A deck’s cost is not one number. It moves with the deck’s size, the material you put underfoot, how high off the ground it sits, and what your yard makes the crew do to set the footings. The national cost guides put a typical build somewhere in the mid four figures to low five figures, but the published extremes run from about $1,500 for a small pressure-treated platform to $40,000 for a large deck in exotic hardwood.
This guide collects what the major published sources - HomeGuide, Fixr, Angi and its sister brand HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila, and decking maker Trex - actually list for deck building, broken down by the square foot, by size, by material, by the labor split, and by the add-ons that quietly move the total. Every figure below is quoted from a named guide, so you can walk into a bid conversation with real reference points instead of a guess.
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 Deck Cost?
There is no single national price for a deck, only published reference points that measure slightly different things. On a per-square-foot basis, HomeGuide lists $25 to $50 per square foot installed, Fixr lists $15 to $55 per square foot, and both Angi and Bob Vila list $30 to $60 per square foot. On a whole-project basis, HomeGuide lists $3,600 to $20,000 on average, Fixr lists $9,000 to $20,000 with a national average of $14,000, and Angi and its sister brand HomeAdvisor both list $4,340 to $12,650 with an average of $8,315.
The published extremes are wider than any of those midpoints. Fixr’s range runs from $1,500 for a 100-square-foot deck at the low end to $40,000 for a 500-square-foot exotic-hardwood deck at the high end, and HomeAdvisor’s runs from a $2,000 low to an $18,000 high. Bob Vila lists a typical range of $4,141 to $11,713 and attributes a $7,913 national average to Angi and HomeAdvisor, though those two sites’ own current pages list $8,315. The sections below explain what moves a job from one end of that spread to the other, starting with the unit that trips up most comparisons: the square foot.
Deck Cost per Square Foot: Installed vs Materials Only
Per-square-foot figures are the most quoted deck numbers and the easiest to misread, because two guides can print numbers that look ten times apart and both be right. The gap is almost always installed versus materials only.
When HomeGuide lists $25 to $50 per square foot, that is installed - decking, substructure, and labor together. Fixr’s $15 to $55 per square foot and Angi’s and Bob Vila’s $30 to $60 per square foot are also installed, whole-job numbers. HomeAdvisor, by contrast, lists decking materials at $2 to $45 per square foot, not including labor, and both HomeAdvisor and Angi break that down by species as materials only: pressure-treated wood at $2 to $5 per square foot, cedar at $3 to $7, and ipe at $10 to $20. Those single-digit numbers are not a cheaper deck; they are the boards before anyone builds anything.
So when you compare quotes, check the unit first. A $5 per square foot figure for materials and a $40 per square foot figure installed can describe the very same deck. Every table in this guide labels its columns installed or materials only, so the two never get mixed.
Deck Cost by Size
Size is the most intuitive lever - more square footage means more of everything. Angi and its sister brand HomeAdvisor publish an identical size table, so treat the two as one dataset rather than two independent confirmations. Fixr publishes its own, starting from a smaller 8-by-10 footprint.
Angi and HomeAdvisor both list a 10x10 deck (100 square feet) at $4,000 to $6,000, a 12x12 (144 square feet) at $5,760 to $8,640, a 16x20 (320 square feet) at $12,800 to $19,200, and a 20x20 (400 square feet) at $16,000 to $24,000. Fixr runs lower: it lists an 8x10 (80 square feet) at $1,200 to $4,400, a 12x12 at $2,160 to $7,920, a 16x20 at $4,800 to $17,600, and a 20x20 at $6,000 to $22,000.
Published guide figures by deck size
| Deck size | Angi and HomeAdvisor | Fixr |
|---|---|---|
| 10x10 (100 sq ft) | $4,000-$6,000 | 8x10 listed at $1,200-$4,400 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $5,760-$8,640 | $2,160-$7,920 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $12,800-$19,200 | $4,800-$17,600 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $16,000-$24,000 | $6,000-$22,000 |
Fixr does not publish a 10x10; its smallest listed deck is an 8x10 (80 square feet) at $1,200 to $4,400, which is why that cell points sideways rather than lining up one-to-one. The two guides diverge most at the small end and stay far apart at the top, a reminder that a size table is a starting frame, not a quote.
Deck Cost by Material
Material is where the biggest per-square-foot swing lives, from budget pressure-treated pine to exotic ipe. HomeGuide lists these as installed prices; Fixr splits each into materials only and installed, which is a useful side-by-side for seeing where the boards end and the labor begins.
HomeGuide lists pressure-treated decking at $25 to $50 per square foot installed, cedar at $30 to $47, redwood at $28 to $54, composite at $40 to $80, Trex composite at $45 to $70, and ipe at $50 to $70, all installed. Fixr lists pressure-treated at $3 to $8 for materials or $15 to $25 installed, cedar at $4 to $9 or $19 to $29, redwood at $7 to $12 or $27 to $38, composite at $8 to $20 or $28 to $40, and ipe at $10 to $20 or $30 to $55.
Published guide figures by decking material
| Material | HomeGuide (installed) | Fixr (materials only) | Fixr (installed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $25-$50 | $3-$8 | $15-$25 |
| Cedar | $30-$47 | $4-$9 | $19-$29 |
| Redwood | $28-$54 | $7-$12 | $27-$38 |
| Composite | $40-$80 | $8-$20 | $28-$40 |
| Trex (composite) | $45-$70 | not listed | not listed |
| Ipe (exotic hardwood) | $50-$70 | $10-$20 | $30-$55 |
HomeGuide also lists other options installed: aluminum at $100 to $125 per square foot, mahogany at $30 to $57, bamboo at $27 to $52, and tigerwood at $40 to $64. For the composite and Trex numbers broken out by brand, see our composite deck cost guide, and for the crews who install them, our composite deck installation listings.
What Share of a Deck Is Labor?
On most decks the boards are the smaller half of the bill. Trex, the decking maker, states plainly that labor and management account for nearly two-thirds of total costs. The cost guides land in the same neighborhood on a per-square-foot basis: HomeGuide lists labor at $11 to $25 per square foot, Fixr at $10 to $35, and Angi and HomeAdvisor both at $15 to $35, with framing alone adding $9 to $12 per square foot. Bob Vila also lists labor at $15 to $35 per square foot.
HomeGuide’s own calculator makes the split concrete for a basic pressure-treated pine build: $14 to $28 per square foot in materials plus $11 to $22 in labor equals the $25 to $50 installed headline. That is why two identical-looking decks can carry different prices - the material is priced nationally, but the labor is priced locally.
Add-Ons That Change the Total
The headline range is the deck platform. These line items are where two bids for the same deck diverge, so ask which are included before you compare numbers.
Railings. HomeGuide lists deck railing at $20 to $60 per linear foot for wood or vinyl. Fixr lists railing at $30 to $210 per linear foot installed, ranging by material from wood at $30 to $50 up to glass at $140 to $210. HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila both list $35 to $210 per linear foot.
Stairs. HomeGuide lists deck stairs at $1,400 to $2,600 installed. Fixr lists $75 to $450 per stair with labor included, and HomeAdvisor lists $25 to $50 per stair, or $160 to $560 for a prefabricated wooden staircase of eight to sixteen steps.
Permits. HomeGuide lists a permit at $50 to $150, Fixr at $100 to $500, HomeAdvisor at $230 to $500, and Angi at $225 to $500.
Footings and foundation. Fixr lists concrete deck blocks at $50 to $150, a buried post at $100 to $300, a poured concrete footer at $200 to $350, and screw piles at $250 to $400 each installed, or $50 to $500 per post overall. Bob Vila lists foundation installation at $25 to $300 per post.
Demolition of an old deck. If you are tearing out an existing deck first, HomeAdvisor and HomeGuide both list $5 to $15 per square foot, and Fixr lists complete deck removal at $500 to $1,000. Our deck replacement cost guide covers that tear-out-and-rebuild path in full.
Decking pattern. Fixr notes that any pattern other than a straight run, such as a diagonal or a herringbone, increases the project cost by 15% to 20%.
What Goes Into a Deck Quote
Underneath every headline range is a stack of parts: the footings that anchor the deck, the framing and joists that carry it, the boards you walk on, the fasteners that hold them, and the railings and stairs that finish it. Some crews price by the unit - per square foot for the platform, per linear foot for railings, per stair, per footing - and add a permit and any demolition on top.
Labor is the largest piece, and it is priced locally, which is the single biggest reason a national guide can only set the frame. The same 300-square-foot cedar deck can draw a different bid in Seattle than in Denver, purely on local labor and permit differences. National figures tell you whether a bid is in the right ballpark; a local, itemized, in-person quote tells you your actual price.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
The published ranges tell you whether a bid is in the right ballpark. These questions tell you whether the company on the other end of it is one you want on your property, and every item is verifiable before you sign.
- Are you licensed to build decks in this jurisdiction, and can I see it?
- Do you carry liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and can I get a current certificate of insurance?
- Deck building has no single arborist-style credential the way tree work does, so are you a member of a trade association such as the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA)?
- Is the quote itemized - platform, substructure, footings, railings, stairs, permit, demolition - and is it fixed or an estimate?
- Who pulls the permit, and is that fee in the quote?
- If you are replacing a deck, does the price include hauling the old one away, or is demolition extra?
- Is the crew doing the work the same one giving me the quote?
A company that answers these in writing is giving you what no national guide can: a real, local, itemized price from a named, insured crew. You can compare a few side by side through our deck building listings or the full directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to build a deck?
It depends on size and material, but the whole-project guides give a frame. Angi and its sister brand HomeAdvisor both list $4,340 to $12,650 with an average of $8,315, HomeGuide lists $3,600 to $20,000, and Fixr lists $9,000 to $20,000 with a $14,000 national average. On a per-square-foot basis, HomeGuide lists $25 to $50 installed.
How much does a 12x12 deck cost?
For a 144-square-foot deck, Angi and HomeAdvisor both list $5,760 to $8,640, while Fixr lists $2,160 to $7,920. HomeGuide separately lists a do-it-yourself 12x12 in pressure-treated pine at $2,000 to $4,000 for materials, or $14 to $28 per square foot for materials alone.
Is a composite deck more expensive than a wood deck?
On the boards and installed, usually yes. HomeGuide lists composite at $40 to $80 per square foot installed against pressure-treated at $25 to $50 and cedar at $30 to $47. Our composite deck cost guide compares the brands and the wood-versus-composite tradeoff in detail.
How much of a deck’s cost is labor?
A large share. Trex states labor and management are nearly two-thirds of total cost, and the guides list labor at $11 to $25 per square foot (HomeGuide), $10 to $35 (Fixr), and $15 to $35 (Angi and HomeAdvisor). That local labor is why the same deck draws different bids in different cities.
Why do deck quotes vary so much?
Because the inputs vary: size, material, elevation, railings, stairs, footings, permits, demolition, and local labor rates all move the number, which is why the published extremes span roughly $1,500 to $40,000 (Fixr). That is also why the guides publish national ranges, and why an in-person, itemized quote is the only figure that reflects your specific deck. For upkeep and repairs down the line, see our deck repair cost guide and deck staining cost guide.
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