Bournemouth Decking
Garden Decking in Bournemouth
Last updated: October 2026
DeckWorx is Alfie Jaques, a City & Guilds qualified carpenter based in Bournemouth (BH2). I design and build composite and timber garden decking, pergolas and pagodas for homes across Bournemouth, from Westbourne to Southbourne. I work on one garden at a time with no subcontractors, and every job starts with a free, fixed-price quote, written out item by item.
A new business with one builder. You deal with me from the first visit to the last board.
Your Garden
What makes a Bournemouth garden different to build on?
Along the West Cliff and East Cliff, and beside Alum, Middle, Durley and Boscombe chines, a lot of gardens slope towards the sea. A raised deck is often the only way to get a level space, and the footings need more thought than on a flat lawn. The ground changes too: the British Geological Survey maps sand and clay layers that switch sharply across the area, so I dig a trial hole before choosing the footing.
Near the sea, salt-laden south-westerly wind greys timber and rusts the wrong fixings. Inland, in Talbot Woods, the problem is shade, damp and leaf fall under tall trees.
The Rules
Do I need planning permission for decking in Bournemouth?
Often not, if you live in a house. For a house, the Planning Portal says decking needs no application when it is no more than 30cm above the ground, none of it is in front of the main front wall, and together with other extensions and outbuildings it covers no more than half the garden.
Three common Bournemouth situations change that. Flats and maisonettes don't get those rights at all, and plenty of the Victorian villas in Westbourne, Southbourne and Boscombe Manor are now split into flats. Inside the grounds of a listed building, no decking is allowed without consent. And in BCP Council's 48 conservation areas, including Westbourne and West Cliff, decking at the side of the house needs permission.
I check your address before I design anything. My guide to planning permission for decking in Bournemouth goes through each case.
How I Build
How do I build a deck that lasts in Bournemouth?
Decks and pergolas are all I build, so the time goes into the frame … the part you never see once the boards are down. My first build was the deck and pagoda at my family's home. It came out well, and the one thing I'd change was the stud work underneath.
Any post that goes into the soil is Use Class 4 treated, the treatment level meant for timber in permanent ground contact. And I cut the joints rather than leaning on brackets: "I don't just lay them on top. I actually cut out the joints." Near the coast, fixings are marine-grade stainless, because ordinary steel rusts in salt air.
Composite or timber? It depends what look you're going for. Timber gives a natural finish you can stain. For a more modern, cleaner look, go for composite: it drains better, doesn't soak up as much water and won't rot. The full comparison is in my composite vs timber decking guide for the south coast.
22% of BCP residents are 65 or over, against 18.7% nationally (2021 Census), so low steps and level access from the house are worth planning in at the start.
Decking is one part of what I build. See all my decking, pergola and pagoda services across Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.
Around Bournemouth
Westbourne, Talbot Woods and the Cliffs
Three parts of town, three different starting points for a deck.
Westbourne
Villa flats and conservation: Westbourne is one of BCP's conservation areas, and many of its Victorian villas are now flats. A flat's garden needs planning permission even for a low deck, and I'll tell you that before you spend anything.
Talbot Woods
Shade and protected trees: Meyrick Park and Talbot Woods is a conservation area with a lot of mature trees. Work affecting a protected tree needs BCP Council's permission first (free, 8 weeks). I plan posts around the roots.
Cliffs and chines
Slopes and sea air: From Alum Chine round to Southbourne, clifftop and chine-side gardens often slope and take the salt wind. Raised frames here get footings chosen after a trial hole, and marine-grade fixings throughout.
Key Facts
For a raised deck on a sloping Bournemouth garden, or a low deck behind a converted Westbourne villa, DeckWorx checks the planning position and the ground before quoting, and Alfie builds the job himself.
- Business
- DeckWorx, a sole trader run by Alfie Jaques
- Builds
- Composite and timber decking, pergolas and pagodas
- Based
- Bournemouth, BH2
- Covers
- Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, within about 10 miles of BH2
- Credential
- City & Guilds qualified carpenter
- On site
- Alfie, one garden at a time, no subcontractors
- Quote
- Free, fixed price, itemised in writing
- Posts in the ground
- Use Class 4 treated timber
Got Questions?
Bournemouth Decking Questions
Do I need planning permission for a deck in Bournemouth?
For a house, usually not if the deck is no more than 30cm high, isn't in front of the house, and with other buildings covers no more than half the garden. Flats, listed buildings and the side of a house in a conservation area are different. I check your address first.
How do you stop a deck sinking on sandy or sloping ground?
I dig a trial hole before choosing the footing, because sand and clay change sharply across Bournemouth. On slopes and loose ground the posts go deeper, and every post in the soil is Use Class 4 treated.
Should I choose composite or timber decking?
It depends what look you're going for. Timber gives a natural finish you can stain. Composite gives a more modern, cleaner look, drains better and won't rot, which suits shaded or damp gardens.
Will you be on site the whole time?
Yes. I'm a sole trader and I work on one garden at a time. You deal with me from the quote to the last board, and I clear up as I go.
Get a Free, Fixed-Price Quote
Tell me about your garden and what you'd like to build. I'll come and look, check the planning position for your address, and send you an itemised quote in writing.
Or call me directly on 01202 144040