How Much Does a Deck Cost?

MATERIALS } FLOORING | RAILING

 
Determining whether your decking project will be constructed from pressure treated wood or composite decking materials will be the first decision you will need to make as this will be determined by your overall budget allowed for this project.
Composite is more costly than traditional pressure treated wood, however the return of the investment, built properly is more than 4 times the roi. (return on investment)
Composite decking requires little to no maintenance ever and holds it's value and condition.
Another factor that will determine the overall cost is the type of deck that will be required in concordance to proper building codes, as these are a permant structure and often tied into your existing homes' framework.
There are diffrent materials and hardware required as per wheather the deck be built a floating deck (free-standing) or attached to a structure with a ledger board as part of the framing.
Other material items to consider are the railing styles. Along with the deck flooring most manufactures have 3 tiers of deck series ranging from GOOD | BETTER | BEST or whatever title they may give them.
The same is also with the railing and all series have different prices, colors, and options associated with each series. Lighting on the deck is also a requirement in some instances if the deck has steps and railing required.
16" is typically the number of inches of height that if a deck exceeds this or it is the clients preference a deck will need railing supports.
Another cost factor can be the style of caps whether it be the design of them or they be solar light up ones. Step and floor lighting can also be added to a deck project to determining the overall price.
Fascia or a decorative cover around the outer framework, enhancing the overall appearance of the deck, and protecting the wood is another item that we reccomend that protects your investment along with joist tape, that protects the frame and joists from rotting out with a waterproof barrier.

SIZE & HEIGHT

The size of the deck to be built will obviosly effect the overall cost too, by needing more or less materials to construct the deck. In addition depending how high off the ground the deck will be built will also effect the bottom line due to the amount of work required.
A deck that is off of the first lever and lower than 4' is going to cost less than a deck that would be built off of the second floor. The reasoning for this is that the deck will need longer posts and it requires a great deal of more time and labor to get all of the materials high off the ground to build the structure. Making it more difficult.

STEPS

Associated with height is the steps. Steps as per code can only be installed with a minimum of 3' width of each step, a maximum of 7 3/4" riser, and a minmum of 10" for each tread. Thus affecting the price with a lot more math and materials involved in planning and building.
Railing for steps may also be required and possibly a landing at certain points depending on the design of the stair structure. In addition step railings can only be 6' from post to post for sturdiness of the structure and as required by deck code. as opposed to a the deck which can be 8' spacing between posts.

REPLACEMENT

If replacing an existing deck the cost associated will be greater as for demolition and removal of the eximtng structure. However in some instances a client may wish to just replace the flooring or rails due to it's appeance or condition.
In these cases this will be determind by the quality of the existing framing. In addition as in a lot of cases the client wants to switch from existing pressure treated to composite. This is okay if the existing structure is still perfectly flat, plumb, and in great condition.
However the spacing between joists can usually be no lesser than 16" as per required code of composite decking and required manufacturers specifications. Such as with hidden fastener systems, that you wont see the screws holdimg down the deckboards all over.
So if the joists aren't 16" or less apart this may increase the overall cost of the deck.

LOCATION

As with any project, a decking project is no different with the location of project to the location of our shop. Time to and from with associated fuel costs and inflation all play a factor into the bottom line pricing.

So as you can see there are many factors that play a role in the overall cost associated with a new decking project, asides with rising inflation. Every properly built deck project is different and is properly priced accordingly to the necessary means to insure a proper and professional installation when being installed by DREAMscape Outdoors.