Count the lumber, concrete, hangers, post bases and screws for a deck, shed or fence, then price them with real BC shelf prices, each linked to its source and dated.
Prices captured: September 25, 2026. Every price on this page was read from a public Home Depot Canada product page for the Nanaimo, BC store (#7040) on that date. They are regional BC prices, they change often, and they exclude GST, PST, environmental fees and delivery. Where we could not read a real price, the line says check local price. No price here is invented or averaged.
Permit and engineering come first. This tool counts boards and bags; it does not design anything or check spans. Confirm whether you need a permit, and get joist, beam, post and footing sizes from the BC Building Code span tables, your city’s deck handout or a designer before you price or buy. Start with how to get a deck permit in BC or deck and shed rules by city.
Pick deck, shed or fence, enter your dimensions and choices, and the table updates. Quantities round up to whole pieces, bags and boxes. The total only adds lines that have a captured price.
These three tables were produced by the same calculator code at build time, so they show without JavaScript. Use them as a sense check for your own numbers.
16 ft x 10 ft deck, 30" high, 2x8 joists at 16", PT decking, attached, 10% waste.
| Item | Qty | Each | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| PT 2x8 x 12' joists (16" on centre) | 15 piece | $26.60 | $399.00 |
| PT 2x8 x 12' ledger + rim joist | 5 piece | $26.60 | $133.00 |
| PT 2x10 x 12' for doubled beam | 5 piece | $36.57 | $182.85 |
| PT 6x6 x 8' posts (ground contact) | 3 piece | $41.46 | $124.38 |
| 10" x 4 ft cardboard form tubes (sonotubes) | 3 tube | $13.74 | $41.22 |
| Concrete mix, 30 kg bags | 13 bag | $8.45 | $109.85 |
| 6x6 standoff post bases (ABA66Z) | 3 piece | $32.10 | $96.30 |
| Face-mount joist hangers for 2x8 | 13 piece | $2.38 | $30.94 |
| Hanger connector screws, 100-pc box | 2 box | $13.98 | $27.96 |
| Ledger fasteners and ledger flashing | — | check local price | — |
| PT 5/4x6 x 12' deck boards | 47 piece | $12.20 | $573.40 |
| #8 x 2-1/2" deck screws, 1,200-pc box | 1 box | $59.78 | $59.78 |
| 16d hot-galvanized framing nails, 1.5 kg box (~151) | 1 box | $27.78 | $27.78 |
| Guards (railings), posts and guard connectors | — | check local price | — |
| Stairs, stringers, landing and handrail | — | check local price | — |
| Priced items total | $1,806.46 |
This does not check spans. Joist, beam and post sizes must come from BCBC Part 9 span tables, the city's deck handout or a designer.
8 ft x 10 ft shed, 8 ft walls, 4:12 gable roof, 10% waste.
| Item | Qty | Each | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| PT 4x4 x 8' skids (ground contact) | 7 piece | $17.32 | $121.24 |
| PT 2x6 x 12' floor joists (16" on centre) | 8 piece | $17.98 | $143.84 |
| PT 2x6 x 8' floor rim joists | 3 piece | $11.98 | $35.94 |
| 5/8" (19/32) T&G OSB floor, 4x8 | 3 sheet | $24.98 | $74.94 |
| SPF 2x4 x 8' studs (16" on centre) | 43 piece | $3.98 | $171.14 |
| SPF 2x4 x 8' wall plates (bottom + double top) | 16 piece | $3.98 | $63.68 |
| SPF 2x6 x 8' rafters (24" on centre, 4:12 gable) | 14 piece | $7.98 | $111.72 |
| SPF 2x6 x 8' ridge board | 3 piece | $7.98 | $23.94 |
| SPF 2x4 x 8' rafter ties | 7 piece | $3.98 | $27.86 |
| LP SmartSide 4x8 siding panels | 11 sheet | $64.88 | $713.68 |
| 7/16" OSB roof sheathing, 4x8 | 5 sheet | $12.98 | $64.90 |
| Architectural shingles, bundles (33.3 sq ft each) | 5 bundle | $43.23 | $216.15 |
| Synthetic roof underlayment, 500 sq ft roll | 1 roll | $39.64 | $39.64 |
| 16d hot-galvanized framing nails, 1.5 kg box (~151) | 3 box | $27.78 | $83.34 |
| Sheathing, siding and roofing nails; drip edge; flashing | — | check local price | — |
| Door, windows, trim, paint; gravel or block pad | — | check local price | — |
| Priced items total | $1,892.01 |
Shed framing here is a common light-frame layout used for estimating only. Check your city's size, height and setback limits for accessory buildings before you buy anything.
50 ft of 6 ft privacy fence, PT boards, posts at 8 ft, 10% waste.
| Item | Qty | Each | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| PT 4x4 x 10' posts (ground contact) | 8 piece | $21.40 | $171.20 |
| Concrete mix, 30 kg bags | 25 bag | $8.45 | $211.25 |
| PT 2x4 x 8' rails | 24 piece | $7.91 | $189.84 |
| PT 1x6 x 6' fence boards | 121 piece | $4.75 | $574.75 |
| #8 x 2" deck screws, 500-pc box (boards) | 2 box | $42.98 | $85.96 |
| #8 x 2-1/2" deck screws, 350-pc box | 1 box | $36.98 | $36.98 |
| Gates, gate hardware, post caps, gravel for hole bottoms | — | check local price | — |
| Priced items total | $1,269.98 |
Call BC 1 Call before you dig post holes. Check fence height limits and whether your city wants a permit for tall fences or fences on retaining walls.
Captured September 25, 2026. Each product name links to the retailer page it came from. Prices are for one store and can differ at other stores, online, or on sale days. Before GST/PST and delivery. This table is also saved as a JSON data file.
We looked for public BC product pages with a readable shelf price. On September 25, 2026: RONA pages returned a bot check to our requests; Windsor Plywood and Dick’s Lumber online catalogues showed $0.00 (quote on request); Home Hardware pages load prices with scripts we could not read; Canadian Tire refused the request; Kent operates in Atlantic Canada, not BC. So this edition uses a single retailer and store. Prices at independent yards can be lower, especially for cedar and bulk lumber, so get a quote.
Treat the output as a shopping list draft and a budget range, not a price quote. The quantity takeoff is the useful part: it tells you roughly how many joists, deck boards, posts, bags of concrete, hangers and boxes of screws a project of your size needs. The cost column then turns that list into dollars using real shelf prices from one BC store on one day. Your real bill will differ because prices move, because your store may stock different lengths or grades, and because the design you get approved may use different sizes than the calculator assumed.
A sensible way to use it: first, confirm your permit situation and get a framing plan (from span tables, a city handout, or a designer). Second, set the calculator to match that plan: the same joist size and spacing, the same number of beams, the same footing depth and tube size. Third, compare the quantities against your plan and adjust anything that does not match, for example if your plan has two beams on an attached deck or posts at 6 ft instead of 8 ft. Fourth, take the list to two or three suppliers and ask for a quote on the whole package; lumber yards often discount a full order. Finally, add a contingency. For a small deck or shed, 10 to 15 percent on top of materials is a common planning cushion for price changes, extra trips and mistakes.
If you are comparing pressure-treated and cedar, run the deck twice and change only the deck boards. On capture day the cedar 5/4x6x12 board cost about twice the pressure-treated board, so on a typical deck the choice moves the total a lot more than joist spacing does. For fences, compare privacy and spaced styles the same way: spaced boards use roughly 40 percent fewer boards but the posts, rails and concrete stay the same.
The waste factor adds a percentage to lumber, sheet goods, shingles and concrete to cover cutting offcuts, split or crooked boards you reject, and small layout changes. The default is 10 percent, which is a common planning figure for simple rectangular decks, sheds and straight fences. Raise it to 15 percent or more for diagonal deck boards, picture-frame borders, angled corners, fences that step down a slope, or if you are new to the work. Lower it only if you have a detailed cut list. Hardware such as joist hangers and post bases is counted exactly and gets no waste; screws are counted with the waste added and then rounded up to whole boxes, so you will usually have some left over. Concrete is rounded up to whole bags after the waste is added; buy a spare bag or two anyway because holes are rarely perfect cylinders.
These are estimating assumptions, not code requirements. Your approved plan overrides all of them.
Prices on this page are refreshed about monthly. The “Prices captured” date at the top always tells you how old they are.
Every price was read from a public Home Depot Canada product page for the Nanaimo, BC store (#7040) on September 25, 2026. Each product in the price table links to its page. Nothing is averaged or invented; items without a readable price say check local price.
No. They are shelf prices before GST, PST, environmental fees and delivery. They also change often, and other stores or retailers may charge more or less.
No. It counts materials for the sizes you choose. Joist, beam, post and footing sizes must come from the BC Building Code Part 9 span tables, your city’s deck handout or a designer. Check the permit and design first.
Ten percent is a common planning figure for simple rectangular projects. Use 15 percent or more for diagonal decking, borders, angles, sloped fences or if you are new to the work.
We could only read real, current BC shelf prices from Home Depot Canada’s product pages on capture day. Other retailers blocked automated reading or showed quote-only $0.00 prices. Independent yards may be cheaper, so get quotes.
Those items depend on your design (ledger fasteners, guards, stairs) or vary too much to count (gates, doors, windows, trim). Price them from your plan.
Independent information only. This guide is a planning aid, not legal, engineering or building-code advice. Codes and bylaws change, and the building official for your address has the final say. Confirm every requirement before you design, apply or dig.
This guide relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked September 25, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.