Custom Decking Solutions in Adelaide
Tricky blocks, multi level layouts, built in seating, pergolas and outdoor rooms. If you can sketch it on a napkin, our carpenters can build it properly.
We design and build custom decks across Adelaide and the Hills: split level decks on sloping blocks, courtyard decks with built in seating, and decks with a pergola over the top. The deck itself usually runs $250 to $750 per m² depending on the board, with stairs, balustrades, seating and pergolas priced on top. Owner Shannon Ursino holds SA builder's licence BLD 339869.
Decks designed around your backyard
Not every backyard suits an off the shelf rectangle. Sloping blocks, established trees, pools and odd shaped courtyards all call for a deck designed around the space, and that is the work we enjoy most.
We design and build multi level decks, wrap around verandas, decks with built in seating and planters, privacy screens and pergolas over the top to make the space usable all year. You get one local team from measure up to handover, with the same 15+ years of carpentry behind every custom detail.
What you can expect from Adelaide Decks
Multi level and sloping blocks
Split level decks and stairs that turn awkward falls into usable outdoor space.
Built in extras
Bench seating, planter boxes, privacy screens and storage built into the deck itself.
Pergolas and shade
Pergolas and roofing built over the deck so you can use it in January and July alike.
Design help included
We measure, design and price the whole concept as part of your free quote.
What is included
Included
- Free site visit, measure up and design concept
- A fixed written quote for the whole design
- Engineered subfloor for sloping or awkward sites
- Built in seating, planters and screens as designed
- Pergolas and shade structures built with the deck
Not included or priced separately
- Council or building approval fees, where the design needs approval
- Electrical work for lighting or heaters (a licensed electrician is needed)
Approvals for raised decks and pergolas
Custom decks are more likely to need approval than a simple low deck, so we check it at the quote.
- Decks: generally exempt if no part is more than 500 mm above natural ground and no part is within 900 mm of a boundary. Higher or closer decks need approval.
- Pergolas: an open sided pergola with no solid roof is generally exempt if it is no higher than 4 m and not in front of the building line facing the street.
- Solid roofs: once a pergola gets a solid roof it is treated as a verandah, which needs approval.
- Balustrades: required at least 1 m high wherever someone could fall 1 m or more (National Construction Code).
Heritage places and some overlays have their own rules. Sources: the City of Marion fact sheet (July 2026) and the PlanSA approval tool.
What a custom deck costs
Custom work is priced on the design, but the deck itself starts from the same ranges as our standard decks. Balustrades, stairs, built in seating and pergolas are priced on top.
Treated pine deck
$250 to $400 /m²
The base deck in pine, before extras.
Hardwood deck
$350 to $600 /m²
Merbau, spotted gum or blackbutt, before extras.
Composite deck
$450 to $750 /m²
Low maintenance boards, before extras.
Guide ranges for a typical residential deck on a straightforward site, installed including the subfloor, current 2026. Complex sites, raised decks and premium boards sit above these ranges. See the full Adelaide decking cost guide.
How a deck job works
- 01Site visitShannon looks at your site, sun, soil and access, and how you want to use the space.
- 02Design and written quoteBoard options, layout and a fixed written quote, with honest advice on where to spend and save.
- 03The buildEngineered subfloor first, then boards, edges and details, with a clear timeframe and updates as it goes.
- 04Handover and aftercareOiled and sealed before handover, with straight advice on keeping it that way.
Frequently asked questions
Can you build a deck on a sloping block?
Yes. Sloping blocks are where a properly engineered subfloor earns its keep. We set out stumps and bearers to suit the fall, which often turns the most awkward part of a yard into its best entertaining space.
Can you add a pergola or roof over the deck?
We design and build pergolas and shade structures as part of the deck, so posts, footings and fixings are integrated from the start rather than bolted on later.
Do you help with the design?
Absolutely. Tell us how you want to use the space and we will measure up, talk through options and put a design and fixed quote together, free of charge.
Do raised decks and pergolas need council approval?
In South Australia a deck generally needs no development approval if no part of it is more than 500 mm above natural ground and no part is within 900 mm of a boundary. Higher decks, or decks closer to the fence, need approval, and heritage places and some overlays have their own rules (see this City of Marion fact sheet). Separately, the National Construction Code requires a balustrade at least 1 m high wherever someone could fall 1 m or more. You can check your own property with the PlanSA approval tool.
Custom decks for Adelaide backyards
Adelaide's geography practically begs for custom decking. The foothills and Hills suburbs like Belair, Blackwood and Athelstone are full of sloping blocks where a split level deck turns a steep, unusable yard into the best room of the house. Closer in, compact courtyard blocks around Bowden, Norwood and the city fringe reward decks with built in seating and planters that squeeze every metre out of the space.
And because South Australians live outdoors for eight months of the year, a pergola over the top is the upgrade we recommend most: shade in January, dry boards in July, and a deck you actually use all year round. For a feel for budgets before you sketch anything, start with our Adelaide decking cost guide.
What Adelaide homeowners say
Shannon built our pergola. Quality build, looks good, fair pricing. Shannon clearly has plenty of experience so his advice to any of our questions was spot on.
Thanks Shannon and team turning a dilapidated stable into an amazing outdoor studio. Couldn’t have done it without his skill and expertise. He took our tight timeline and performed some magic. Thanks Shannon.
I have no hesitation in highly recommending Shannon and his team, and I will definitely be utilising their services again in the future.
Schedule your free decking quote today
Tell us about your backyard and we will come back with an honest, no obligation quote. SA owned and operated, 15+ years experience.
Run by Shannon Ursino, licensed builder BLD 339869.
