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CalcTheJob

Deck Cost Calculator

Enter the deck’s length and width and choose pressure-treated wood or composite. Typical prices are the median of three or four independent guides. Tear-out of an old deck is an optional add-on from two 2024–2026 sources. Board counts and joist layout stay on the deck material calculators.

ft
ft
sq ft

Typical $9.75/sq ft from two 2024–2026 guides.

Your estimate

Installed cost, typical

$8,000est.

Range $6,400–$12,000 · typical = median of 3 published prices

Breakdown

  • Pressure-treated wood deck, installed$6,400–$12,000

Per sq ft, all in

$25.00

$20.00–$37.50 on 320 sq ft

Pressure-treated wood deck: what each source says (installed, per sq ft)

SourcePublished× 320 sq ft
HomeGuideFeb 10, 2026 · pressure-treated, installed$25–$50$12,000
FixrJan 11, 2023 · pressure-treated, installed; older 2023 data$15–$25$6,400
Forbes HomeJul 30, 2024 · wood decks, installed (FAQ)$15–$35$8,000

National figures; local prices vary by region, house and contractor.

USD

Enter a contractor’s total to see where it sits.

Pressure-treated prices disagree across years: HomeGuide’s 2026 range is $25–$50 per sq ft, while older Fixr and Forbes wood figures sit lower. The typical value is the median of those central prices, and the range is their spread — not a single year’s sticker price. Elevated and second-story decks, custom railings and multiple stair runs cost more; board counts and joist layout are on the deck material calculator, not here.

Estimates only — confirm with your supplier and local code. First published · Last reviewed by CalcTheJob.

How to use the deck cost calculator

  1. Measure the walking surface and add stairs, landings or a wrap-around as extra square feet.
  2. Pick pressure-treated wood or composite. Cedar, redwood and exotic hardwoods are discussed below but are not averaged in, because three independent installed-price series were not available for each of those species.
  3. Switch on tear-out if an existing deck has to come out first.

For board counts, joist spacing and stain coverage, use the deck calculator, the deck joist span calculator and the deck stain calculator.

Installed prices for wood and composite

Pressure-treated typicals come from HomeGuide’s February 2026 range of $25–$50 (center $37.50), Fixr’s January 2023 range of $15–$25 (center $20) and Forbes Home’s July 2024 wood figure of $15–$35 (center $25). The median is $25 per sq ft, and the spread of those central values is $20–$37.50. The spread is wide because the older guides sit well below 2026 HomeGuide.

Composite uses four sources: HomeGuide $40–$80 (center $60), HomeAdvisor $25–$54 (center $39.50), Forbes $25–$45 with a published average of $35, and Fixr $28–$40 (center $34). The median is $37.25 per sq ft, with a spread of $34–$60. HomeGuide also lists cedar at $30–$47, redwood at $28–$54 and elevated or second-story work at higher per-square-foot rates; those are useful context, but they are single-source or poorly cross-checked, so they are not used as calculator modes.

Tear-out is the median of HomeAdvisor $5–$15 and Forbes $4–$15, or $9.75 per sq ft — two guides, which is why the comparison table that appears when tear-out is switched on shows only those two.

A worked example: 16 × 20 ft deck

A 16 × 20 ft deck is 320 sq ft. In pressure-treated wood the typical installed cost is 320 × $25 = $8,000, with a spread of $6,400–$12,000. The same deck in composite is 320 × $37.25 = $11,920. Adding tear-out at $9.75 per sq ft is another $3,120 on either total.

Sources & assumptions

How this calculator gets its numbers. Full method: our methodology.

  • Pressure-treated typical $25/sf is the median of HomeGuide $25–$50 (2026), Fixr $15–$25 (2023) and Forbes wood $15–$35 (2024).
  • Composite typical $37.25/sf is the median of HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor, Forbes and Fixr central values.
  • Tear-out typical $9.75/sf uses two guides (HomeAdvisor and Forbes) and is labeled as such.
  • Cedar, redwood and elevated-deck premiums are discussed in the article but are not calculator modes, because three independent installed-price series were not available for each.

Sources

  1. HomeGuide, Cost to Build a Deck. Feb 10, 2026: PT $25–$50, composite $40–$80, cedar $30–$47/sf installed.
  2. HomeAdvisor, How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck? Jun 17, 2026: composite installed $25–$54/sf; demolition $5–$15/sf. No installed $/sf for pressure-treated wood.
  3. Forbes Home, Composite Decking Cost. Jul 30, 2024: composite $25–$45/sf (avg about $35); wood $15–$35/sf; demo $4–$15/sf.
  4. Fixr, Cost to Build a Deck. Jan 11, 2023: PT $15–$25, composite $28–$40/sf installed — older data, included and dated.

Last reviewed . Installed prices vary by region, contractor and job conditions; a written local bid wins.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 16 × 20 pressure-treated deck cost?

Typically $8,000 installed, from the $25 per sq ft median of HomeGuide, Fixr and Forbes. The spread of those central values is $20–$37.50 per sq ft, or $6,400–$12,000 on this size.

Why is the wood price range so wide?

HomeGuide’s 2026 pressure-treated range is $25–$50 per sq ft, while Fixr (2023) and Forbes (2024) sit lower. The typical value is the median of the three central prices, so both the newer and the older guides are visible in the spread.

How much more is composite than pressure-treated wood?

On the medians used here, composite is $37.25 per sq ft versus $25 for pressure-treated wood — about 1.5 times on a 320 sq ft deck ($11,920 vs $8,000), before railings and stairs as separate upgrades.

Does this count the deck boards and joists?

No. It prices an installed deck from published cost guides. Board counts, joist spans and stain coverage are on the deck material calculators.

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