A professionally built deck in the US typically costs somewhere around $25 to $60 per square foot in 2026, depending on the material, height and complexity of the design. Angi puts the national average project at $8,317 and $30 to $60 per sq ft, while HomeGuide lists new decks at $25 to $50 per sq ft. Those averages hide a lot of spread, so the useful thing is to break a deck into its line items and price each one for your own project.
All figures below are national ranges from published 2026 cost guides. Local material and labor prices can be well above or below them.
How a deck budget splits
A deck quote has two big halves: materials and labor. HomeGuide’s 2026 figures split a new build into roughly $14 to $28 per sq ft for materials and $11 to $22 per sq ft for labor. Angi gives a wider labor range of $8 to $40 per sq ft, with the top end reserved for raised, multi-level or highly custom work.
Within materials, the costs fall into these lines:
- Decking boards
- Framing lumber (ledger, joists, beams, posts, blocking)
- Footings and concrete
- Hardware and fasteners
- Railings
- Stairs
- Finish (stain or sealer, for wood)
Then add the non-material lines: permit, demolition of an old deck, and site work.
Line 1: Decking boards
The walking surface is the line most people think of first, and the one where material choice moves the number most. Ergeon’s 2026 guide gives these materials-only ranges per square foot of deck (Ergeon):
| Decking material | Materials per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $2 to $3 |
| Cedar | $4 to $9 |
| Composite | $5 to $13 |
| Capped PVC | $8 to $20 |
These figures cover the boards. Composite and PVC also usually need matching fascia, hidden fasteners or color-matched screws, and sometimes trim boards for a picture-frame border, which add to the line.
To price this line properly, count boards by length rather than by area. Our deck board calculator gives the board count for each stock length, which you can multiply by the per-board price at your supplier.
Line 2: Framing lumber
The frame is almost always pressure-treated lumber, even under composite or PVC boards. It includes:
- Ledger (for an attached deck) or a second beam (for a freestanding deck)
- Joists, rim joists and blocking
- Beams, often two or three plies of 2x10 or 2x12
- Posts, usually 6x6
Framing cost scales with deck area and height. A deck 8 ft off the ground needs taller posts, heavier bracing and often larger beams than the same deck at 24”. Joist spacing matters too: composite boards laid diagonally typically need joists at 12” on center instead of 16” (TimberTech installation guide), which adds about a third more joists.
Published cost guides rarely break out framing separately, so the best way to price it is from a lumber list. The lumber calculator turns your deck dimensions into a list of joists, beams and posts you can take to a supplier.
Line 3: Footings and concrete
Each footing needs digging, a form tube or a poured pad, concrete and a post base. The number of footings depends on beam spans, and the size depends on how much deck each one carries. Depth depends on your local frost line.
This line is modest on a low deck in a mild climate and noticeably bigger where frost depth is deep or the soil is rocky. Precast or helical pier systems are an alternative some builders use; they cost more per pier but cut digging and concrete work.
Line 4: Hardware and fasteners
This line covers joist hangers, post bases, beam connectors, ledger fasteners, flashing and deck screws or hidden clips. It is easy to underestimate. The IRC requires corrosion-resistant fasteners on treated lumber, such as hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel (Anne Arundel County 2021 IRC deck guide), and hidden fastener systems for composite boards generally cost more than face screws.
Line 5: Railings
Railings can rival the decking itself on a raised deck. HomeGuide’s 2026 figures put installed railing at about $20 to $50 per linear foot for wood and $50 to $200 for aluminum, with cable and glass systems higher still. Its labor figure alone runs $10 to $50 per linear foot.
Under the IRC, guards are generally required where the deck surface is more than 30” above grade (City of Lake Stevens IRC R312 handout), so a low deck may not need this line at all. Local codes vary; confirm with your building department.
Line 6: Stairs
HomeGuide lists new deck stairs at $1,400 to $2,600 installed on average, with per-step pricing that varies by material. Wider stairs, landings and stair railings push the number up. A deck 24” off the ground might need only three treads; a second-story deck may need a landing and two flights.
Line 7: Finish
Wood decks need stain or sealer after the lumber has dried enough to accept it, and again every few years. Stain is typically sold by the gallon with first-coat coverage of roughly 150 to 300 sq ft per gallon (Angi deck stain calculator). Composite and PVC skip this line, which is one reason their higher upfront cost narrows over time.
Permit, demolition and site work
- Permit. Angi’s 2026 data puts most deck permits in the low hundreds of dollars, roughly $100 to $500, with big differences from city to city. Some jurisdictions add plan review or inspection fees.
- Demolition. Tearing out and hauling away an old deck is a separate line in most quotes. Ask for it to be itemized.
- Site work. Grading, moving a downspout, relocating an AC condenser or clearing a slope all add cost and are easy to miss in early budgets.
Worked example: a 16 × 12 ft deck
Here is a 192 sq ft deck attached to the house, 24” above grade, with one 4-ft-wide set of stairs and no railing needed at that height.
Using Ergeon’s 2026 installed ranges per square foot (Ergeon):
| Material | Installed per sq ft | 192 sq ft deck |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated | $25 to $40 | $4,800 to $7,680 |
| Cedar | $30 to $50 | $5,760 to $9,600 |
| Mid-grade composite | $35 to $55 | $6,720 to $10,560 |
| Capped PVC | $55 to $80+ | $10,560 to $15,360+ |
Now raise the same deck to 40”. It needs a guard on the three open sides minus the stair opening: 16 + 12 + 12 − 4 = 36 linear feet. At HomeGuide’s wood railing range of $20 to $50 per foot, that adds roughly $720 to $1,800, and an aluminum system at $50 to $200 per foot would add $1,800 to $7,200. The stairs grow too, since a 40” rise needs more steps than a 24” rise.
Per-square-foot quotes vary in what they include, so the same deck can look very different from one bid to the next. When you compare, check whether railings, stairs, permits and demolition are inside or outside the quoted rate.
For a DIY build, the materials-only number is more useful. Decking boards for 192 sq ft plus 10% waste come to about 211 sq ft of coverage, or about $420 to $630 for pressure-treated boards and $1,060 to $2,740 for composite at Ergeon’s materials ranges. Framing, footings, hardware and stairs come on top of that. Plug your own numbers into the deck cost calculator to see the full total.
What pushes deck costs up
- Height. Taller posts, bracing, railings and more stairs.
- Shape. Angles, curves and multiple levels mean more cuts, more framing and more waste.
- Material. The decking line can triple between pressure-treated and PVC.
- Access. Material that has to be carried through a house or up a slope adds labor.
- Region. Labor rates and permit fees vary widely.
- Season. Builders are busiest in spring and summer, and scheduling can be easier in the off-season.
Long-term cost and resale
Upfront cost is only part of the picture. Wood decks need periodic cleaning and refinishing; composite and PVC mostly need washing. On resale, the Cost vs Value 2025 report, as summarized by Ergeon, estimated a wood deck addition at $18,263 recouping 94.9% of cost and a composite deck addition at $25,096 recouping 88.5%. Those are national figures for a specific project size, and local markets differ.
The decking materials comparison goes into maintenance and lifespan for each option.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 16 × 12 deck cost?
At 2026 installed ranges from Ergeon, a 192 sq ft deck runs roughly $4,800 to $7,700 in pressure-treated wood and $6,700 to $10,600 in mid-grade composite. Railings, extra height, demolition and local labor rates can push it higher. Get at least two itemized quotes to see what your area actually charges.
Is it cheaper to build a deck yourself?
Labor is a large share of a deck’s cost, so DIY can save a lot if you have the time, tools and skills. You still pay for materials, the permit and any tool rentals, and mistakes in framing or footings can be expensive to fix. Many homeowners hire out the footings and framing and do the decking and finishing themselves.
Why do deck quotes vary so much?
Quotes differ in what they include, such as railings, stairs, permit fees and demolition, and in how each contractor prices labor and overhead. Ask every bidder to itemize the same lines so you can compare like for like. A bid far below the rest is worth questioning on footing depth, joist size and fasteners.
Does composite cost more than wood over time?
Composite costs more upfront but avoids the recurring cost of stain or sealer and the labor to apply it. Whether it comes out cheaper overall depends on how long you keep the deck, how often you would refinish wood, and local prices. Run both options through a cost calculator with your own numbers.