How Much to Charge to Build a Deck Per Square Foot
Deck building typically runs $30–$60 per square foot installed for pressure-treated, $45–$80 for cedar, and $60–$110 for composite or PVC decking, with railing at $60–$150 per linear foot, stairs at $150–$350 per riser, and footings at $150–$400 each. Elevated decks, difficult access, and demo of an existing structure all add on top, and most builders set a job minimum around $5,000–$8,000.
Installed rates by material
- Pressure-treated — $30–$60 per square foot
- Cedar — $45–$80
- Composite / PVC — $60–$110
- Railing — $60–$150 per linear foot
- Stairs — $150–$350 per riser
- Footings — $150–$400 each
- Job minimum — $5,000–$8,000
What moves the number most
- Height above grade — footings, posts, bracing, guardrail code
- Perimeter-to-area ratio — railing is priced by the foot
- Stairs — every set is framing, treads, and a landing
- Access — a backyard reachable only through a gate is slower everywhere
- Frost depth — footing depth is a code question with a real cost
- Demo — what’s under the old deck decides this one
Price the perimeter separately, always
Railing frequently runs 20–30% of the total. Two decks of the same square footage can differ by thousands purely on shape — and a builder quoting one blended per-square-foot number loses that difference silently on every long, narrow deck.
The material tier is a sales tool
Quote the same layout in pressure-treated, cedar, and composite. Composite costs more up front and almost nothing to maintain, which is an argument customers respond to when they can see both numbers side by side — and it moves a real share of jobs up a tier.
Hold your minimum
Small deck landings feel like easy money and almost never are. The permit, the design, the mobilization, and the inspection are the same work as on a large deck — the minimum is what keeps a full calendar from being a break-even year.
Frequently asked questions
Why is railing priced separately?
Because it's often 20–30% of a deck's total cost and it scales with perimeter, not area. A long narrow deck and a square one of identical square footage need very different amounts of railing — bundling it into a square-foot rate makes one of those jobs unprofitable.
How much does height add?
Substantially. A second-story deck means deeper footings, taller posts, bracing, guardrail code requirements, and scaffolding or ladder work throughout. Price height as a surcharge or as a separate rate band, not as an afterthought.
Should I set a minimum?
Yes, usually $5,000–$8,000. Permit, design, mobilization, delivery, and inspection scheduling are the same for a 100-square-foot landing as for a 500-square-foot deck, and a minimum is what stops small jobs from paying for themselves and nothing else.
How do I price demo of an old deck?
Per square foot plus disposal, quoted after you've looked underneath. Old decks hide concrete, buried footings, and ledgers bolted into questionable framing — a demo number given sight-unseen is a coin flip.