Steel-framed decks for sloping Brisbane blocks
For a yard that falls away from the back door, or a floor that needs to sit level with the house. We engineer it to the site, then one licensed team gets it approved and builds it.
QBCC Licence [00000]Licensed Queensland builder
[4.9] from [NN] reviewsGoogle Business Profile
2–6 weeks approvalWe lodge it and chase it
[6 & 15-year] warrantiesStructural and material
Why the frame is steel
A deck has a frame and a surface. Most people spend their time choosing the surface, like hardwood or composite. The frame is what decides whether the deck is still flat in ten years.
Timber framing shrinks and twists, especially through a Queensland summer. That is what causes springy boards and popped screws a few years in.
A steel frame stays put. On a sloping block it lets the footings carry the load, so no bearer has to span further than it should. You can still put a hardwood surface on top, and plenty of people do.
When you need a deck
- The ground falls away. If the back door opens onto a drop, you need a raised platform. This is the most common reason people call us about a deck.
- The floor level needs to match. If you have to step down out of the house, the outdoor area feels cut off from the inside.
- You want the space covered too. We design the deck and the patio roof together as one job. Adding a roof later usually means strengthening the frame first.
- When a patio is the better fit. If the ground is flat and there is already a slab, you do not need a deck. A patio roof over the slab costs less and does the same job, and we will tell you so.
One team, from the first measurement to the last screw
We do the design, engineering, council approval and construction ourselves, so nothing gets handed to someone else halfway through.
Design
We come to your place, measure it, and design around your roofline and the fall of the land.
Engineering
Every structure is engineered to its span and its site, and certified.
Council approval
We prepare and lodge the application for you.
Construction
Our own team builds it, and the people who quoted it are the ones on site.
Warranty
[6 years structural, 15 years on materials].
What a steel deck costs
There is no starting price on this page because we have not advertised one long enough to stand behind it. These are the things that set the price.
- Height off the ground. This is the biggest driver. A deck at first-floor level needs balustrades and footings that a deck 400mm off level ground does not.
- Size and span. Every extra metre of unsupported span means heavier steel underneath.
- Decking material. The frame is steel either way. On top you can have hardwood, treated pine or composite, and that choice changes the cost and the upkeep over the next ten years.
- Ground conditions. Slope, fill, rock or reactive soil all mean more footing work, and footings are most of a deck.
- Whether it gets a roof. Plenty of our decks have a patio roof over them. It costs less to decide that up front than to add the roof later, because we can design the frame to carry it.
- Approval. Council looks at raised decks more closely than ground-level structures. We handle the application, and it adds to the timeline.
You get a fixed price before you commit, and it stays fixed. The deposit is [5–10%], then progressive payments as the work goes up, so you only pay for what has been built.
Tap anything that applies to your place.
- Steel deckpriced to your site
or call 07 3276 8899
We look after the council side
Most decks need council approval. They get more attention than a ground-level patio because the height and the drop below bring in balustrade requirements.
Boundary setbacks work the same as for any other structure. You can build to 500mm with your neighbour's written agreement. Approval usually takes 2–6 weeks.
We prepare the drawings, lodge the application and deal with the council. A certifier inspects and signs off the finished structure.
How council approval worksHow long it takes
| Stage | How long |
|---|---|
| Design and quote | [TBC] |
| Council approval, where needed | 2–6 weeks |
| Build | About 2 weeks |
| Installation | Up to 10 weeks from order |
The kind of work we do
Steel-framed decks around Brisbane, most of them with a roof over the top.
Recent decks
Ipswich
- Structure
- Steel-framed deck with stairs
- Size
- 5.5m × 3.6m
- Timeline
- 10 weeks start to handover
- Cost band
- $18k–$24k
Project details are illustrative pending confirmed case studies.
Common questions about steel decks
Why a steel frame instead of timber?
Steel does not warp, twist, rot or get eaten, and it stays straight for the life of the deck. Timber framing on a Queensland deck moves, and that is what causes springy boards and popped screws a few years in. You can still have timber decking on top if you like the look. It is the frame underneath that is better in steel.
What is the difference between a deck and a patio?
A patio is a covered area over an existing slab or ground-level surface. A deck is an elevated platform with its own structure, used where the ground falls away or the floor level needs to match the house. Plenty of jobs are both. See patios.
Do I need council approval for a deck?
Usually, and more often than for a ground-level patio, because height and the drop below it bring balustrade requirements into play. We prepare and lodge the application as part of the build.
Can you put a roof over an existing deck?
Sometimes. It depends on what is under the boards. A frame built to carry people is not always strong enough to carry a roof and the wind load that comes with it. Send us a photo and we will tell you whether it is a roof job or a rebuild.
How much does a steel deck cost?
It depends far more on height and ground conditions than on floor area, so we do not put a single number on this page. We will give you a fixed price after we have measured. For a sense of how we price a structure, our carports start at $12,000.
Tell us about your place
Send us your address and a rough idea of what you want covered. We'll come out, measure it and give you a fixed price.
Prefer to talk? 07 3276 8899
- Licensed Queensland builder, QBCC Licence [00000]
- A fixed price before anything starts
- Council application prepared and lodged by us
- [6 & 15-year] structural and material warranties