Design Limitations
Reality Check Design Limits
The Almighty Ledger Board
Addition vs. Extension
Door Location
What is your Elevation?
Respecting Context
Establishing Permanence
Property Lines and Easements
Site Context
The Trouble with Stairs
Identifying Obstacles
Privacy
Code Enforcement
Budget Considerations
Cost of building a deck




Deck Builders
Watch the first of our deck design video series. Here are the three products in the video. Enjoy!
Gossen PVC Decking
BigFoot Systems
EBTY Hidden Fasteners

Price or cost of building a deck

The cost of decking materials will vary depending on the type and quality of material you choose, where you live, and what type of lumberyard you buy from. The price of decking is a commodity just like gasoline.

The cheapest decking material is pressure treated wood. You can expect to pay between $.75 and $1.25 per linear foot for 5/4x6 ACQ treated decking from a big box store. You should sort through the bins to find the best boards. Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards usually only stock short lengths of decking less than 12' which will leave your deck with more seams. If you go to a local lumberyard where contractors are more likely to buy from you will usually find higher grade materials with longer available lengths at a slightly higher price. Pressure treated wood is considered an economy material which is ideal for people working within a tight budget but doesn't always hold up as well over time. Routinely staining your deck will help protect your deck but it is not uncommon for pressure treated decking to split, crack, warp, and turn gray in a few years.

Cedar and redwood decking prices range from about $1.25 to $2.00 per linear foot for 5/4x6 stock. Redwood is commonly available on the west coast but is scarce in the eastern United States. Higher grade materials and long lengths will cost a premium.

With over 100 brands to choose from there is a wide range of prices for vinyl and composite decking. The higher end name brands usually cost between $3.00 to $4.00 per linear foot. The big box stores offer economy composite materials for about half the price. As an additional cost many composite decking systems use special screws or hidden fasteners that can be expensive.

Exotic hardwood decking materials such as Ipe are usually the most expensive option. You can expect to pay between $4.00 to $5.00 for 3/4x6 Ipe. Ipe is only available at higher end lumberyards and is usually a special order item. Exotic hardwoods usually require side mounted hidden fastener clips which will add to the total cost.