Deck Cost: $9,000-$20,000 (Average $14,000) in 2026
By CostGuideHQ·✓ Fact-checked·Updated September 2026·6 min read·3 sources·Permit data·US national averages, USD Quick answerQuick answer: A new deck typically costs $9,000 to $20,000, averaging about $14,000 nationally, or roughly $15 to $55 per square foot depending on material. Composite decking runs up to $40/sq ft while pressure-treated wood starts around $15/sq ft. Deck size, material, railings, stairs, and labor drive most of the spread.
- ✓The national average cost to build a deck is about $14,000, with most projects falling between $9,000 and $20,000 (Fixr).
- ✓Per square foot, decks average $15 to $55 installed, with composite decking running as high as $40/sq ft and pressure-treated wood as low as $15/sq ft (Fixr).
- ✓Labor typically runs $10 to $35 per square foot on top of material costs, and can climb toward $35/sq ft on complex builds (Fixr, Bob Vila).
- ✓A small 8'x10' deck can run as little as $1,200, while a large 20'x20' deck can run up to $22,000 (Fixr).
- ✓Permit records in Los Angeles (1,138 permits, 2024–2026) put the median declared cost at $9,336.
How much does deck building cost?
National average
$14,000
total project
Typical range
$9,000–$20,000
Most projects
Whole project
$9,000–$20,000
$5,400avg $14,000$28,000+
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Cost by material / type
| Type | Low | High |
|---|
| pressure-treated wood (per sq ft) | $15 | $25 |
| natural wood -- cedar/redwood/hardwood (per sq ft) | $15 | $55 |
| vinyl (per sq ft) | $17 | $33 |
| aluminum/metal (per sq ft) | $21 | $35 |
| composite (per sq ft) | $28 | $40 |
What affects the cost?
- Deck size in square feet -- the single biggest driver of total cost, from $1,200 for an 8'x10' deck up to $22,000 for a 20'x20' deck (Fixr)
- Material chosen -- pressure-treated wood runs $15-$25 per sq ft installed while composite runs $28-$40 per sq ft (Fixr)
- Labor -- typically $10-$35 per square foot depending on complexity and region (Fixr, Bob Vila)
- Foundation and posts -- footings and post installation run $25-$300 per post (Bob Vila)
- Railings -- $30-$210 per linear foot installed (Fixr)
- Stairs -- $75-$450 per stair installed (Fixr)
- Permits -- Fixr reports $100-$500 for a building permit, while Bob Vila reports a higher $225-$500 (Fixr, Bob Vila)
- Design complexity -- multi-level decks, built-in seating, and custom railings add labor and material cost beyond a basic platform deck (This Old House, Bob Vila)
What permit records show
Declared project costs from 2,507 residential building permits for deck building filed 2024–2026 in 4 US cities. Compiled from city open-data portals on 2026-09-09. How we compute this.
| City | Median | Middle half (p25–p75) | Permits | |
|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | $9,336 | $4,000–$20,151 | 1,138 | Details → |
| Chicago, IL | $25,462 | $15,000–$50,000 | 908 | Details → |
| Seattle, WA | $20,000 | $11,626–$39,375 | 413 | Details → |
| Austin, TX | $25,286 | $12,925–$53,000 | 48 | Details → |
These are the values applicants declared on permit applications, which are used to set permit fees and tend to run below the final invoice. They are not quotes. Use them as a floor and a sanity check against the national ranges above.
Why does building a deck cost so much?
Cost mainly comes down to deck size and material. A full project typically runs $9,000 to $20,000, averaging around $14,000 nationally (Fixr). Per square foot, installed decking averages $15 to $55, with pressure-treated wood at the low end ($15-$25/sq ft) and composite at the high end ($28-$40/sq ft) (Fixr). A common real-world comparison: an 8’x10’ deck (80 sq ft) runs $1,200 to $4,400, while a 16’x20’ deck (320 sq ft, the most popular size) runs $4,800 to $17,600 (Fixr). Material choice explains much of the spread within that budget — cedar ($4-$9/sq ft) and redwood ($4-$6/sq ft) price lower on a materials-only basis, while premium species like ipe run $5-$20 per square foot and tigerwood $7-$15 per square foot (Bob Vila). Labor typically accounts for $10 to $35 per square foot depending on region and framing complexity (Fixr, Bob Vila).
What affects the cost of a new deck?
A few factors explain most of the gap between a $9,000 deck and one that costs $20,000 or more:
- Deck size. More square footage means more decking boards, joists, and footings — the single biggest driver of total project cost. An 8’x10’ deck runs $1,200-$4,400 versus $6,000-$22,000 for a 20’x20’ deck (Fixr).
- Material. Pressure-treated wood runs $15-$25/sq ft, vinyl $17-$33/sq ft, metal $21-$35/sq ft, and composite $28-$40/sq ft installed (Fixr). On a materials-only basis, cedar runs $4-$9/sq ft, redwood $4-$6/sq ft, and ipe $5-$20/sq ft (Bob Vila).
- Labor. Labor typically runs $10-$35 per square foot depending on your market and the complexity of the framing (Fixr, Bob Vila).
- Foundation and posts. Footings and post installation add $25-$300 per post, more on sloped or difficult sites (Bob Vila).
- Railings. Railings add $30-$210 per linear foot installed, depending on material and style (Fixr).
- Stairs. Each set of stairs adds $75-$450 installed (Fixr).
- Permits. Fixr reports typical permit costs of $100-$500, while Bob Vila reports a somewhat higher $225-$500 (Fixr, Bob Vila).
- Design complexity. Multi-level decks, built-in seating, and custom railings add labor and material cost beyond a basic single-level platform deck (This Old House, Bob Vila).
How to lower your deck cost
- Choose pressure-treated wood over composite or premium hardwood. Pressure-treated wood starts around $15 per square foot installed versus $28 or more for composite (Fixr).
- Keep the footprint modest. Square footage is the biggest cost driver, so an 8’x10’ or 12’x12’ deck costs a fraction of a 20’x20’ build (Fixr).
- Simplify railings and stairs. Railings run $30-$210 per linear foot and each stair run adds $75-$450, so a simple single-level design with minimal railing keeps both line items down (Fixr).
- Confirm your local permit cost before budgeting. Fixr puts typical permits at $100-$500, well below the $225-$500 Bob Vila reports, so check your municipality’s actual fee (Fixr, Bob Vila).
- Get multiple local quotes on labor and footings. Labor ($10-$35/sq ft) and post installation ($25-$300 per post) both vary by region and site conditions, so comparing bids can meaningfully change the total (Fixr, Bob Vila).
- Stick to a single-level, rectangular design rather than a multi-level layout with built-in seating, which adds labor cost beyond a basic platform deck (This Old House, Bob Vila).
Prices vary by region, material, and deck size, so treat the figures above as a planning budget. Get two or three local quotes, and confirm what’s included (permits, railings, stairs, and footings) before comparing bids.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a deck on average?+
The national average is about $14,000, with most homeowners paying between $9,000 and $20,000 depending on deck size, material, and labor rates in their area (Fixr). Other sources put the typical range lower, closer to $4,141 to $11,713 with a $7,913 average, for smaller or simpler decks (Bob Vila).
How much does a deck cost per square foot?+
Installed decking averages $15 to $55 per square foot (Fixr). Bob Vila reports a somewhat higher $30 to $60 per square foot when materials and labor are combined differently across its per-material breakdown.
What's the cheapest decking material?+
Pressure-treated wood is the cheapest common decking material, running $15 to $25 per square foot installed. Some naturally weather-resistant woods like cedar ($4 to $9/sq ft) and redwood ($4 to $6/sq ft) can price even lower on a materials-only basis, before labor is added (Fixr, Bob Vila).
How much more does composite decking cost than wood?+
Composite decking runs $28 to $40 per square foot installed, compared to $15 to $25 for pressure-treated wood, so a composite deck typically costs noticeably more once labor and substructure are included (Fixr).
Does deck size affect the price?+
Yes. Size is the single biggest driver of total cost. Fixr estimates an 8'x10' deck (80 sq ft) at $1,200 to $4,400, a 16'x20' deck (320 sq ft, the most popular size) at $4,800 to $17,600, and a 20'x20' deck (400 sq ft) at $6,000 to $22,000.
What else adds to the cost besides materials and labor?+
Railings typically add $30 to $210 per linear foot installed, and stairs run $75 to $450 per stair installed. A building permit runs $100 to $500 according to Fixr, though Bob Vila reports a higher $225 to $500. Footings and post installation add $25 to $300 per post (Fixr, Bob Vila).
Is it cheaper to build a deck yourself?+
The figures on this page assume professional installation, where labor typically makes up $10 to $35 per square foot of the total. Doing the framing or finish work yourself can cut that portion of the cost, but permitting, structural safety, and code compliance still apply either way.
Sources
Figures synthesized and cross-checked across these sources (retrieved 2026-09-09):
- Fixr — National average range $9,000 - $20,000; average total cost $14,000; low end $1,500, high end $40,000. The average cost per square foot to build a deck is between $15 and $55. By material per sq ft installed: pressure-treated wood $15-$25, natural wood $15-$55, vinyl $17-$33, metal $21-$35, composite $28-$40. An 8'x10' deck (80 sq.ft.) runs $1,200-$4,400; a 16'x20' deck (320 sq.ft., most popular size) runs $4,800-$17,600; a 20'x20' deck (400 sq.ft.) runs $6,000-$22,000. Labor $10 to $35 per sq.ft. Railings $30 to $210 per linear foot installed. Stairs $75 to $450 per stair installed. Building permit $100 to $500.
- Bob Vila — National average $7,913; cost range $4,141 and $11,713; $30 to $60 per square foot. By material per sq ft: pressure-treated wood $15 and $25, cedar $4 to $9, redwood $4 to $6, composite $4 to $12, Trex $5 to $10, aluminum/metal $15 to $20, bamboo $3 to $10, ipe $5 to $20, mahogany $8 to $11, tigerwood $7 to $15. Labor cost $15 and $35 per square foot. Building permit $225 to $500. Foundation installation $25 to $300 per post.
- This Old House — A deck project can range from about $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the design, layout, and materials you choose.
Sources diverge more than usual on the headline average because they're implicitly sizing a "typical" deck differently. Fixr's national average range is $9,000-$20,000 (average total cost $14,000; low end $1,500, high end $40,000) and This Old House separately puts a deck project at $10,000-$20,000, so this guide's published range and average follow Fixr. Bob Vila reports a lower national average of $7,913 with a typical range of $4,141-$11,713, likely reflecting smaller or simpler decks -- that figure is cited in the FAQ as a lower estimate rather than folded into the headline range. Per-square-foot pricing also varies: Fixr reports $15-$55 installed while Bob Vila reports $30-$60 installed (a wider spread that likely mixes materials-only and fully-installed figures across its per-material table). by_type figures are per-square-foot installed rates by material, taken from Fixr's material cost table -- multiply by deck square footage to estimate a project total. Figures generally include materials and standard installation labor; permits, railings, stairs, and foundation work are frequently quoted as separate add-ons.