Exterior
Deck
Length, width, and pressure-treated wood or composite boards.
Length times width is the deck surface. The price is per square foot for a low deck, under about 30 inches off the ground. Wood and composite both include framing, footings, fasteners, decking, and a basic rail.
Wood means pressure-treated framing and softwood boards. Stain is not in the material price. Composite means a mid-grade capped board on pressure-treated framing. The rail in both prices is a basic residential rail, not cable or glass. Composite labor is a little higher because the boards are heavier and the fastening is fussier.
Stairs, benches, and multi-level framing are not included. A stair run is often $800 to $2,500 by itself, so ask for it as its own number. Permits and the taller guards required above 30 inches are also outside this figure. For a second-story deck, or a ledger with rot behind it, use the high column. These are 2026 US national averages.
2026 US national average
Typical total
$9,408
Materials $5,184Labor $4,224
- Low
- $6,336
- Typical
- $9,408
- High
- $13,824
Breakdown
Each line is the typical column, rounded to the nearest dollar. The low and high totals use the low and high price of every line.
Pressure-treated wood
12 × 16 ft · 192 sq ft
$9,408Mat $5,184 · Labor $4,224
- Wood means pressure-treated framing and softwood deck boards. Stain is not included.
- The rate is for a low deck, under about 30 inches, and includes footings, framing, decking, fasteners, and a basic rail.
- Stairs, benches, pergolas, permits, and elevated or multi-level framing are not included. A stair run is often a separate $800 to $2,500.
Worked example
A 12-by-16-foot deck is 192 square feet. That is the starting size, in pressure-treated wood, for a low deck with framing, footings, boards, and a basic rail. Stairs are not in the number.
The typical total with labor is $9,408, or about $49 per square foot after rounding. Materials are $5,184 and labor is $4,224. Low is $6,336 and high is $13,824.
Switch to composite and the material line climbs faster than the labor line. If the deck is a second story, do not use the typical column as your budget. Use the high column and then add stairs.