diff --git a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Schema.java b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Schema.java
index acf78564824..63446ca2305 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Schema.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Schema.java
@@ -28,27 +28,42 @@
 public class Schema {
   public static final Schema INFERRED = new Schema();
 
+  private static final int UNKNOWN_PRECISION = -1;
+
   private final DType topLevelType;
+  private final int precision; // storing precision for decimal types
   private final List<String> childNames;
   private final List<Schema> childSchemas;
   private boolean flattened = false;
   private String[] flattenedNames;
   private DType[] flattenedTypes;
   private int[] flattenedCounts;
+  private int[] flattenedPrecisions;
+
+
 
   private Schema(DType topLevelType,
+                 int precision,
                  List<String> childNames,
                  List<Schema> childSchemas) {
     this.topLevelType = topLevelType;
+    this.precision = precision;
     this.childNames = childNames;
     this.childSchemas = childSchemas;
   }
 
+  private Schema(DType topLevelType,
+                 List<String> childNames,
+                 List<Schema> childSchemas) {
+    this(topLevelType, UNKNOWN_PRECISION, childNames, childSchemas);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Inferred schema.
    */
   private Schema() {
     topLevelType = null;
+    precision = UNKNOWN_PRECISION;
     childNames = null;
     childSchemas = null;
   }
@@ -105,14 +120,17 @@ private void flattenIfNeeded() {
         flattenedNames = null;
         flattenedTypes = null;
         flattenedCounts = null;
+        flattenedPrecisions = null;
       } else {
         String[] names = new String[flatLen];
         DType[] types = new DType[flatLen];
         int[] counts = new int[flatLen];
-        collectFlattened(names, types, counts, 0);
+        int[] precisions = new int[flatLen];
+        collectFlattened(names, types, counts, precisions, 0);
         flattenedNames = names;
         flattenedTypes = types;
         flattenedCounts = counts;
+        flattenedPrecisions = precisions;
       }
       flattened = true;
     }
@@ -128,19 +146,20 @@ private int flattenedLength(int startingLength) {
     return startingLength;
   }
 
-  private int collectFlattened(String[] names, DType[] types, int[] counts, int offset) {
+  private int collectFlattened(String[] names, DType[] types, int[] counts, int[] precisions, int offset) {
     if (childSchemas != null) {
       for (int i = 0; i < childSchemas.size(); i++) {
         Schema child = childSchemas.get(i);
         names[offset] = childNames.get(i);
         types[offset] = child.topLevelType;
+        precisions[offset] = child.precision;
         if (child.childNames != null) {
           counts[offset] = child.childNames.size();
         } else {
           counts[offset] = 0;
         }
         offset++;
-        offset = this.childSchemas.get(i).collectFlattened(names, types, counts, offset);
+        offset = this.childSchemas.get(i).collectFlattened(names, types, counts, precisions, offset);
       }
     }
     return offset;
@@ -233,14 +252,7 @@ public int[] getFlattenedTypeScales() {
    */
   public int[] getFlattenedDecimalPrecisions() {
     flattenIfNeeded();
-    if (flattenedTypes == null) {
-      return null;
-    }
-    int[] ret = new int[flattenedTypes.length];
-    for (int i = 0; i < flattenedTypes.length; i++) {
-      ret[i] = flattenedTypes[i].getDecimalPrecision();
-    }
-    return ret;
+    return flattenedPrecisions;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -324,11 +336,13 @@ public HostColumnVector.DataType asHostDataType() {
 
   public static class Builder {
     private final DType topLevelType;
+    private final int topLevelPrecision;
     private final List<String> names;
     private final List<Builder> types;
 
-    private Builder(DType topLevelType) {
+    private Builder(DType topLevelType, int precision) {
       this.topLevelType = topLevelType;
+      this.topLevelPrecision = precision;
       if (topLevelType == DType.STRUCT || topLevelType == DType.LIST) {
         // There can be children
         names = new ArrayList<>();
@@ -339,14 +353,19 @@ private Builder(DType topLevelType) {
       }
     }
 
+    private Builder(DType topLevelType) {
+      this(topLevelType, UNKNOWN_PRECISION);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Add a new column
      * @param type the type of column to add
      * @param name the name of the column to add (Ignored for list types)
+     * @param precision the decimal precision, only applicable for decimal types
      * @return the builder for the new column. This should really only be used when the type
      * passed in is a LIST or a STRUCT.
      */
-    public Builder addColumn(DType type, String name) {
+    public Builder addColumn(DType type, String name, int precision) {
       if (names == null) {
         throw new IllegalStateException("A column of type " + topLevelType +
             " cannot have children");
@@ -357,21 +376,31 @@ public Builder addColumn(DType type, String name) {
       if (names.contains(name)) {
         throw new IllegalStateException("Cannot add duplicate names to a schema");
       }
-      Builder ret = new Builder(type);
+      Builder ret = new Builder(type, precision);
       types.add(ret);
       names.add(name);
       return ret;
     }
 
+    public Builder addColumn(DType type, String name) {
+      return addColumn(type, name, UNKNOWN_PRECISION);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Adds a single column to the current schema. addColumn is preferred as it can be used
      * to support nested types.
      * @param type the type of the column.
      * @param name the name of the column.
+     * @param precision the decimal precision, only applicable for decimal types.
      * @return this for chaining.
      */
+    public Builder column(DType type, String name, int precision) {
+      addColumn(type, name, precision);
+      return this;
+    }
+
     public Builder column(DType type, String name) {
-      addColumn(type, name);
+      addColumn(type, name, UNKNOWN_PRECISION);
       return this;
     }