is it CHEAPER to build a DECK, DIY style or to HIRE a contractor? 

Forget professional contractors...what you just did WAS professional. Nicely done and enjoy the compliments

Don’t put post in the concrete. Those are going to rot. Pour the pier and get the brackets that bolt the post to the pier and also keep them 1/2” or so off the ground.

I’ve built quite a few decks. You did a great job. Can’t say I’ve figured out a way to not be hunched over. Good way to keep rodents and snakes out is to keep it clean under there. Use landscaping to seal the remaining gap. I always think if there isn’t a food/ water supply, they won’t want to be there. But if there’s a will there’s a way.

built hundreds of decks, best advice for laying the boards and ur back, stand on the ground, not the deck, while you work, when possible, brings your work up to you a good bit depending on the decks lvl. there are some tools to make it so u can screw while standing, but they kind of suck, i jus do it the old fashion way.

Dude you absolutely crushed it! Well done.

Good job. I built my son's deck -- about half the size -- with two stairs and a railing. Saved my son about 8 or 9 thousand dollars. I got a hug out of it. :)

Your DIY tool kit is better then most contractors, Great job, my only criticism is you should have checked your bearers into your posts rather then screwing them. The whole sheer weight of that deck is on those screws when it could be sitting directly ontop or housed into the posts. Great work.

I absolutely agree with everything you said about vacation and home... Makes so much sense to me!!!😊 Plus you did an amazing job!!!❤

I agree 100% on your home being your main destination and using money on it instead of vacation.

I stumbled upon your channel from Tiktok, and I am hooked brother. We are kindred spirits, and I love watching creative and motivated people tackle awesome projects. I'm binging all your videos now! Keep it up man, love what you're doing, and how you're doing it.

Beautiful work! Thanks for sharing. I hope your family is enjoying your handiwork.

Vacations can add so much enrichment to your life if you stay away from tourist attractions. Go to a nearby National Forest and find some random place to have a dispersed campsite away from an organized campground. No cost for the campsite, take food you already have, just have to spend money on fuel and camping gear you can use for years and might come in handy when the power goes out. Nothing like unplugging for a few days and making some memories.

I love the little tabs on top of the joists, such a great idea.

Looks great. So relaxing and soothing to watch. And inspiring to do these jobs by myself too!

Dude that is a great finish. Awesome job. If only the weather here in the UK was good enough to warrant a deck that big.

Not only did you save big money, you did a fantastic job!! Well Done!!

Fantastic work, Donnie! It turned out amazing! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

Just WOW, amazing! Im seriously considering building deck on my own, this video is inspiring! Thank you for sharing!

Nothing more satisfying to accomplish something on your own, and improving your skills along the way. Nice work!

Great Job Donnie! Keep up the DIY !!!

I totally agree with your position on vacations and the cost, out of control for what you get(in my opinion) Im building my own deck right now, like you, had the same thoughts about hiring etc...WAY too expensive! Great job! plus I learned a few tricks watching you lay the joist for the picture frame. Liked and subscribed.

I like it! Would definitely DIY it and have. I tend to incorporate free materials in mine, sometimes it needs replacing sooner but like you said it’s my free time.

Looks really great !!! Congratulations !!! Greeetings from Argentina ! 🇦🇷

AMAZING deck! Seriously awesome work 🎉 I also totally understand your thoughts behind traveling. That said, I make less than $85k a year with a family of five and we find ways to travel abroad for half of the year! It’s all about motivations and sacrifices. Our house is definitely lacking on the beauty front, but it has a solid foundation, new roof, windows, and doors, and it is filled with travel memories and photos 🙌🏻 It’s not for everyone, but I wouldn’t trade our crazy lifestyle for anything else (and I’m sure you would say the same 😄).

The trouble you went to with the joists to get a flat plane is admirable. However the way you set the posts on some gravel instead of frost free footers will eventually cause the deck to settle and most likely not evenly. Like another commenter mentioned the posts should be resting on concrete not encased in it. By doing so the PT 4x4 will rot because it will take much longer for the wood to dry after a weather event. For your and everyone else who might read this I will say that a post can rest on a buried footer of it is done properly. But the best way is to pour the footer to above grade then add a post bracket that is anchored to the footer. This really is the best way since the formula of chemicals that is used to preserve wood was changed to eliminate arsenic some years ago. The new AZQ does not work as good as the old CCA which is why it is recommended to use the flashing tape on to of the joists to prevent water intrusion into the boards. If you had hired a experienced and knowledgeable professional then you would know that the posts and footers were done right. That is the most crucial structural element of any build. As you did it you have to cross your fingers and hope for the best. Good luck with that.

Just took my family of 5 to Disney, Sea World, spring training ball game and water park. Drove from Canada and whole trip was less than $5gs Cnd. Love the deck and video for saving money. I did this with a 80’ fence a few years ago. $4500 quote completed for $1950 DIY!! (And I have new tools)

I’ve always done my own Reno’s you know it’s going to get done right no corners cut and that feeling of accomplishment when your done is hard to beat and you’ve done a killer job it looks perfect

For the wildlife that may want to nest underneath: You can fasten 1/8” galvanized steel screening along the lower perimeter of the deck and dig down 3’ + 3ft 90 degrees out from the deck, then fill back in with same dirt or whatever.

That looks absolutely incredible! Well done!

Great job, this gives me the inspiration to redo my back deck, I was quoted 19k and I estimate around 6k in materials, I just need to make the time for it now, I love the way you did the frame.

Great project. Once we get to settle in one place, i plan on doing the same thing. Make your home the place that you want to "get away to" and you'll be happy all the time.

It is fun to travel in Europe😅 But I am still enjoying what you do too, there is no conflicts. Wow, your work is amazing❤

Little bit off topic. Had a 2 / 3 story English Basement "walk out" house with a hill from basement floor level to next floor. The original berm wall was railroad ties. UGLY and becoming rotten. Contractor cost to redo was $14,000 in 2000. Went to local stone supplier. Cost for blocks, needed other stuff + delivery to front of house was less than $4,000. Soil removed was pure black dirt. Made a nice raised garden with it .Took most of summer to excavate, reinforce soil, prep, and install block. Wall was 4 1/2 ft high x 24ft length.

Wow, man I really love the way you do things. Beautiful deck!

I believe the building code in my area won’t let you hold the deck up with bolts or screws. The frame would be resting on top of the support post not bolted to the side of them. Deck looks good though, nice work.

Hey bud! That was an absolutely intelligent, esthetic, and beautiful build! Great work! Enjoy your pool and beautiful deck with your family. Cheers!

Great job. You are the man!

Whoever taught this guy how to do this was knew what they were doing. This is awesome

What exceptional craftsmanship. Excellent job!

Incredible build! I need that cement mixer!

Honestly, you crushed it man well done! Personally I love traveling; we mostly go out of season to avoid crowds, but sometimes it's awesome to experience something new with a huge group of fellow humans. Hey! You can have the deck and the vacation too considering what you saved!!! All the more reason to DIY :D

Awesome job.. that deck looks amazing! • On the intro, I’m from Louisiana but it’s really like Texas border so I’ve been to Buc-ee’s quite a bit. I’ll say this when traveling that is absolutely the place to stop, the gas is priced reasonably ( Sams club prices), the bathrooms are always immaculate. Those bathrooms are so clean it’s like a hospital lol. They have a wide variety of snacks, food, drinks to restock for the road or get a decent meal in. - Taking selfies there is wild. -• The vacation perspective is all matter of how you grew up, lived and are you doing it within your means. I never had a vacation growing up the closest thing to that was Class Field Trips to the Zoo or NASA. I’m extremely frugal, all I do is work and stay home. So much so I only fill my truck up once every 10-14 days lol sometimes longer than that. When I was working full time at a casino and a full time college student I had my first solo vacation to Vegas spent in 08’ flight and room was $700. I won $2800 second night entire trip was paid for and I and winnings. I’ve had other trips to LA, San Diego, Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa, Fl. Those trips were more pricey as couples trips but when you work as much as we do it’s good to decompress sometimes. My home is on peers so I’ve always wanted a back deck, so I could walk out my French doors sit out back or grill on the back deck. Had a cheaper Pit rust and rot because water pools in the backyard from heavy rain so this would alleviate that problem as well. My home was recently renovated from past hurricane damage. They did a good job but for the total of 170k I feel like the whole home should have been touched up. I got no improvements in the kitchen. Did not remove a wall to make it open. No talks for the back deck. My front deck was rebuilt a made even better I’d prefer to bbq in the back though.

I think it came out fantastic. I would use some large stone, with Nichole riprap put around the base to hide blackboards that you put up. It will also also help her critters from getting there.

Great job on the deck build. Only thing I didn’t like was putting posts down into concrete like a fence post. That’s gonna be a tough repair being that the deck is so close to the ground. You shouldn’t have to worry about it for another 10 years. Make sure you have good drainage and airflow under the deck.

Nice work! Turned out great! Looks like a fun project. Wish I had the space for something like this.

Wow you nailed it man, excellent work! My only critique is the math you shared. $50-$60/sqft for a 400sqft deck would come out to $20k-$24k, not $15k-$16k. This makes your savings even more intense!

Great job dude! I enjoyed this video

Great deck bro...very nicely done. Muscle relaxers and plenty drinking water; and stretches. You have to build up endurance and flexibility NOT to get those pains. Keep doin well👊

I think many people would agree with me that this is beyond DIY work 😂. I criticized you in my head, but that was all jealousy thought of how my work would not come even close to half of this. Such great works.

This job is pro af. Nothing diy about this. Loved the joist jig for easy positioning. I wish I would've done that.

Great job, you absolutely nailed it ( no pun intended )!

Awesome work btw!! the new tape they use ive done it before and havent and im not sure how i feel about it yet, the house and wood needs to breath, sometimes the tape actually traps water and doesnt allow it to evaporate and dry so im not sure how it will actually work out but well see in the next 25 years wont we, great job btw!

You killed it nice work I’ve seen pros not do as well

It’s beautiful!!!

Very nice job! Do you mind listing what materials you used in the description, IE: Trex composite deck or which? Thanks for the info

That is a beautiful deck and I appreciated your desire to keep animals out. I have a shed and those little boogers found every weak point I had on the low side of the deck. Skunks loves porches, decks and air conditioners, especially air conditioners. If you really want to keep them out get some hardware cloth at a hardware store of all places. Dig about 8 inches into the ground all around your deck. Nail half of it below ground and the other half above ground. Make sure the corners are overlapped. That might keep them out but only time will tell. Chipmunks also like these same places. I had one find a one inch hole by my garage door and he used it for a long time until he filled the whole area up with his food store. I am never telling the next homeowner about this. Now you have the inside skinny on it. Good luck. note: gravel helps keep the skunks out. They don't like digging in gravel for long. You might consider a railing around the back of it. The first kid that falls off and you might get sued. All you need is one crazy mother going off on you and they are out there not to mention kids don't listen.

Very nicely done looks great. And I share your stay home and enjoy your life philosophy.

DIY is great if you have all the tools. You did a great job and having all the right tools is a part of that. My problem is that to do a one-off project like your deck, which I am contemplating and why I watched your video I need the tools only once and that is expensive. Unfortunately where I am I do not have the luxury of hiring any gear. Well done though.

Great job, jaw-dropping actually

Awesome work man!

Nice work. looks great.

Great meticulous framing and deck board installation. ? When you cut the decking with the track saw, prior to installing the "middle board", how did you prevent cutting into the black tape on top of the framing?

@5:00 I can totally relate to lower back pain. I’m 6’3” and sometimes I feel like a giraffe, squatting to do floor work. Dude you crushed it! Excellent work AND you saved $11,000 if you hired a contractor 🤯

Good job. The only suggestion I have is that not all wood is square if you're going to home depot / Lowes. Please make sure its not warped or have a curve on the short side to it by placing the lumber on the floor whereever you are getting your lumber from to make sure its not bad.

Very nice job and I would DYI it if I did not have 5 back surgeries. Again great job and enjoyed your video.

Looks great. I didn't think you could countersink screws in composite that has the scallops on the underside. Is there something I'm missing?

Bro you killed it! Nice

Holy smokes you did a good job on that is that composite decking your using?

Great work, Mate. To keep critters out of the underside, have you considered putting a river rock boarder around the base? It'll still let any water drain out, but keep animals from entering.

Looks great!

International travel. That's where I spend my money. Domestic not so much. I have seen the USA and it's okay but International travel is amazing. But I still do DIY projects and loved your video!

I have a deck with composite surface built in 2011, some joists that are rotten at the top, due to the fact that a composite dock does not get stain. My old deck had joists from 1993 and were still in good shape.

Closing off the sides of underneath the deck limits air circulation and will promote wood rotting, especially if you didn’t seal the cut ends of the treated lumber. I bought a house that had the deck built the same way, and it is all rotted after less than 10 years. Also burying the posts in concrete makes it difficult to replace in the future. Suggest to use those post anchors so posts stay above ground level.

Deck came out great. Great work. New subscriber. 👍🏿

It looks good, but the beams shouldn’t be fastened by bolts on the posts like that. The beams should rest on top of the beams with Simpson plates to join the two together. There are lots of code books out there for free to use as reference.

Great job on the deck! 👍👍 With that said there should have been permit costs. We left out costs like material delivery Debris removal That track saw alone is 650-700$. You saved a large sum of money but it was less then 11,000$

Nice, I go to Lowe's a lot myself for the Military discount as well as the Lowe's reward points.

I rebuilt my back deck which is 12ft high near the end of 2022. I had a contractor come out and quote it and he quoted $20k. I did the whole project for $4k, and that's with Trex decking. I did tape all the tops of the joists as well and it was a pain, but I'm planning on this deck outliving me so it was worth the effort. Taping joists while 12 feet off the ground was "fun".

Turned out great, well done! My only concern would be water drainage.

I agree with most of everything you said except the Disney thing, I took my family of 4 not including me and my wife for 3 days and we only spend 2500. Including airfare and hotel and a rental car. Great job on the deck.

Amazing. Probably a better job than the professional. Looks great

It is beautiful

Do you have any plans that you used? I would love them

What does adhd have to do with it? Hyper focus? Great job! Plus look at what you learned

To avoid critters going under it, try really small wire net, like chicken coop wire but finer wholes and it would be best if you can lock it underground and make it reach before you put the skirt you painted.

that is incredible and kinda inspires me to DIY mine (once I have the funds)

I liked your method for getting straight lines with the picture frame. Its too late for me but I cut all of my boards first, not noticing that my miter saw 0 was not actually zero'd, so all of my boards have a slight miter to them. Its a $700 mistake I am willing to live with at this point. Also, I've been all over the world traveling, something about being in your own backyard that no corner of the world (or Buckey's) can replicate, and why I also invest time and money into my personal oasis.

This took 2 weeks? Bbut it only took 9 minutes to watch. It was a pleasure to look at, greit editing 👍

Amazing and job well done 👍👍👍

ground level deck, sure this is a good job. any deck more then 2 feet off the ground this wouldn't pass building code.

Hilti makes a deck screw gun, standup operation. I’ve only used them on steel deck, but I imagine they work just as well on wood

Some things were definitely overkill, but there's nothing wrong with that. Good job and looks great.

@joshcortright says don’t put post in the concrete. Also, maybe a stronger connection than simply screwing girder to post. Wonderful craftsmanship but less inadequate connections and footings.

Wow, that’s awesome. Just out of curiosity, why did you choose to not make it level with the patio?

Pressure treated lumber is 10-15 years before it starts to rot for deck boards, the joists usually last longer. But WILL rot where the screws go in....unless you put that seal strip on which blocks water from following the screw into the wood.

Mortgage is like a travel! Very well said!

My preference, the main headers should be sitting on the post and not relying on the side screws to hold the vertical load. You can do that with notching the post or sitting on post.

That is nice job the onky problem i have and that is being europian is 400 feet when you say it it sounds like a football stadium in fact is only around 12 square meters that is like nothing.but if you can do it yourself well done i love it

Way nicer than I could have made it lol. Looks awesome dude!

Tell me how it feels next time when the sun is scorching hot? Secondly, pools without fences, are these widespread in the U. S or varies according to state?