Deck quotes confuse people because two decks with the same footprint can differ by $10,000 and both quotes can be honest. The board on top is only part of the bill. Height off the ground, the number of stairs, railing length, footings, permits, and site access move the total as much as the decking material does. This breakdown separates those pieces so you can read any quote line by line.
Installed prices below include framing, footings, decking, and a basic railing for a straightforward rectangular deck about 2–4 feet off the ground. They are planning ranges for 2026, not quotes. Labor is the larger half of most bills, which is why a material that costs twice as much per board rarely doubles the finished price.
| Decking material | Installed cost per sq ft | Typical lifespan | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $25–$45 | 15–20 years | Clean yearly; stain or seal every 2–3 years |
| Cedar | $35–$55 | 15–25 years | Clean yearly; oil or stain every 2–3 years |
| Composite (wood-plastic) | $45–$65 | 25–30 years | Wash yearly; no staining |
| PVC (full synthetic) | $50–$75 | 30+ years | Wash yearly; no staining |
Pressure-treated lumber wins on first cost and loses on time. Budget a weekend and $75–$200 in stain and cleaner every couple of years, plus board replacements as the deck ages. Composite flips that trade: you pay more up front and buy back most weekends. Over 20 years the two paths often end up closer in total cost than the day-one quotes suggest, with composite ahead in dry, sunny regions and wood ahead where decks sit in deep shade and grow mildew either way. A regular care routine matters for both — our deck staining checklist shows the prep and timing that decide how long a wood finish lasts.
| Deck size | Square feet | Pressure-treated, installed | Composite, installed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10×12 | 120 | $3,000–$5,400 | $5,400–$7,800 |
| 12×16 | 192 | $4,800–$8,600 | $8,600–$12,500 |
| 16×20 | 320 | $8,000–$14,400 | $14,400–$20,800 |
| 20×20 | 400 | $10,000–$18,000 | $18,000–$26,000 |
Read the ranges with your site in mind. A flat backyard with easy access for materials sits near the low end. A sloped lot, a long carry from the driveway, or a design with angles, picture-frame borders, and diagonal boards pushes toward the top — diagonal and patterned layouts also waste more material, often 10–15% extra in boards alone.
A platform deck 6–12 inches off grade needs short posts, few footings, and no stairs or railing on its low sides. Raise that same deck to 8 feet for a walkout basement and the job changes character: taller posts, more concrete, deeper footings below the frost line, a full stair run, railing on every open side, and often engineering review. As a rough guide, expect a raised deck to cost 20–40% more than the same deck at ground level, and a two-story deck with a long stair run to cost more again.
Footings alone explain part of that gap. A typical footing — hole dug or augered, concrete poured, post base fitted — often runs $150–$400 installed depending on depth and local labor. A small ground-level deck might need six. A large raised deck can need twelve or more, plus a beam system sized for the span.
Builders often quote stairs and railing apart from the deck surface, so ask for them as line items rather than letting them blur into a single number.
| Feature | Typical installed cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wood stairs | $150–$300 per step | Includes stringers, treads, and a handrail on one side |
| Composite stairs | $250–$450 per step | Matching treads and fascia raise material cost |
| Wood railing | $30–$60 per linear foot | Simple baluster style at the low end |
| Composite railing | $60–$110 per linear foot | Kits price higher than site-built wood |
| Metal or cable railing | $90–$200+ per linear foot | Cable and glass sit at the top of the range |
| Built-in bench or planter | $300–$1,200 each | Simple bench at the low end |
| Deck lighting, low-voltage | $300–$1,500 total | Depends on fixture count and transformer size |
Codes shape these numbers too. Most areas require railing on any deck more than 30 inches above grade, guards with balusters spaced under 4 inches, and a graspable handrail on stairs with four or more risers. Those are not upsells — a quote that skips required railing is a quote that will grow at inspection time.
Most towns require a building permit for a deck attached to the house, and many require one for a freestanding deck over a set size or height. Permit and plan fees commonly run $150–$800, with inspections at footing and final stages. Rules vary the same way shed rules do — our explainer on building a shed without a permit walks through why the local threshold, not a national rule of thumb, is the answer that counts. Build without a required permit and you may face a stop-work order, a retroactive permit at a higher fee, or a removal demand when you sell.
Add these costs when they apply: tearing out and hauling away an old deck, often $500–$2,000; a land survey if the deck sits near a property line, $300–$800; and electrical work for outlets or lighting, which needs its own permit in many places. Get the full scope in writing before work starts — our guide to what to check in a contractor contract lists the clauses that keep a deck project from drifting: payment schedule, materials by brand and grade, who pulls the permit, and how change orders get priced.
Building it yourself cuts the labor half of the bill, leaving materials at roughly 40–55% of an installed price. A 16×20 pressure-treated deck that runs $10,000 installed might cost $4,500–$6,000 in materials, tools you may need to rent, and the permit. That saving buys real work: footings dug to frost depth, posts set plumb, and a frame that has to pass the same inspection a pro's does. Ground-level, square, and small is the honest DIY zone. Raised decks, long stairs, and ledger work on a two-story wall are where most owners hand the job to a builder — and where mistakes carry the highest stakes.
Either way, the finished deck still needs care to reach its lifespan numbers. Wood needs cleaning and finish on schedule, and even composite benefits from a yearly wash at low pressure with a wide fan tip, worked with the grain so the surface is not chewed up.
Keep the shape rectangular and the size matched to standard board lengths — 12, 16, and 20 feet — to cut waste. Stay at ground level if the lot allows it, since height adds footings, stairs, and railing all at once. Choose pressure-treated framing with composite only where you see and walk on it, if a builder offers that hybrid. Schedule for late fall or winter in cold climates, when many deck builders discount to keep crews busy. Skip the extras that can be added later — lighting, benches, planters — and put the savings into footings, flashing, and railing, the parts that are expensive to redo.
In pressure-treated wood, plan on roughly $8,000–$14,400 installed at a low height. In composite, the same 16×20 footprint typically runs $14,400–$20,800. Raised height, a long stair run, and premium railing can push either figure higher.
It depends on how long you will stay and how you value weekends. Composite costs roughly 60–80% more to install than pressure-treated wood, lasts about a decade longer, and skips the stain cycle. Over 20 years, total cost often lands close to wood once staining and board repairs are counted.
Usually, yes, if the deck attaches to the house. Many towns also require permits for freestanding decks above a certain size or height, often around 200 square feet or 30 inches. Fees commonly run $150–$800. Check with your local building department before anyone digs.
A pro crew typically builds a simple ground-level deck in 1–2 weeks, including inspection gaps. Raised or multi-level decks run 2–4 weeks. A first-time DIY build of the same deck commonly takes 3–6 weekends.
A small, ground-level, rectangular deck in pressure-treated pine, with no stairs and railing only where code requires it. A 10×12 at that spec can land near $3,000–$5,400 installed, or roughly half that in materials for a DIY build.