Your deck
Your estimate
Includes footings, framing, decking, fasteners, and permit-standard construction.
How much does a deck cost in 2026?
A professionally built deck costs $25 to $60 per square foot in mid-2026 depending on material: pressure-treated wood at $25–$40, cedar at $30–$45, composite at $40–$60, and PVC at $45–$70. That puts the most common build — a 16×12 pressure-treated deck with railing and stairs — at roughly $5,500–$8,500, and the same deck in composite at $8,500–$12,500. The framing underneath is pressure-treated lumber regardless of what you walk on, which is why the decking surface choice drives only about a third of the total.
Deck cost by size and material (installed, with rail + stairs)
| Deck size | Sq ft | PT wood | Cedar | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 × 12 | 144 | $4,300 – $6,500 | $5,000 – $7,400 | $6,500 – $9,600 |
| 16 × 12 | 192 | $5,500 – $8,500 | $6,400 – $9,600 | $8,500 – $12,500 |
| 20 × 16 | 320 | $8,700 – $13,400 | $10,200 – $15,200 | $13,600 – $19,800 |
| 24 × 14 | 336 | $9,100 – $14,000 | $10,700 – $15,900 | $14,200 – $20,700 |
Where deck money goes
The 5 price levers
Height: elevated decks need longer posts, bracing, and staged work — +15–25% over ground-level. Ground-level decks under 30″ often skip railing entirely, saving $1,500–$3,000. Railing choice: matching wood/composite rail runs $50–$90 per linear foot; upgrading to aluminum or cable adds $30–$80 more per foot but transforms the look. Stairs: each run adds $500–$1,500 — steps are the most labor-dense part of any deck. Footings: frost-line depth (30–48″ north) means more concrete and dig time than southern builds — our sonotube calculator prices footings exactly. Permits: nearly all attached decks need one ($100–$500); unpermitted decks bite at sale time.
DIY a deck? The honest answer
Decks are the highest-savings DIY of any major project — materials run 40–50% of built cost, so a 16×12 PT deck DIY saves $3,000–$4,500. They’re also the DIY where mistakes matter most: the ledger connection (deck-to-house) is the #1 cause of deck collapses, and footing depth/joist spans are code items an inspector will check. Realistic middle path: hire a pro for footings + framing (the structural half), then lay decking and build railing yourself — saves ~25–30% with none of the structural risk.