Estimating decks and porches
Prices for decks and porches, what drives the cost and how to structure the estimate, for remodeling contractors bidding the work.
Deck bids come down to the material and the details. The surface board accounts for most of the difference between options, but railings, stairs, footings and the ledger connection are where bids go wrong. Price the structure and the surface separately so you can offer options.
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New deck prices
Q4 2026 pricing. National figures are the median of 50 metro areas. Ranges are rounded to the nearest $50, or $100 from $5,000 up.
Pressure treated
$4,150 to $15,600
150 to 500 square feet
Cedar
$5,700 to $21,700
150 to 500 square feet
Redwood
$5,600 to $21,200
150 to 500 square feet
Composite
$9,300 to $34,300
150 to 500 square feet
Labor and materials
For a typical job, nationally. Labor rates move more from place to place than materials do.
How the estimate is structured
The cost categories an estimate for this work breaks into:
- Project preparation
- Decks and porches
- Project finalization
What drives the cost
Decking material
Pressure treated, cedar, redwood and composite each price differently on the same frame. Composite costs more up front and less to maintain, which is worth saying in the proposal.
Railings
Railing runs the perimeter, so a long, narrow deck needs more of it than a square one with the same area. Material and baluster style matter as much as length.
Height and stairs
A deck off a first-floor door with a few steps is simpler than a second-story deck with long stair runs, taller posts and more bracing.
Footings and structure
Footing count and depth depend on the frame and your frost line. Soil, slope and digging access change the labor.
Tear-off and repairs
Removing an old deck, or finding rot in a frame you planned to reuse, adds demolition and framing. Check the ledger and joists before you bid a resurface.
Porch roofs and ceilings
A covered porch adds a roof, a ceiling, columns and often lighting. A porch on a concrete slab and one on a deck structure are built differently.
Building the estimate
Structure, surface, details
Break the bid into the frame, the surface and the details. Clients compare decking materials, and you can show two surfaces on the same frame without repricing the structure.
- Removal of the old deck, if there is one
- Footings, posts, beams and joists
- Ledger and flashing at the house
- Decking surface
- Railings and balusters
- Stairs and landings
- Skirting or lattice
- Stain, paint or sealer
- Lighting and electrical, when they're included
Resurface or rebuild
If the frame is sound, a resurface replaces the boards and keeps the structure. Inspect before you promise it: soft joists or a failing ledger turn a resurface into a rebuild.
Porches
A porch adds a roof, ceiling and columns, and sometimes flooring and electrical. Price new and replacement porches separately: a replacement adds tear-off, and may reuse a slab or footings.
Deck and porch templates in Clear Estimates
Templates cover new decks in pressure treated, cedar, redwood and composite; deck surface, railing and step replacement; lattice skirting; deck cleanup, staining and painting; new and replacement porches on a slab or a deck structure at basic and premium finish; and porch ceilings and flooring.
Other projects
Each with its own price table, nationally.
Local pricing
Prices for decks and porches in each metro area, against the national median.
- New York, NYPrices run 19% above the national median.
- Chicago, ILPrices run 24% above the national median.
- Atlanta, GAPrices run 2% below the national median.
- Washington, DCPrices run 1% above the national median.
- Dallas, TXPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Boston, MAPrices run 17% above the national median.
- Minneapolis, MNPrices run 11% above the national median.
- Detroit, MIPrices run 4% above the national median.
- Seattle, WAPrices run 16% above the national median.
- Pittsburgh, PAPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Los Angeles, CAPrices run 9% above the national median.
- Philadelphia, PAPrices run 11% above the national median.
- Denver, COPrices run 2% below the national median.
- Baltimore, MDPrices run about the national median.
- Miami, FLPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Charlotte, NCPrices run 9% below the national median.
- St. Louis, MOPrices run 3% above the national median.
- Houston, TXPrices run 13% below the national median.
- San Francisco, CAPrices run 24% above the national median.
- Tampa, FLPrices run 13% below the national median.
- Phoenix, AZPrices run 3% below the national median.
- Orlando, FLPrices run 11% below the national median.
- Cincinnati, OHPrices run 4% below the national median.
- Cleveland, OHPrices run 3% below the national median.
- Kansas City, MOPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Columbus, OHPrices run 6% below the national median.
- Indianapolis, INPrices run 6% below the national median.
- Raleigh, NCPrices run 10% below the national median.
- Virginia Beach, VAPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Riverside, CAPrices run 5% above the national median.
- San Diego, CAPrices run 6% above the national median.
- Portland, ORPrices run 6% above the national median.
- San Jose, CAPrices run 21% above the national median.
- San Antonio, TXPrices run 15% below the national median.
- Grand Rapids, MIPrices run 5% below the national median.
- Jacksonville, FLPrices run 12% below the national median.
- New Orleans, LAPrices run 12% below the national median.
- Albany, NYPrices run 1% above the national median.
- Richmond, VAPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Las Vegas, NVPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Providence, RIPrices run 4% above the national median.
- Memphis, TNPrices run 11% below the national median.
- Rochester, NYPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Greenville, SCPrices run 10% below the national median.
- Bridgeport, CTPrices run 10% above the national median.
- Worcester, MAPrices run 10% above the national median.
- Syracuse, NYPrices run 1% below the national median.
- Sacramento, CAPrices run 8% above the national median.
- Nashville, TNPrices run 12% below the national median.
- Milwaukee, WIPrices run 4% above the national median.
Questions
What should a deck estimate include?
Removal of any old deck, footings and framing, the ledger and flashing, the decking surface, railings, stairs, skirting and finish. Add lighting or other extras as their own lines.
Should composite and wood decks be priced differently?
Yes. Composite boards and railings cost more than pressure treated or cedar, and some systems call for different fasteners or joist spacing. Price each as its own option so the client sees the difference.
Can I add pergolas, lighting or built-ins?
Yes. Add any item the job needs as its own line, with your price or a sub's quote.
Can I build the estimate on site?
Yes. Clear Estimates works on a phone, so you can measure, build the estimate and send the proposal before you leave the property.
Estimate decks and porches with prices for your area
No contract. No setup fees. Cancel anytime.