How Much to Charge to Build a Deck?

Measure the deck or patio in square feet, then count what the square footage does not cover: linear feet of railing, stair risers, footings and posts, and whether an old structure has to come out. The footage sets the base; the counts set the rest of the quote.

Installed per square foot: pressure-treated wood $25 to $50, composite $40 to $80, tropical hardwood $50 to $90; concrete pavers $15 to $30, brick $25 to $35, natural stone $40 to $55. An elevated or second-story deck runs 25 to 40 percent more - every foot off the ground is footings, posts, and stairs.

Line-item the railing by the foot, the stairs by the riser, the old-deck demolition by the square foot, and the permit as cost plus handling. Then take a 40 to 50 percent materials deposit at signing - composite and stone are ordered, not stocked. Quote one clean number with the scope written out.

Railing is posts, hardware, and hours, so it is always a line item by the linear foot: wood $20 to $50, vinyl or aluminum $25 to $60, cable $85 to $180. Labor alone averages about $30 a foot. Mark the material up 20 to 40 percent.

Burying railing and stairs in the square footage is the top deck-bid mistake. See Pricing mistakes.

Charge $100 to $150 per riser at a standard 36-inch width - a 3-foot-high deck needs about five - and more for 48- or 60-inch widths and every landing. Stairs are stringers, footings, and code, and they are where a square-foot quote loses a day.

• Old deck demolition and haul-away: $5 to $15 per square foot, priced separately
• Elevated or second story: add 25 to 40 percent - footings, posts, and stairs
• Tight access (no machine, carry-in materials): add 10 to 20 percent

Permits run $50 to $500 and nearly every deck over 30 inches needs one - pass it through plus handling and put the inspection on the schedule. Mark materials up 20 to 40 percent, re-price lumber at quote time, and take a 40 to 50 percent deposit before you order composite, railing systems, or stone.

• Price at market per square foot for the material, not below it. A cheap deck signals shallow footings and skipped flashing.
• Always line-item railing, stairs, and demolition. They are where small operators leak margin.
• Count the footings and risers before you commit. Height turns a clean bid into a loss.
• Take the materials deposit before you order. Composite and stone are ordered to the job.

• Equipment, fuel, and a real overhead load in every per-square-foot price - decks are seasonal work with a crew on payroll.
• Standard bid template so every estimator prices railing, stairs, demo, and the permit the same way.
• Square-feet-per-day targets so a tight route becomes margin, not just speed.
• Minimum job size so mobilizing a crew and an auger always clears its floor cost.

A deck quoted on square feet alone is underbid by the whole stair and forty feet of railing. Price each by the foot and the riser, every time.

The old deck is a day and a dumpster - $5 to $15 per square foot. Price demolition and haul-away separately, and add the demo permit where the city requires it.

Every foot off the ground is footings, posts, and stairs. Add 25 to 40 percent for an elevated build instead of bidding it like a ground-level platform.

Composite, railing systems, and stone are ordered to the job. Take 40 to 50 percent at signing, before the order goes in.

A handshake quote on a $10,000 deck disappears the moment the client sees a lower number. Send the scope and price in writing, with the square footage, the railing feet, and the risers listed, before you order a board.