CostGuideHQ

Trex Decking Cost: $1,500–$20,800 (Average $6,100) in 2026

Author: CostGuideHQ Editorial·✓ Fact-checked·Updated September 2026·6 min read·4 sources·US national averages, USD
Quick answerQuick answer: A Trex deck costs $1,500 to $20,800 total, averaging around $6,100 across three publishers. By line, boards alone run $5-7 per sq ft for Enhance, $7-9 for Select, and $10-12 for Transcend — pricing that sits at or below the broader composite decking category average, not above it.
  • Trex's own reported national averages ($4,800-$7,500 across three sources) run at or below composite-deck-cost.json's $8,500 category average — Trex is not a price premium within composite decking.
  • By product line, materials alone run Enhance $5-7/sq ft, Select $7-9/sq ft, and Transcend $10-12/sq ft (Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, Forbes Home).
  • Design complexity swings labor cost the most: $8-22 per sq ft for a simple rectangular deck versus $15-35 per sq ft for multi-level designs, extra stairs, and custom railings.
  • HomeGuide's much higher $45-70 per sq ft installed figure assumes an entirely new substructure, not board replacement over existing framing — a different, pricier project.

How much does Trex decking cost?

National average
$6,100
total project
Typical range
$1,500–$20,800
Most projects
Whole project
$3,000–$12,000
Advertisement · 728 × 90

Cost by material / type

TypeLowHigh
Trex Enhance, materials only, per sq ft$5$7
Trex Select, materials only, per sq ft$7$9
Trex Transcend, materials only, per sq ft$10$12
All Trex lines, fully installed with new substructure, per sq ft (HomeGuide)$45$70
Estimate your cost
—

Rough estimate only — get local quotes for exact pricing.

What affects the cost?

  • Product line/tier — Enhance runs $5-7 per sq ft, Select $7-9, and Transcend $10-12 in materials alone, a spread that's consistent across Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, and Forbes Home
  • Deck size — total cost scales with square footage; Forbes Home shows a 100 sq ft deck at $1,500-$3,000 versus a 400 sq ft deck at $6,000-$12,000
  • Design complexity — labor runs $8-22 per sq ft for simple designs versus $15-35 per sq ft for complex shapes, multiple stair runs, and custom railings (Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, Forbes Home)
  • New substructure vs. reusing existing framing — HomeGuide's $45-70 per sq ft installed figure assumes a full new substructure; replacing boards over sound existing framing costs meaningfully less
  • Railings, stairs, lighting, and other Trex-branded add-ons are priced separately from the decking boards themselves (HomeGuide, Forbes Home)
  • Capped vs. uncapped boards — all current Trex lines use capped composite, which costs more than older uncapped composite decking (HomeGuide)
  • Permits, typically $200-$1,000 depending on jurisdiction and deck size (HomeAdvisor)

How much does Trex decking cost?

A Trex deck runs $1,500 to $20,800 for a full project, averaging around $6,100. That average is the mean of three independent publishers’ stated figures — Bob Vila reports a national average of $4,800 (range $1,600-$9,600), HomeAdvisor reports $6,000 (range $1,850-$9,600), and Forbes Home reports $7,500 (range $1,500-$20,800). By product line, materials alone run $5 to $7 per square foot for Enhance (the entry-level line), $7 to $9 for Select, and $10 to $12 for Transcend (the premium line) — a breakdown that Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, and Forbes Home all report within a dollar of each other. Labor adds $8 to $22 per square foot for a straightforward rectangular design, or $15 to $35 per square foot once you add multi-level shapes, extra stair runs, or custom railings.

Is Trex a premium composite decking brand?

Not on price. Weighed against the broader composite decking category — which averages $8,500 for a roughly 360 sq ft project, per our composite deck cost guide — Trex’s own reported averages ($4,800 to $7,500 across three sources) land at or below that category figure, not above it. The reason is straightforward: “composite decking” as a category includes pricier subtypes like wood-plastic composite, which runs $10 to $18 per square foot in materials, well above Trex’s own Enhance ($5-7) and Select ($7-9) lines. Trex’s Transcend line, at $10-12 per square foot, is closer to that category’s higher end, but it’s still the top of Trex’s own range rather than an outlier above the category. In plain terms: choosing Trex over “generic composite decking” isn’t a name-brand upcharge the way it can be with some other branded home-improvement products — Trex is one of the original composite decking makers, and its pricing sits squarely inside the range the category itself sets.

Why do quotes for Trex decking vary so much?

Scope is the biggest reason. HomeGuide reports Trex installed at $45 to $70 per square foot — noticeably higher than Bob Vila’s or HomeAdvisor’s combined materials-and-labor figures of roughly $10 to $27 per square foot for a basic project. The gap comes down to what’s included: HomeGuide’s number assumes an entirely new substructure built from the ground up, while the lower figures from Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, and Forbes Home generally assume a standard installation, which can include replacing boards over existing, structurally sound framing rather than rebuilding it. A 20-foot-by-20-foot (400 sq ft) deck illustrates the swing: Forbes Home prices that size at $6,000 to $12,000, while HomeGuide’s full-substructure version of the same footprint runs $18,000 to $28,000. Before comparing quotes, confirm with your contractor whether the substructure is being replaced or reused — it’s the single biggest scope difference behind the wide range of numbers online.

How to keep a Trex project on budget

  • Start with Enhance instead of Transcend if budget is the priority. The jump from Enhance to Transcend is $5 per square foot in materials alone before labor is even factored in.
  • Confirm whether your existing substructure can be reused. If a contractor’s quote assumes a full rebuild and your framing is sound, that’s a meaningful, avoidable cost.
  • Keep the design simple. A rectangular single-level deck runs $8-22 per square foot in labor; multi-level designs, extra stairs, and elaborate railings push that to $15-35 per square foot.
  • Price railings, stairs, and lighting separately rather than assuming they’re bundled into a per-square-foot decking quote — they typically aren’t.
  • Get at least two or three quotes for the same scope of work, and make sure each one specifies materials, tier, and whether the substructure is new or reused, so you’re comparing like-for-like numbers.

Prices vary by region, deck size, and design complexity, so treat the figures above as a planning budget. Get two or three local quotes, and confirm which Trex line, substructure scope, and add-ons (railings, stairs, lighting) are included before comparing bids. For the broader material category, see our composite deck cost guide; if a covered structure or future repairs come up as your deck ages, our deck repair cost guide covers that separately.

Advertisement · 336 × 280

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Trex deck cost?
Total project cost typically runs $1,500 to $20,800, averaging around $6,100 — the mean of three publishers' stated averages: Bob Vila ($4,800), HomeAdvisor ($6,000), and Forbes Home ($7,500).
Which Trex line is the cheapest?
Trex Enhance, at $5 to $7 per square foot for materials alone, is the budget line. Select runs $7 to $9 per square foot, and Transcend, the premium line, runs $10 to $12 per square foot (Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, Forbes Home).
Is Trex more expensive than other composite decking brands?
Not particularly. Trex's reported project averages run at or below the $8,500 average for the composite decking category overall. That category average is pulled up by pricier composite subtypes like wood-plastic composite, which runs $10-18 per square foot in materials — above Trex's own Enhance and Select ranges.
Why do some sources quote $45 to $70 per square foot for Trex and others quote $20 to $30?
Scope. HomeGuide's higher figure assumes a full new substructure built from scratch. Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, and Forbes Home's lower per-square-foot figures generally assume standard installation, which can include reusing sound existing framing — a materially cheaper scope of work.
How much does labor add to a Trex deck project?
$8 to $22 per square foot for a straightforward design, rising to $15 to $35 per square foot for complex shapes, multiple stair runs, or custom railings (Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, Forbes Home).
What size deck do these prices assume?
Costs scale directly with square footage. Forbes Home shows a small 100 sq ft deck at $1,500-$3,000, a mid-size 280 sq ft deck at $4,200-$8,400, and a larger 400 sq ft deck at $6,000-$12,000.

Sources

Figures synthesized and cross-checked across these sources (retrieved 2026-09-02):

  • Bob Vila — National average $4,800; overall range $1,600-$9,600. Materials only $5-12 per sq ft. Labor: simple designs $5-15 per sq ft, complex designs $15-35 per sq ft. Combined materials+labor for basic decks $20-62 per sq ft. By size: 100 sq ft $1,000-$2,700; 300 sq ft $3,000-$8,100; 400 sq ft $4,000-$10,800; 600 sq ft $6,000-$16,200. By product line, materials per sq ft: Trex Enhance $5-7, Trex Select $7-9, Trex Transcend $10-12. Stairs $20-50/sq ft; railings $20-60/linear ft; permits $200-$1,000.
  • HomeAdvisor — National average $6,000; range $1,850-$9,600 for professional installation. Overall $10-27 per sq ft (materials and basic installation); with add-ons (stairs, railings) up to $62 per sq ft. By product line, per sq ft: Trex Transcend $10-12, Trex Select $7-9, Trex Enhance $5-7. Labor $8-22 per sq ft basic, $15-35 per sq ft complex projects. Railings $10-20/sq ft or $20-60/linear ft; stairs $20-50/sq ft; RainEscape drainage system $2.50-$4/sq ft.
  • HomeGuide — Trex decking costs $45 to $70 per square foot installed, including framing. 12'x12' (144 sq ft) $6,500-$10,000; 20'x20' (400 sq ft) $18,000-$28,000. Materials alone $5-15 per sq ft. By type, installed per sq ft: Enhance $45-50 (materials $5-7), Select $55-60 (materials $9-10), Transcend $65-70 (materials $13-15). Labor $27-42 per sq ft. Deck stairs $1,400-$2,600 installed; permits $50-$150. Trex composite decking costs 40% to 80% more to install than a wooden deck ($25-$50 per sq ft installed).
  • Forbes Home — Average cost $7,500; highest $20,800; lowest $1,500. Materials (including substructure, railing, stairs, hardware, fasteners) $15-30 per sq ft; decking boards alone $5-12 per sq ft. By size: 10x10 (100 sq ft) $1,500-$3,000; 12x12 (144 sq ft) $2,160-$4,320; 14x20 (280 sq ft) $4,200-$8,400; 16x20 (320 sq ft) $4,800-$9,600; 20x20 (400 sq ft) $6,000-$12,000. By line, per sq ft: Enhance $5-7, Select Earth Tones/Enhance Natural $7-9, Transcend $10-12. Labor $8-22 per sq ft. Permits $100-$300.

Four independent publishers price Trex directly, and their whole-project averages cluster below composite-deck-cost.json's category average: Bob Vila reports a national average of $4,800 (range $1,600-$9,600), HomeAdvisor $6,000 (range $1,850-$9,600), and Forbes Home $7,500 (range $1,500-$20,800). national_average_usd ($6,100) is the mean of those three stated averages; it is a synthesis, not a single source's verbatim figure. range_low_usd ($1,500) is Forbes Home's low end for a small DIY-scale deck; range_high_usd ($20,800) is Forbes Home's high end for a large, complex-design project, and sits below HomeGuide's $28,000 ceiling for a 20'x20' deck built with an entirely new substructure — a different, higher-scope project than a typical board replacement. By product line, Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, and Forbes Home agree closely on materials-only per-square-foot pricing: Enhance $5-7, Select (or Select Earth Tones/Enhance Natural) $7-9, and Transcend $10-12. HomeGuide's installed-cost-by-type table runs much higher ($45-50 for Enhance, $55-60 for Select, $65-70 for Transcend) because, unlike the other three sources, it explicitly bundles in a full new substructure rather than assuming board replacement over existing, sound framing — the same pattern noted in composite-deck-cost.json, where HomeGuide is consistently the outlier for the same reason. Compared against composite-deck-cost.json (national average $8,500, range $5,400-$11,500, for a roughly 360 sq ft deck), Trex's own reported averages run at or below that category figure rather than above it — Trex is not a premium composite brand on price. That's largely because the category average blends in pricier composite subtypes, particularly wood-plastic composite at $10-18 per sq ft in materials, while Trex's own Enhance and Select lines price at or below the category's low end.