How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck?

Deck cost scales with three things: size, material, and whether you build it yourself or hire a contractor. Knowing how those interact keeps your budget realistic before you ever buy lumber.

Typical ranges

• DIY, pressure-treated pine: roughly $20–35 per square foot of deck.
• Contractor-built, pressure-treated: roughly $35–50 per square foot.
• Cedar or redwood, contractor-built: $45–60+ per square foot.
• Composite decking adds materially to the decking line but not the framing.

A 16x12 deck (192 sq ft) therefore runs from about $4,000 as a DIY pine build to $10,000+ contractor-installed in cedar.

Where the money goes

On a contractor-built deck, labor is roughly half the total — which is why doing your own framing is where the real savings are. Footings, stairs and railings are disproportionately expensive per square foot, so a simple rectangular deck close to the ground costs far less than a tall deck with multiple stair runs.

Estimate yours

Enter your deck size and species in the calculator for a build-cost range alongside a full framing plan, so your estimate is grounded in the actual lumber the deck needs.