The Cost of Building A Deck Today

Deck building costs vary across the country...

Many factors come into play on what the cost might be to build your dream deck.

We have taken a survey of our visitors, from across much of the United States and Canada, to help you get a sense.

Check our summary of results at the bottom of this page.

If you would like to contribute to our results, please Take Our Survey! Here's how.

Now let's break down the three cost factors that most affect the final price you'll pay.

Cost Factor #1 - Proximity to Urban Centers

Where do you live?

Generally speaking, the closer you are to larger urban areas the higher the cost of labor.

Wealth tends to gravitate in cities where the economy is strongest.  More buyers, more demand.

Travel times, traffic congestion and cost of living for employees can all translate into higher costs for hiring a contractor.

On the other hand, material costs can be more competitive if you are in a large area where there are several large suppliers.

Cost Factor #2 - Proximity to where materials are produced

Remote locations...

It should be no surprise that lumber, and material costs are higher in places like Hawaii where things must be shipped across vast distances from where they are manufactured.

On the mainland, most areas, rural and urban, are well serviced with building materials.

But in some very remote areas such as Alaska, and the Yukon in Canada, builders may have to have certain materials shipped up or local supply yards may not offer the same diverse and broad selection of materials.

This can increase costs.

Cost Factor #3 - Materials

Materials used...

Lumber used for decking

Pressure Treated Lumber

Pressure treated lumbers are the least expensive material to build with.  They include pine, hemlock and other lower grade wood that must be preserved in order to perform outdoors. Learn more about softwoods.

Cedar

Cedar is one of the nicest softwoods available but a bump up in price from pressure treated materials.

Composite

Composite is where you will find the biggest jump in costs.  But, as you are probably aware the reduced annual maintenance over many years will bring savings. Learn more about composite materials and about capped stock.

Hardwoods

Hardwoods are typically thought of as more expensive than composites, but this is not always true.

You might be surprised to learn that several of the hardwoods can actually be less expensive and have a longer life expectancy. Learn more...

What People Are Telling Us

The costs listed below are for labor and materials.

Keep in mind these costs are subjective to how elaborate the deck project is. 

That is why we have shown a Low and High value to provide context.

 

  Type of Materials Used $/sqft
State PT Cedar Composite Hardwood Low High
Michigan y       15  
  y     18  
Mass.     y     53
Washington y         25
Missouri y       15  
Arkansas y       15  
New Jersy y       15  
California y       22  
Iowa y       15  
  y     24  
Kansas y       22  
  y     16 31
    y     36
Province PT Cedar Composite Hardwood Low High
BC y       14  
  y     34  
Ontario y       20  
  y     24 29
Quebec   y     36  
Nova Scotia y       15  
Yukon   y     35  

 

Don't see your State or Province?

Let us know by adding your comments below.

What Did Your Deck Cost?

What's the cost of building a deck in your part of the country?

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What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Feedback on deck price ???? 
I'm recently built a deck in New Jersey and was just wandering what the general consensus would say about what I charged a client for a free-standing 12 …

Ottawa Valley Deck Built 
I am in the Ottawa Valley and have a contractor building my deck. It is framed with pressure treated pine lumber and finished in local eastern white …

San Diego Decks 
I am a contractor. We build decks and most other residential work. The cost for a deck is from 18.00 per sq ft and up. That is your basic deck. We …

Kansas City Deck Building Market Prices 
We are a prominent deck builder in the Kansas City Metro Area. Our current pricing (as of July 17th, 2008) is as follows. The square footage equation …

Deck Contractor Pricing in Grande Prairie 
As a contractor in Grande Prairie, Alberta, this is what we would charge for a typical 8 x 14 deck. It's built on 12"x6' concrete piles with a 3'6" square …

Building Cost to Hire a Contractor For My Deck 
I just paid $24 a square foot for a 10x15 pressure treated deck. I am not sure what it costs elsewhere but here in Ottawa, Ontario. Pretty basic with …

DIY - why make these so called "contracters" rich? 
I just built a 12 x 16 6 foot off ground deck and "overbuilt" for more support and to last longer with pressure treated lowea wood. I have invested …

Arkansas Installed Deck Prices 
I am the Owner/Operator of Custom Deckworks in Central Arkansas. In 2009, the average turn-key price per of a custom deck using treated pine was $14.00 …

Cost Quality Peace of Mind-Decks By Design Inc. 
It is fair to state, that no two decks are alike. No two customers are alike, therefore, each job/quote is based on numerous factors. First of all, …

New 12' High Deck With Spa - Unexpected Extra Work in BC 
We started out with a basic plan of a 16 x 16 deck pressure treated wood. The build included removing the old deck and the sonotube footings. The old …

Deck Builder in Ann Arbor 
I have built over 500 decks through the years. Very profitable when cedar, treated, and red woods where popular. In recent years with composite decking, …

Help!!! Building Cost for a Deck Question 
I own a duplex and contracted to build two decks. The main floor deck is 280 sq ft (20x14) and the upper deck is 140 sq ft. Both these decks were tied …

Steel framed deck and waterproof costs Not rated yet
I am designing a 25' x 28' steel framed and covered deck, with waterproofing on both levels (the top roof is partial). I am using Metwood field cut …

Getting cost quotations for a deck...opinions? Not rated yet
We are having a 16 X 16 deck built by a contractor. The wood is called Muranti which is a Phillipines hardwood, sometimes called mahogany, but not genuine …

NJ - Pool Deck Cost to construct Not rated yet
I built a free-standing pool deck approximately 160sq ft with (1) set of stairs. Deck is 4ft off the ground. Materials used for the support structure …

Bri-Den Custom Decking, Des Moines,IA. Not rated yet
I have built many custom decks and many basic decks - over 600. I am originally from Denver,CO. Then I moved to Des Moines in 2000. On average in …

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