This is a heads up - I just have to pass this on because I'm quite peeved. Home Depot has a deck program which will figure out how much wood you need, the layout and how much it will cost (with a part breakdown). That being said - We are currently putting up a deck. As we were in the planning stages, a friend told me to beware - that it will end up costing more because the deck program leaves out alot of wood. That got me to thinking - so being computer literate, I figured out exactly what we needed and using Home Depots prices, how much it would cost - and what do you know - they calculated out $600 more(same layout). For example: instead of using 8' and 10' boards (what is actually necessary) they quoted 12' lengths everywhere. Now I can see them wanting to make a buck - but think of all the waste!
I had to pass this on because you can't seem to trust anyone these days to give you honest service - and it seems that Home Depot is no different. So if you are building a deck - do your own calculations.