acceptable.

Does a floating deck need footings?

When it comes to floating decks, which are decks that are built very close to the ground, they don’t need any sort of footing. You can either use small concrete blocks and planks, or you can use a post that sets into a pre-formed hole.

How much weight can a floating deck hold?

A floating deck designed by code can hold a minimum of 50 lbs per square foot. Calculated as 20% being dead weight, the mass of the deck itself. The other 80% or 40 lbs is the weight you can have on the deck, people, furniture, dogs, etc.

Can a deck hold 2000 pounds?



In short there’s no one right answer to “how much can my deck hold?” However, one rule of thumb to keep in mind while answering the question is that the answer commonly is that if a deck is properly designed, it’s built to hold 50 lbs. per square foot.

How much weight can a deck hold per square foot?

100 lbs per square foot

In general, most decks can withstand 100 lbs per square foot.

Can a deck hold the weight of a hot tub?

A deck designed to hold at least 100 pounds per square foot will support nearly any type of hot tub. However, many decks are designed for only 50 pounds of weight per square foot – this will not support some hot tubs and you’ll have to modify the supports beneath your deck.

How do you strengthen a deck for a hot tub?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Okay so reinforcing the deck is very very simple basically all you going to do is just get you a good flat spot under it put your pylons. Down. You're going to what. We do is hang the joist.

Can a normal deck support a hot tub?

Yes, you can put a hot tub on a deck. Decks built ground level up to 2 feet off the ground can support up to 100 lbs per square foot; sufficient for most hot tubs. But decks 2 feet or higher will need added support. The added support posts should be no more than 30″ apart & ideally placed in poured concrete.

Can you put a Lay Z spa on decking?

Yes, any kind of hot tub, including inflatable hot tubs, can go on a wooden deck. However, if the deck is more than 2 feet off the ground, it will likely need additional support to hold the weight. Even inflatable hot tubs can still weigh up to 3,700 lbs full of water and people.

Can a deck support an inflatable pool?

Some decks can be designed to hold the weight of an inflatable pool filled with water, but that’s not very common. Most decks are designed to hold 40 to 50 pounds per square foot, and one cubic foot of water weighs about 62 pounds. An average inflatable pool will exceed a typical decks weight limit.

Is composite decking strong enough for hot tub?



Composite decking can be built frame-within-a-frame which is a building method dedicated to handling the additional weight. This can be used when building a hot tub to make sure it doesn’t fall apart or collapse under the inclusive weight of the hot tub, water and people that sit in it.