Poole Composite Decking
Composite Decking in Poole
Last updated: October 2026
I'm Alfie Jaques, and DeckWorx is my business. I'm a City & Guilds-qualified carpenter, and I design and fit composite decking for Poole gardens, from Poole Park and Ashley Cross to Canford Cliffs and the harbour edge. I build the frame and lay the boards myself, one garden at a time, from a Bournemouth (BH2) base. Every price goes into a written, itemised quote before work starts.
One carpenter from the first visit to the last fixing. No subcontractors.
The Problem
Is composite decking worth it in Poole?
In my words: "It depends what look you're going for. If you want a more modern, cleaner look, go for composite." The other reason is water. "It's better at draining and it doesn't absorb as much water, which means it won't expand or rot."
That matters more in Poole than inland. Salt wind off the harbour and the bay is worst from October to March and reaches roughly a mile inland, and it dries and greys bare timber faster. A sheltered, sunny garden further in can do well in timber too, and I'll say so. My composite vs timber guide compares the two.
What Goes Wrong
The boards are only half the deck
Composite boards don't rot, but they sit on a frame, and the frame is where a Poole deck fails. Laid on blocks straight on the lawn, it moves with the ground. Around Canford Heath the soil is thin, free-draining sand; elsewhere clay swells and shrinks. British Geological Survey mapping shows the two alternating sharply, so the footing has to be chosen at your address.
Near the water, plain steel fixings rust in the salt air.
How I Build It
How I fit composite decking in Poole
- I check the ground and the address. Soil, slope, drainage, and whether the house is listed, a flat, or in a conservation area. If you're on clay, my guide to decking on Poole clay explains the footings.
- I build the frame to last as long as the boards. Any timber in the frame that touches the ground is Use Class 4 treated, the level made for timber in soil or permanent damp. Near the harbour, every fixing is marine-grade stainless steel.
- I keep it low where I can. Decking no more than 30cm above the ground usually needs no planning application, and a low deck close to the height of the back door is easier to step on and off. That counts for a lot here: 22% of people in the BCP area are 65 or over, against 18.7% nationally.
- I lay and finish it myself. The same person from the quote visit to the last board, with the site tidied at the end of each day.
- You get it in writing. Boards, frame, footings and fixings, all itemised before you decide.
Composite is one part of my decking and pergola services across Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch. See also my Poole decking page and Poole pergolas.
Planning, Plainly
Do I need planning permission for composite decking in Poole?
For a house, usually not. Decking is permitted development if it's no more than 30cm above the ground, none of it sits forward of the front of the house, and together with other extensions and buildings it covers no more than half the garden. The board material makes no difference to the rules.
Three things change the answer. In a conservation area, decking to either side of the house needs permission; Poole has 16 of BCP's conservation areas, including Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs Village, Evening Hill, Poole Park and Ashley Cross. Within the grounds of a listed building, no decking is permitted without consent. Flats and maisonettes don't get permitted development rights at all.
For a composite deck on a harbour-edge or Sandbanks garden, DeckWorx builds the frame with Use Class 4 timber where it meets the ground and marine-grade stainless fixings throughout, and keeps the deck under 30cm where the garden allows it.
Composite decking in Poole: the key facts
| Who builds it | Alfie Jaques, sole trader, City & Guilds-qualified carpenter |
|---|---|
| Areas covered | Poole, including Poole Park, Ashley Cross, Canford Cliffs and the harbour edge; not the Purbeck side of the harbour |
| Quote | Free visit, written and itemised |
| Planning height limit | 30cm above the ground for permitted development |
| Frame timber in the ground | Use Class 4 treated timber |
| Fixings near the water | Marine-grade stainless steel |
| Also fitted | Timber and hardwood decking, pergolas |
Straight Answers
A few straight answers
I'm new. I went straight from college into decking and pergolas, so I can't point you at years of past jobs. Judge me on a quote that lists every part of the build, and on the same person being on site throughout.
I won't push composite if it doesn't suit the garden. It costs more up front than timber, and for some gardens timber is the better call.
I cover Poole up to the harbour and don't cross it, so Swanage and the rest of Purbeck are outside my area.
Got Questions?
Composite Decking in Poole: FAQs
Is composite decking worth it in Poole?
It depends what look you're going for. If you want a modern, clean finish and less upkeep, composite suits a Poole garden well, especially near the harbour, where salt wind dries and greys bare timber faster. It drains better and absorbs less water than timber, so it won't swell or rot. A sheltered garden can do well in timber too.
Do I need planning permission for composite decking in Poole?
Usually not, for a house. Decking is permitted development if it's no more than 30cm above the ground, sits behind the front of the house, and with other buildings covers no more than half the garden. In a conservation area such as Sandbanks or Canford Cliffs Village, decking to either side of the house needs permission, and flats and listed buildings need permission for any decking.
Can composite boards go straight onto the ground?
No. Composite boards sit on a frame. Any timber in that frame that touches the ground is Use Class 4 treated, the level made for timber in soil or permanent damp, and I choose the footings after checking the ground at your address.
Do you fit composite decking in Sandbanks and near the harbour?
Yes. Near the water I use marine-grade stainless steel fixings throughout, because ordinary steel rusts in salt air. I cover Poole up to the harbour, but not the Purbeck side.
Get a Written Composite Decking Quote for Your Poole Garden
I'll check the ground, the levels and the address, then put the boards, frame and fixings in writing.
Or call me on 01202 144040