At what point does delivered lumber become a fixture when building a deck?

The correct answer indicates that delivered lumber becomes a fixture when the deck is completed. This is based on the concept of attachment in real estate. A fixture is defined as a piece of property that was once personal property but has been affixed to land or a building in such a manner that it becomes part of the real property.

When the lumber is delivered, it is still considered personal property because it has not yet been attached to anything permanent. It retains the potential to be used for a different purpose or to be relocated.

Once the decking is completed, the lumber becomes an integral part of the deck itself, thereby being permanently attached to the land or the structure it is associated with. This completion signifies that the materials have been transformed from personal property into real property, aligning with the legal definitions and principles surrounding fixtures in real estate.

The other options do not accurately define the transition of lumber to a fixture. The moment of delivery does not imply attachment, and finalizing plans or completing the structural framework without affixing the lumber does not establish it as a fixture. Only upon completion—a stage where the lumber is firmly installed and no longer transferable as an individual piece—does it gain the status of a fixture.