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Buying a complete skateboard is the easiest way to start riding, but it’s not the only way in. A lot of skaters, once they’ve got a season or two under their belt, want more say in what they’re standing on. That’s where a custom build comes in.
Building your own skateboard means choosing your deck, trucks, wheels, bearings and grip tape individually, rather than taking whatever combination came in the box. It’s not complicated once you understand how the parts relate to each other, and it usually results in a board that suits your riding far better than an off-the-shelf setup.
This guide walks through each part in order, explains how they need to match up, and flags the mistakes that trip up most first-time builders.
A complete skateboard is a pre-matched setup — deck, trucks, wheels and bearings all chosen by the manufacturer to work together at a set price point. For beginners, that’s genuinely the right call. There’s less to think about and it arrives ready to ride.
A custom build makes more sense once you know a bit about your riding style. Maybe you’ve worn through soft wheels and want something harder for the skatepark. Maybe you’re taller than average and want a wider deck with trucks to match. Maybe you just want a graphic nobody else has.
The main reasons riders go custom:
If any of that sounds like overkill for where you’re at, a custom skateboard builder kit is worth a look — it gives you the choice of parts without needing to research every spec from scratch.
The deck is the starting point for every other decision, because trucks are sized to match it.
Deck width matters more than length for most riders. As a rough guide:
Wider decks feel more stable underfoot but are heavier and slightly harder to flip. Narrower decks are lighter and quicker to flip but give you less room for your feet. Shoe size can be a factor, but it’s not the deciding one — your riding style and comfort matter more.
Decks are made from maple, usually seven layers pressed together, and standard lengths run from around 28 to 33 inches. Browse skateboard decks by width and brand, or if you want to paint or customise the graphic yourself, a blank deck from the Blank skateboard decks range gives you a plain canvas to start from.
Trucks need to be sized to your deck width, not chosen on looks alone. Get this wrong and the board either feels twitchy or the wheels rub against the deck when you turn.
| Deck width | Truck size |
|---|---|
| 7.75 inch | 5.0 inch trucks |
| 8.0 inch | 5.25 inch trucks |
| 8.25 inch | 5.5 inch trucks |
| 8.5 inch | 5.75 inch trucks |
| 8.8 inch | 6.0 inch trucks |
| 9.0 inch | 6.5 inch trucks |
Different truck brands use different naming systems for the same physical size, so always check the “for deck size” filter when shopping skateboard trucks rather than relying on the number alone. For a closer look at how sizing works across brands, our skateboard trucks size guide covers it in more detail.
Wheels are chosen on two things: hardness and diameter.
Hardness (durometer): - Harder wheels (around 99A and up) suit skateparks, smooth street spots and technical tricks - Softer wheels (around 78A–87A) suit cruising, rougher pavements and general transport
Diameter: - Smaller wheels (50–53mm) are lighter and more responsive for flip tricks - Larger wheels (54mm and up) roll faster and handle cracks and rough ground better
If you’re mostly skating smooth ground at a park, go harder and smaller. If you’re rolling across pavements, campus paths or rougher tarmac, look at the Soft Wheels for Rough Ground range within skateboard wheels.
Bearings get overcomplicated. Every standard skateboard uses 608 size bearings, so fit isn’t the issue — quality and maintenance are.
A few practical points:
Browse the full range of skateboard bearings once your wheels are decided.
This is the step generic guides tend to skip, and it’s the one that actually finishes the build.
Grip tape goes on top of the deck to give your feet traction. It needs applying and trimming to the shape of your deck before anything else goes on. If you’ve not done this before, our guide on how to apply grip tape to a skateboard deck walks through it step by step. Shop skateboard grip tape in sheet or roll form.
Bolts and risers attach the trucks to the deck, and bolt length depends on whether you’re using a riser pad:
| Riser | Bolt length |
|---|---|
| No riser | 7/8 inch or 1 inch |
| 1/8 inch riser | 1 inch |
| 1/4 inch riser | 1.25 inch |
| 1/2 inch riser | 1.5 inch or longer |
Risers aren’t essential, but they help reduce wheel bite (where the wheel catches the deck on a hard turn), especially with bigger wheels. All of this is covered in skateboard hardware.
Once every part has arrived, build in this order:
If that sounds like more than you want to take on yourself, our guide on how to assemble a skateboard covers the full process in more depth, tools included.
Taking an extra ten minutes to double-check sizing at each step saves a lot of frustration later.
Building your own skateboard isn’t harder than buying a complete, it just asks you to make a few more decisions along the way. Once you understand how deck width, truck size and wheel hardness relate to each other, the rest falls into place quickly.
If you’d rather not source every part separately, our custom skateboard builder lets you pick deck, trucks, wheels and grip tape together, with sizing already matched for you. Start your custom build today and get a setup built around how you actually ride, not a factory default.
Is it cheaper to build your own skateboard or buy a complete? Usually a pre-matched complete skateboard is cheaper, since manufacturers buy components in bulk. Building your own tends to cost more, but you’re paying for the ability to choose each part individually rather than accepting a fixed combination.
What size deck should I choose for my first custom build? An 8.0 inch deck is the most common starting point for teens and adults, and works well across street and park riding. If you’re smaller or prefer flip tricks, 7.75 inch is worth considering; for more stability, 8.25 inch and up suits park or cruising riders.
Do I need any tools to build a skateboard myself? Yes. At minimum you need a skate tool (or a set of Allen keys and a wrench), a bearing press or the truck axle method for fitting bearings, and a utility knife for trimming grip tape. A skate T-tool covers most of this in one item.
What trucks fit an 8.0 inch deck? 5.25 inch trucks are the standard match for an 8.0 inch deck. Truck sizing names vary between brands, so always check against the deck width rather than assuming the number matches exactly.
How long does it take to build a skateboard from parts? Once you have all the parts, assembly usually takes 20–30 minutes, most of which is applying and trimming grip tape. Choosing the parts themselves can take longer if you’re comparing options, which is where a pre-matched custom builder kit saves time.
Can Skatewarehouse assemble a custom skateboard for me? Yes. Our custom skateboard builder kits let you choose your deck, trucks, wheels and grip tape, and the board is built and ready to ride when it arrives. It’s a good middle ground between a factory complete and sourcing every part separately yourself.
