Composite decking trades a higher price at the till for boards that never need staining. That tradeoff is the whole story of what it costs, and the published cost guides disagree on the number more than usual, because they are quietly measuring different things: some quote boards only, some quote boards plus substructure, and some quote the finished, installed deck.
This guide lays out what the named sources - HomeGuide, Angi and its sister brand HomeAdvisor, and decking maker Trex - actually list for composite deck installation, per square foot, by brand, and by size, and where those numbers stop being comparable. For the full wood-versus-composite picture, our deck cost guide is the pillar this sits under.
Pricing note - reviewed August 7, 2026: Every figure on this page is quoted from a named published cost guide, each opened on August 7, 2026. These are national published ranges, not local quotes or Plank Compass averages - deck work is priced job by job, and prices vary by market, size, material and site. Confirm the itemized total on site with a licensed, insured builder.
How Much Does a Composite Deck Cost per Square Foot?
The spread here is real, and most of it is a units problem. HomeGuide lists composite decking at $40 to $80 per square foot installed, including the substructure. HomeAdvisor lists composite at $25 to $54 per square foot when installed, from materials of $12 to $22 per square foot. Angi lists composite at $15 to $32 per square foot, made up of $5 to $18 in materials plus $10 to $14 in labor. And Trex, the manufacturer, lists an estimated material cost of $10 to $27 per square foot, which it says includes the substructure, decking, hardware, and fasteners.
Read those side by side and the gap makes sense. Trex’s $10 to $27 is material only. Angi’s $15 to $32 folds in a modest labor figure. HomeAdvisor’s $25 to $54 is a fuller installed number. HomeGuide’s $40 to $80 is the widest installed figure and explicitly bundles the substructure. None of them is wrong; they simply draw the boundary of the job in different places, so always check what a per-square-foot composite number includes before you compare it to a bid.
Composite Deck Cost by Brand
Brand pricing is cleanest as a materials-only number, and HomeGuide publishes a per-brand table on exactly that basis. It lists Trex boards at $5 to $15 per square foot, TimberTech and AZEK at $6 to $13, and Fiberon at $7 to $14, all materials only.
Published guide figures by composite brand (materials only)
| Brand | HomeGuide (materials only, per sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Trex | $5-$15 |
| TimberTech / AZEK | $6-$13 |
| Fiberon | $7-$14 |
HomeGuide lists several other brands on the same materials-only basis: CertainTeed at $7 to $9, Deckorators at $5 to $9, Envision at $5 to $16, Genovations at $4 to $7, Gorilla at $6 to $12, and Veranda at $3 to $8. By decking type it lists PVC board at $5 to $12, polyethylene composite at $4 to $11, and polypropylene at $5 to $16. Angi prices the same categories a little differently, listing PVC decking at $5 to $15 per square foot, mineral-based or polypropylene composite at $6 to $15, and wood-plastic composite materials at $10 to $18 per square foot.
Note that Trex’s own $10 to $27 per square foot figure is higher than HomeGuide’s $5 to $15 Trex line because Trex bundles the substructure, hardware, and fasteners into its material estimate while HomeGuide’s brand table is boards alone. That is the same units problem from the section above, showing up brand by brand: a boards-only price and a boards-plus-substructure price are not the same number even when they carry the same logo.
Composite Deck Cost by Size
By size, HomeGuide and Angi again sit far apart, for the same installed-versus-scope reason. HomeGuide lists a 10x10 composite deck (100 square feet) at $4,000 to $8,000, a 12x12 (144 square feet) at $5,750 to $11,500, a 16x16 (256 square feet) at $10,250 to $20,480, and a 20x20 (400 square feet) at $16,000 to $32,000. Angi lists a 10x10 at $1,500 to $3,200, a 12x12 at $2,200 to $4,600, a 16x20 (320 square feet) at $4,800 to $10,200, and a 20x20 at $6,000 to $12,800. Trex lists a 16x20 at $9,600 to $19,200 and a 20x20 at $12,000 to $24,000 for a professional installation.
Published guide figures by composite deck size
| Deck size | HomeGuide (installed) | Angi (installed) | Trex official |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x10 (100 sq ft) | $4,000-$8,000 | $1,500-$3,200 | not listed |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $5,750-$11,500 | $2,200-$4,600 | not listed |
| 16x16 (256 sq ft) | $10,250-$20,480 | not listed | not listed |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | not listed | $4,800-$10,200 | $9,600-$19,200 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | not listed | $6,000-$12,800 | $12,000-$24,000 |
HomeGuide’s middle row is a 16x16, while Angi and Trex use a 16x20, so those two rows describe different-sized decks and should not be read across. Angi separately lists a standard 360-square-foot composite install at $5,400 to $11,500, with an average of $8,500.
Composite Deck Cost by Type and Elevation
How high the deck sits changes the composite install price the same way it does for wood, because elevation drives the framing and the labor. HomeGuide lists a ground-level or platform composite deck at $40 to $50 per square foot installed, a detached or floating deck at $30 to $40, an elevated deck at $50 to $80, a second-story deck at $80 to $100, and a multi-level deck at $90 to $130. Behind those totals, HomeGuide lists composite material at $16 to $32 per square foot and labor at $24 to $48 per square foot, which is Trex’s nearly-two-thirds labor share showing up in the arithmetic.
The framing and hardware are their own line items on a composite job, separate from the boards. For a 360-square-foot deck, Angi lists the railing at $875 to $2,800, the substructure at $1,900 to $3,100, the posts at $750 to $1,900, and the hardware at $250 to $500, for $3,800 to $8,300 in additional deck materials on top of the decking itself. Ask a bidder which of these a composite quote already includes, because a low per-board number can hide a substructure that is priced separately.
Composite vs Wood: The Cost Tradeoff
Upfront, composite is the pricier board. HomeGuide lists composite at $40 to $80 per square foot installed against pressure-treated pine at $25 to $50 and cedar at $30 to $47, all installed. On the labor side there is no shortcut either way: Trex states that labor and management are nearly two-thirds of a deck’s total cost, so a large part of the bill is the crew, not the material.
Where composite earns its premium back is upkeep, not the install. A wood deck carries a recurring staining and sealing cost that composite largely skips; our deck staining cost guide lays out what that recurring line item runs. If you are swapping an existing wood deck for composite rather than building on bare ground, Angi lists the replacement at $20 to $47 per square foot, a grand total of $7,200 to $17,000 for an average-sized deck, and our deck replacement cost guide breaks that path down. For the head-to-head wood numbers, start with the deck cost pillar, or compare local crews in Seattle through our directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a composite deck cost per square foot?
It depends on what the number includes. HomeGuide lists $40 to $80 per square foot installed including substructure, HomeAdvisor lists $25 to $54 installed, Angi lists $15 to $32 (materials $5 to $18 plus labor $10 to $14), and Trex lists a material cost of $10 to $27 per square foot including substructure, decking, hardware, and fasteners.
How much does a Trex deck cost?
Trex’s own page lists a material cost of $10 to $27 per square foot, a 16x20 deck at $9,600 to $19,200, and a 20x20 at $12,000 to $24,000 for professional installation. HomeGuide lists Trex boards at $5 to $15 per square foot for materials, or $45 to $70 per square foot installed, and HomeAdvisor lists Trex at $5 to $10 per square foot for boards, or $10 to $27 installed.
Is a composite deck cheaper than a wood deck?
Not upfront. HomeGuide lists composite at $40 to $80 per square foot installed versus pressure-treated pine at $25 to $50 and cedar at $30 to $47. Composite’s savings come later, in the staining and sealing a wood deck needs and it largely does not. See the deck cost pillar for the full comparison.
How much does it cost to replace a wood deck with composite?
Angi lists a composite replacement at $20 to $47 per square foot, which it puts at a grand total of $7,200 to $17,000 for an average-sized deck. That figure includes tearing out and disposing of the old deck; our deck replacement cost guide covers the demolition line item.
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