Upgrading your boat with custom marine decking is one of the best ways to improve comfort, safety, and style on the water. But if you’ve never gone through the process before, you may be wondering what to expect.
At DeckLab™ by Paradigm, we’ve perfected a smooth, professional workflow from start to finish — ensuring your decking is designed, fabricated, and installed with precision.
Here’s a clear, step-by-step guide to how the custom decking process works.
Step 1: Initial Consultation & Quote
The first step is simple: send us your boat details.
We’ll ask for:
- Boat year, make, and model
- Photos of deck areas
- Areas you want to upgrade
- Color and texture preferences
- Any design ideas or custom logos
From there, we provide a detailed quote outlining:
- Material options
- Installation choices
- Estimated timeline
- Pricing and financing options
Tip: Uploading multiple photos helps us prepare the most accurate quote.
Step 2: Templating Your Boat
Templating is the most important part of achieving a perfect fit.
What is templating?
It’s the process of capturing the exact dimensions, contours, and layout of your deck using digital or manual tools. This ensures your decking pieces match your boat precisely — down to every curve, step, hatch, and radius.
Where does templating happen?
- At your marina
- At your home (if accessible)
- At our Phoenix shop (ideal for large projects)
Digital templating gives us a 1:1 model of your deck that we can reproduce with CNC cutting.
Step 3: CAD Design & Layout
Once your template is created, our design team:
- Imports the deck layout into CAD software
- Designs borders, patterns, and cuts
- Prepares the file for CNC fabrication
- Adds custom logos or inlays (optional)
- Confirms thickness, texture, and color selections
Before cutting, we provide a digital proof so you can see how the final layout will look.
This is where your design truly comes to life.
Step 4: CNC Fabrication
Once approved, your decking moves to fabrication.
Our CNC process includes:
- Cutting each piece with millimeter-level accuracy
- Routing borders and patterns
- Beveling edges for clean lines
- Engraving and inlaying logos (if included)
- Inspecting every part for consistency
The result is a perfectly cut, professional-grade decking kit ready for installation.
Step 5: Professional Installation
Installation can be completed:
- In our Phoenix shop
- Or through mobile installation at your marina or storage location
Installation steps include:
- Deck prep — cleaning, degreasing, and surface inspection
- Dry fitting — placing pieces before peeling adhesive
- Bonding — applying marine-grade adhesive backing with even pressure
- Alignment — ensuring perfect seams and transitions
- Curing — allowing adhesive to set properly
A typical installation takes one day for most boats, while larger refits may take two days.
Step 6: Final Walkthrough & Care Instructions
Once installation is complete, we walk you through:
- Deck layout
- Material care
- Cleaning instructions
- Warranty details
- Heat and storage tips (especially for Arizona summers)
We store your template on file for future updates, repairs, or add-ons.
How Long Does the Entire Process Take?
Most projects take:
- 1–2 days for templating and design
- 1–3 weeks for fabrication (depends on workload)
- 1 day for installation
We’ll give you a project timeline upfront so you know exactly what to expect.
Final Thoughts
Custom marine decking is one of the most rewarding upgrades you can make to your boat — and the process is surprisingly smooth when handled by professionals.
From digital templating to CNC cutting to expert installation, DeckLab™ ensures a premium result built to last through Arizona heat, lake conditions, and years of adventure.
