Hi @davidburns1,
Thank you for your question about designing a low-level deck.
In designing a deck, the joist and bearer requirements are determined by the specifics of your deck, and you will usually need to take both into account.
Would it be possible to get a basic drawing of your planned deck, alongside some photos and measurements of the area you are planning on building the deck?
This will help our members to determine a plan of attack that is specific to your requirements. Let me know if you need a hand uploading images.
Once you've added a few extra details I'd be more than happy to assist with the design and planning.
Jacob
