Calculating a construction budget is like an equation with three variables: 1) Cost 2) Square Footage 3) Quality of Materials. You can control two of these variables which will produce the third, but you can’t control all three simultaneously. A deck project can be a substantial investment. Most decks material costs range from $10 to $20 per square foot depending on material choices. That means a no frills 350 square foot cedar deck will run about $4,200 for materials or about $7,000 if you plan on using composite materials.

If you are experiencing sticker shock right now you have discovered the final design limitation in deck design. This being said there are ways to alleviate the pain to your pocketbook. A bigger deck isn’t always the best design solution even with an unlimited budget. An intelligent design will give you more bang for your buck. There are methods of "trimming the fat" to eliminate unnecessary space and reduce expenses. It is a good idea to set a cost range you are prepared to spend before getting too far along in your design. This will assist you in negotiating the 3 variables mentioned at the beginning of the article.

We have covered the basics of design preparation; establishing what you want, what you need, and what you have to work with. Now we can move on to discussing some ideas you can use as tools to approach your comprehensive deck design.