How to Draw Joists Manually

By default, the Deck Builder auto-generates joists based on your deck layout settings. If you need a custom joist layout, you can draw them manually instead.

Preparation

1. Build your deck perimeter first.
2. Open the Manage Layers panel.
3. Hide the deck boards so you can see the framing clearly.
4. Make sure deck joists are set to visible.

Remove Auto-Generated Joists

1. Open the Tools panel.
2. Tap Remove All Joists to clear the existing layout.

From here you have two options: Auto-Generate Joists to let the app regenerate them, or Draw Joists Manually for full control.

Drawing Joists

1. Select Draw Joists Manually — the app will show recommended start locations spaced at your joist spacing setting from the deck layout.
2. Click and drag from a start point to draw your first joist.
3. Select an individual joist to see the spacing from the deck edge to the joist center.
4. Adjust the spacing if needed (e.g. set the first joist to 1 foot from the edge) — the recommendation circles will update accordingly.
5. Continue drawing joists throughout the layout, each one snapping to the recommended spacing from the last joist.

Adding End Blocking

1. Select the end circle at each side of your joist layout.
2. Add blocking at the ends on both sides.
3. When complete, tap Done.

Video Tutorial

Watch the full walkthrough: