Waste is geometry, not superstition
Decking waste comes from cut-offs: how board lengths divide into your deck dimensions. A 12-foot deck built from 12-foot boards wastes almost nothing on length; the same deck from 16-foot boards wastes 25% of every board unless offcuts land somewhere useful.
A practical rule set
- Straight, rectangular layout, matching board lengths: 10% is a defensible baseline.
- Diagonal decking: plan 15% or more — every edge board is a cut.
- Picture-frame borders: count the border separately; it rarely shares offcuts with the field.
- Stairs and railings: take them off as their own lines rather than inflating field waste.
Write the number down
Whatever you choose, the waste percentage belongs in the estimate as a visible input. In Drevanto, waste is an explicit, editable field on material lines — so the assumption is reviewable before the proposal goes out.