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Nothing really compares with that feeling you get when you enter on a sunny vacation day your house deck. The kids are playing around, your friends are having a good time and you are getting ready to do the barbeque.

We want to help you create your dream deck so we decided to search for the best deck design software that we could find at the moment. We made a list with quite a few and we separated them into free and paid options so that you can choose the best one.

If you were looking for some ideas about what some of the best deck design software providers are out there this read should be a must for you. Take a look and see for yourself because we think they can really help you out creating your concepts in a clear way.

Here are our 10 best deck design software options that you can choose from and start creating your own deck ideas.

Garden Deck Design Software – What You Need To Know

Until we jump to the list here is a bit more information about what features you need to expect when you get a deck design software. You can choose from a lot and here are some factors to consider:

  • What do you need, do you want a basic one or a full design package that will help you with future projects as well?
  • How much time do you have free for learning it? One of the main features that you should check is how fast the program can be used or how long it can take one to figure it out?
  • Full design packages for sure are going to take more time and they cost more usually around $2,000 to $ 4,000 but basic ones are around $20 – $300.
  • What tools will you get? Each software has its own standard tools some of them are better for certain projects and some not really, check this aspect out.
  • How specialized is the software that you are using? There are deck design software options that focus only on this type of projects but sometimes some of the best ones that you could find might focus on architectural design or even landscaping.

Best Free Deck Design Software

Let’s have a look at the free tools that we can choose from and start building the ideas that we have in our mind.

Azek Deck Designer

d2 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

Using this free deck design software, you can start finding inspiration and creating a 3D layout. It has 140+ products that can be chosen from using AZEK and TimberTech. They will always allow users to test out the software and it can be downloaded in the app store for iPads.

Lowes Deck Designer + Planner

d11 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

If you want to use this deck design software you need to have some other programs installed prior to it. Adobe Acrobat 3.0 and Java 1.4 are the ones that you need to have. You will be able to start from zero or with a pre-designed deck that you can take advantage off.

After that you can design the dream deck that you had in your mind so why not go for it right away.

Trex Deck Design

d3-1 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

One of the best deck design software that you can get your hands on for free is the Trex design software that allows you to use either a desktop or a mobile device. You will choose the deck dimensions, colors and a list of materials that will be generated for you.

Their software will explain the various parts of the deck so you don’t have to worry that you are going to run in a problem. Their experts are available and can help you with anything.

Probably the single disadvantage of this deck-building software is the fact that the only materials that are being used in the project are the ones that TREX brand has and this means you will lower options.

Decks.com Deck Designer

d5-1 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

Decks.com is a great way that you can use to start on figuring out how you want the layout of the deck to look. You can drop in different shapes in order to create an overall layout and get side views to adjust the height plan.

This deck design software is going to offer you the entire material list that you need for the project. To use this software, you will be required to register in order to create and save projects. This is a free program that can be found on decks.com

BigHammer

d5 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

Disclaimer: BigHammer only works with Internet Explorer

We considered on our best deck design software list BigHammer because it offers a great chance to see your deck together with everything that is going to be around it. You can add landscaping to the scene and customize it with photos of your own home and yard.

BigHammer offers over 70 deck templates that you can play around with and create your design. After you get the design you want it will give you a complete list of all the stuff that you need in order to complete the project that you have in mind.

Best Paid Deck Design Software

If you are ambitious enough and want to build your deck on a budget then you will appreciate a tool that can do more for you. If you have bigger plans get the package that fits what you need.

Idea Spectrum

d8 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

This is a deck-building software that is considered to be premium because it focuses on landscaping, pools, gardens, and deck. Other features that it has is that it offers access to pre-built pools, 15 different national brands, you can import models so these things really make it one of the best programs to use and the graphics are amazing.

They offer 3 tiers to choose from and what is great about their pricing is that the most expensive one, the Architect can be used by professionals only and this means that a non-professional gets more out of their features for far less money than they go for.

Chief Architect

d6 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

The Chief Architect is one of the leading developers or publishers of 3D Architectural home design and they also developed software for landscape design. Chief Architect makes it easy to start your deck designs.

Being one of the best deck design software it also comes with a cool 360-degree panorama all in full 3D so this means that you will know completely how your deck is going to look.

SketchUp

d7 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

SketchUp is mostly used in educational and professional settings so this means it is available in a free version and a pro one. It is one of the biggest deck design software that you can find.

The free version of it can be used to design a lot of stuff but if you want something more robust and like the Sketchup platform you can upgrade to the pro one. With it, you will be able to create amazing drawings and make them be accurate and very detailed.

SmartDraw

d10 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

CNET editors gave this program a 5-star rating. So, for sure, we have to consider it one of the best deck design software that we can get in online. You can add different elements using a drag and drop function.

The graphics that are included are from plants and flowers to all kinds of tubs, furniture and many more. This means you will be able to create complex things by using it and chances are big you will be able to do your job when you start using SmartDraw.

Punch! Landscaping Design

d9 The best deck design software you can get to create cool decks

We are very happy with Punch! With it, we will have decent options for designing a deck and it is ideal also when we are designing a home because it can help us with the design of the deck. This will also let you change the landscape and see different ideas that you might take advantage of. Check it out, for sure it can have exactly what you need.

Ending thoughts on best deck design software

In conclusion, some of the best deck design software choices can be found in the above. Remember to always do the planning first in order to come up with the design that suits your needs.

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