Deck Building Cost Calculator 2026

How this estimate is calculated

Last pricing review: October 2026. Amount = deck area × the rate card, then the scenario.

Pressure-treated: ground $25 / $28 / $30; elevated $30 / $40 / $50; second-story $50 / $55 / $60. Cedar: ground $30 / $35 / $40; elevated $30 / $38 / $47; second-story $50 / $55 / $60. Composite: ground $40 / $50 / $60; elevated $40 / $60 / $80; second-story $50 / $65 / $80. Multiply area by that rate. Then multiply by 0.90, 1.00, or 1.15. Round to the cent, then to the nearest $100.

Ground-level pressure-treated matches HomeGuide’s about $25–$30 ground-level row, with $28 as the midpoint. Elevated pressure-treated matches the overall $25–$50 pine band’s upper reading and the elevated $30–$50 row. Composite elevated matches $40–$80. A basic railing is treated as already inside those installed rates. It is not added again.

Before requesting quotes

1. Ask whether the quote includes footings below frost depth, the ledger flashing, and a code guardrail.
2. Ask how stairs are counted. One basic run is the assumption behind the elevated and second-story bands, not a custom stair tower.
3. Ask who pulls the permit and who checks the ledger bolts into the house framing.
4. Compare two quotes that name the same board and the same height.

Related guide: Deck Building Cost 2026 covers material choices, railings, stairs, permits and structural cost drivers. Browse all calculators.

Safety

A deck ledger that pulls off the house, or a guardrail that is too short, is a fall hazard. This calculator does not specify bolts, footing depth, or joist size. Do not treat the range as a building plan. Elevated and second-story work needs a builder who will pull the permit the jurisdiction requires.

Questions homeowners ask

Are railings extra?

No second railing line is added. HomeGuide’s installed deck prices used here are for a built deck, and a basic rail is treated as part of that. Cable rail, glass, or a custom rail can cost more and is not in the formula.

Why is second-story cedar $50–$60, not $30–$47?

The $30–$47 cedar band is not labeled as a second-story price. The second-story structural band on the same page is about $50–$60. The calculator uses that structural band and says so.

Does composite at ground level have its own published row?

No. Ground-level composite uses $40 / $50 / $60, the lower part of the $40–$80 composite installed band. That split is a planning choice, and the page says it is not a separate surveyed cell.

Is an old deck’s demolition included?

No. Removal, a hot tub pad, and multi-level framing are outside this card.

Sources

• HomeGuide, “How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck? (2026),” February 10, 2026. Installed pressure-treated pine about $25–$50, cedar about $30–$47, composite about $40–$80; ground-level about $25–$30, elevated about $30–$50, second-story about $50–$60. https://homeguide.com/costs/cost-to-build-a-deck
• Home Cost Desk’s cost-guide index describes a typical deck as about $25–$60 per square foot in 2026. Composite on this calculator can sit above that typical line because HomeGuide’s composite band goes to $80. https://homecostdesk.com/category/cost-guides/