Key takeaways
- Check your park agreement and site licence before you buy anything. Many operators require decking to go through them, or an approved contractor, and some allow supervised DIY.
- Fire-safety spacing rules the design. Parks keep a separation distance between caravans, commonly 6 metres. Any structure that reaches more than a metre into that gap must be non-combustible.
- Keep the space under the caravan and decking clear. Storing combustible items there is a fire risk, and most operators forbid it.
- Skirting must be ventilated. Sealing the underside without cross-flow ventilation traps damp and gas, so follow the HARPA and EN721 guidance.
- Costs vary widely by size, material and access. Get a fitted quote rather than working from a headline figure.
Decking or skirting: what each one does
Decking is the raised platform and steps beside the caravan, giving you a level outdoor space and safe access to the door. Skirting is the panelling that closes off the gap between the floor of the caravan and the ground. People often fit both together, since the skirting hides the chassis and the under-deck area while the decking sits on top.
Skirting earns its place beyond looks. It keeps animals and windblown debris out from under the caravan, shelters the pipes and underfloor from draughts, and adds a layer of security around the base. A skirting access hatch or gate lets you reach the underside for servicing.
Check the park's rules first
Every park runs under a site licence from the council, and most operators add their own park rules on top. Between them they decide whether you can fit decking at all, how big it can be, what it is made from, and who installs it. Some operators insist you use them or an approved contractor. Others allow DIY with written permission. A few include decking in the pitch package.
Ask before you commit. Fitting decking that breaches the licence or the park rules can mean taking it down at your own cost. If you are weighing decking as part of a purchase, our guide to the hidden costs of owning a static caravan covers the other charges worth checking at the same time.
The fire-safety rules that shape the design
This is the part most decking guides skip, and it is the part that governs what you can build.
Parks keep a minimum separation distance between caravans so a fire cannot jump easily from one unit to the next. The government's Model Standards 2008 for Caravan Sites set this at 6 metres between units, and site licences apply a comparable gap on holiday parks. That space is not yours to fill.
Within it, the rules are specific. A porch may reach up to a metre into the separation distance, no more than 2 metres long and a metre deep, and it must stay below the height of the caravan. Any other structure, including steps and ramps, that extends more than a metre into the gap has to be of non-combustible construction, with at least 4.5 metres of clear distance kept to the neighbouring caravan. A timber deck built out toward next door can breach this; a steel-framed or non-combustible one within the limits does not.
Keep the area under the caravan and the decking clear as well. Storing combustible items there raises the fire risk and most operators ban it outright. If in doubt, ask the park to point you to the relevant condition in its licence and fire risk assessment.
Skirting and ventilation
Closing off the underside is where owners most often go wrong. Seal it tight, and you trap moisture and any gas that leaks, which rots the floor and creates a hazard.
The Holiday and Residential Parks Association (HARPA, the BH&HPA until it renamed in January 2026) sets out the standard in its good-practice guidance. Skirting ventilators should provide at least twice the low-level fixed ventilation that the caravan itself has, positioned as low as possible in the skirting wall. You need cross-flow ventilation for air movement right under the home, and on sloping ground you must vent the lowest point, because gas pools there. The technical specification sits in the British Standard EN721. That ventilation keeps gas appliances drawing properly, cuts condensation, and lets any fumes escape.
If you do not know what fixed ventilation your own caravan has, the handbook will say, and the manufacturer will have built it to that standard. An NCC-approved engineer can confirm it and check the gas installation at the same time, which is worth doing before you box the underside in.
Materials: timber, composite, uPVC and steel
Four materials cover almost every deck and skirt on a UK park. Each one trades cost against upkeep, and one of them decides whether you can build close to the boundary at all.
| Material | Upside | Downside | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber | Cheapest up front, looks natural, easy to alter or extend later | Needs oiling or treating every year or two, shorter life, and it burns, so it is the most likely to fall foul of the separation-distance rule | Sheltered pitches on a budget, well away from the boundary |
| Composite | No sanding or staining, holds its colour, shrugs off rain | Costs more at the outset, can go slippery when wet and green with algae under trees, and it still burns | Owners who want low upkeep and plan to keep the van a while |
| uPVC | Durable, wipes clean, neat for closing in the underside | Can look artificial, expands and contracts in heat, and colour fades over time | Skirting panels more than deck boards |
| Galvanised steel frame | Non-combustible base that helps you meet the fire-safety spacing, handles British weather, long life | Higher cost and it needs a competent fitter; check drainage where the frame meets the ground | Pitches sitting close to the neighbouring caravan |
There is no single best answer. Match the material to your budget, your park's rules, and how close the deck sits to the next caravan.
The downsides worth weighing
Most guides sell you the deck. These are the reasons owners regret one, and they are worth knowing before you commit several thousand pounds.
- You rarely get the money back. A tidy deck helps a caravan sell and can lift the price, but it seldom returns what it cost. Treat it as something you are buying for your own use, not as an investment.
- It usually stays behind. Decking is built to the pitch, not bolted to the caravan. Change pitch, change park or upgrade the van and the deck normally stays where it is.
- Upkeep is annual, not occasional. Timber wants oiling or treating. Composite needs washing down or it goes green and slippery, particularly under trees. Neither looks after itself.
- Fit it without written permission and you may be taking it down. If it breaches the site licence or the park rules, removal is at your cost, and the park is within its rights to insist.
- Bad skirting causes real damage. Sealing the underside without proper cross-flow ventilation traps moisture and any gas that leaks. That rots the floor and creates a hazard, and it is the single most common fault we see.
- Check the cover. Ask your insurer whether the deck is covered and at what value, and ask the park whether it wants sight of the installation. Both are easier to sort before the work than after.
What it costs, and how to get an accurate figure
Decking cost swings a lot. Size, board type, ground conditions and access to the pitch all move the number, and a sloping or awkward plot costs more to level. In our experience, fitted decking and skirting ranges from a few thousand pounds to well over ten, so a headline price tells you little about your own pitch.
The only figure that matters is a quote for your caravan, on your pitch, in the material your park allows.
Request a decking quote, and we will put your details in front of trusted fitters, so you can compare a real price rather than a guess.
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Does decking add value?
Usually, yes. A tidy deck and matching skirting make a caravan show better and sell faster, and they can lift the asking price, depending on the home and its condition. Buyers picture the outside room and the hidden storage straight away. If selling is on your mind, our guide on how to sell a static caravan walks through pricing and presentation.
FAQ
Thinking about decking or skirting?
Sort the rules first, then the look. Confirm what your park allows, keep the fire-safety spacing and ventilation right, and choose a material that suits your pitch and budget.
Get a decking quote, and we will match you with fitters who work on parks like yours.