Cost guides › Deck building

United States

Cost to build a deck

Building a 269 sq ft pressure-treated wood deck off the back door, with a wood railing and a flight of stairs, typically costs $13,000, with most quotes between $10,100 and $16,900. A lower deck that only needs a few steps comes in around $11,500; the same deck in composite boards with an aluminum railing runs about $22,100. Pick cedar, composite, PVC or ipe in the calculator to price the boards on their own.

Most homeowners pay

$10,100 – $16,900National average · 269 sq ft · before sales tax
Typical: $13,000
Labour $6,872Materials $6,101Work hours: 76.4

Estimate your project

sq ft
Regional estimate

Compare materials

mid-range, typical

Cost by region

Alabama: $11,600Alaska: $14,500Arizona: $12,700Arkansas: $11,500California: $14,700Colorado: $13,200Connecticut: $13,400Delaware: $12,800District of Columbia: $13,100Florida: $11,800Georgia: $11,700Hawaii: $15,800Idaho: $12,000Illinois: $15,100Indiana: $13,200Iowa: $12,700Kansas: $12,600Kentucky: $12,100Louisiana: $11,800Maine: $13,200Maryland: $13,200Massachusetts: $14,600Michigan: $13,100Minnesota: $13,500Mississippi: $11,600Missouri: $13,000Montana: $12,800Nebraska: $11,800Nevada: $13,200New Hampshire: $13,000New Jersey: $13,400New Mexico: $12,900New York: $14,300North Carolina: $11,700North Dakota: $12,700Ohio: $13,000Oklahoma: $11,400Oregon: $13,200Pennsylvania: $12,800Rhode Island: $13,000South Carolina: $11,900South Dakota: $11,600Tennessee: $11,900Texas: $11,600Utah: $12,000Vermont: $13,200Virginia: $12,400Washington: $14,500West Virginia: $11,600Wisconsin: $13,100Wyoming: $12,600
−+
LocationBasicMid-rangePremium
Hawaii$13,900$15,800$26,200
Illinois$13,300$15,100$25,100
California$13,000$14,700$24,600
Massachusetts$12,900$14,600$24,500
Alaska$12,800$14,500$24,300
Washington$12,800$14,500$24,300
New York$12,600$14,300$24,000
Minnesota$11,900$13,500$22,800
Connecticut$11,800$13,400$22,600
New Jersey$11,800$13,400$22,600
Show all regions
Colorado$11,700$13,200$22,400
Indiana$11,700$13,200$22,400
Maine$11,600$13,200$22,300
Maryland$11,700$13,200$22,500
Nevada$11,700$13,200$22,400
Oregon$11,700$13,200$22,400
Vermont$11,700$13,200$22,400
District of Columbia$11,600$13,100$22,300
Michigan$11,600$13,100$22,300
Wisconsin$11,600$13,100$22,200
Missouri$11,500$13,000$22,100
New Hampshire$11,500$13,000$22,200
Ohio$11,500$13,000$22,100
Rhode Island$11,500$13,000$22,100
New Mexico$11,400$12,900$21,900
Delaware$11,400$12,800$21,800
Montana$11,300$12,800$21,800
Pennsylvania$11,400$12,800$21,900
Arizona$11,300$12,700$21,700
Iowa$11,200$12,700$21,600
North Dakota$11,200$12,700$21,600
Kansas$11,100$12,600$21,500
Wyoming$11,100$12,600$21,400
Virginia$11,000$12,400$21,200
Kentucky$10,700$12,100$20,700
Idaho$10,600$12,000$20,600
Utah$10,700$12,000$20,700
South Carolina$10,500$11,900$20,400
Tennessee$10,500$11,900$20,400
Florida$10,400$11,800$20,300
Louisiana$10,400$11,800$20,300
Nebraska$10,500$11,800$20,300
Georgia$10,400$11,700$20,200
North Carolina$10,400$11,700$20,100
Alabama$10,300$11,600$20,000
Mississippi$10,300$11,600$20,100
South Dakota$10,300$11,600$20,000
Texas$10,300$11,600$20,100
West Virginia$10,300$11,600$20,100
Arkansas$10,200$11,500$19,900
Oklahoma$10,100$11,400$19,800

What's included

Mid-range

What affects the cost

Decking material

Pressure-treated pine is the cheapest board and the easiest to work with. Cedar costs a little more, composite and PVC cost much more up front but skip the yearly staining, and tropical hardwoods like ipe are the priciest and slowest to install because every board is pre-drilled.

Height off the ground

A low platform deck needs short posts and often no railing. Once the deck sits well above grade it needs taller posts, bracing, a railing and a longer stair, and a second-story deck adds engineered beams, bigger footings and often scaffolding.

Railing

Railing is priced per linear foot and a raised deck has a lot of it. Wood is the cheapest, aluminum picket costs roughly double or more, and glass panels can cost more than the deck boards themselves.

Footings and soil

Footings must go below your local frost line, which ranges from a few inches in the South to several feet in the northern states. Rocky ground, clay, or a slope that needs extra-long posts all add labor.

Stairs

A couple of box steps off a low deck is a small cost. A full flight with stringers, landings and a graspable handrail is a real piece of carpentry, and wide or L-shaped stairs cost more again.

Tearing out an old deck

If there is a rotten deck in the way, demolition, pulling old footings and hauling the lumber away add to the bill. Ask whether the old footings can be reused only if the builder has checked their size and depth.

How to save

  • Keep the deck low enough that it only needs a few steps and, where your code allows, no railing.
  • Use a simple rectangle: angles, curves, picture-frame borders and inlays all add cutting time.
  • Build with pressure-treated framing and put the money into the boards you actually see and walk on.
  • Book in late fall or winter, when many deck builders have gaps in their schedule.

Grants, tax and rules

Permits

Structural work usually needs a local permit, and a deck attached to the house is structural. Check with your city or county building department before work starts; the builder normally pulls the permit and books the footing and final inspections.

Sales tax

Sales tax on materials varies by state, and labor is often not taxed but rules vary. Our figures are before sales tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to build a deck?

A 269 sq ft pressure-treated deck raised off the back door, with railing and stairs, typically costs $13,000. A low deck with a few steps is about $11,500, and the same deck in composite with an aluminum railing is around $22,100.

Is composite decking worth the extra cost?

It costs noticeably more to build, but it needs only washing, while wood needs cleaning and restaining every few years. If you plan to stay in the house for a long time and hate maintenance, composite usually earns its keep; for a budget deck, pressure-treated pine is hard to beat.

How long does it take to build a deck?

A straightforward deck of this size takes a small crew several days to a couple of weeks. Footings need an inspection and time to cure before framing, and permit approval can add weeks before anyone digs.

Should I stain a new pressure-treated deck right away?

Usually not. New pressure-treated lumber is often still wet from treatment, so most builders and stain makers suggest waiting until water soaks into the wood instead of beading up. Staining is listed as an option in the calculator for when you are ready.

Can I put a deck over my old one?

Only if the old frame is sound, properly attached and sized for the new load. In practice many old decks have undersized footings or a poorly flashed ledger, so a builder will usually recommend tearing down to the footings and starting again.

Do I need a railing on my deck?

Building codes require a guard once the deck is a certain height above the ground; your local building department will tell you the exact rule. Even on a lower deck, a railing along the edges is worth considering if children use it.

How this estimate is calculated

Work hours: 76.4 · Labour: $6,872 · Materials: $6,101

Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; Regione Toscana, Prezzario dei Lavori 2026 (CC BY 4.0); ECB exchange rates; market check: Mid = 25 m2 (269 sq ft) pressure-treated pine deck raised off the back door, wood railing, flight of stairs, before sales tax. HomeGuide cost to build a deck (10 Feb 2026): PT $25-50/sq ft, elevated $30-50, railing $20-60/lf, stairs $1,400-2,600; 20x20 PT $10k-20k. DeckMath 2026 guide (29 Aug 2026): PT $25-40/sq ft. Lawn Love deck cost (27 Dec 2025): national average $7,320 (smaller decks)..

Last reviewed September 26, 2026 · How we calculate costs · Editorial policy