Pressure-treated decking costs $18–$42 per sq ft installed; composite runs $25–$55. But wood needs cleaning and sealing every 2–3 years at $250–$600 a pop of annualized upkeep. Run the clock to 20 years and the totals flip: about $17,500 for wood versus $13,400 for composite on the same 300 sq ft deck.
Installed, ground-level, national 2025-26 ranges (framing, footings, standard rail, and labor included):
| Material | Low / sq ft | Typical / sq ft | High / sq ft | 300 sq ft deck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $18 | $30 | $42 | $5,400 – $12,600 |
| Cedar or redwood | $25 | $40 | $55 | $7,500 – $16,500 |
| Composite | $25 | $38 | $55 | $7,500 – $16,500 |
| PVC / polymer | $32 | $48 | $65 | $9,600 – $19,500 |
| Hardwood (ipe) | $40 | $55 | $75 | $12,000 – $22,500 |
On the typical mid-range numbers, composite carries roughly a $2,400 premium on a 300 sq ft deck ($11,400 vs $9,000). Add height and the gap widens in dollars but not in percentage: a second-story build runs about 55% more in either material.
Enter your deck dimensions and material. Get a low-to-high installed estimate plus cost per square foot, stairs and railing included.
Deck Cost Calculator →Wood decks aren't install-and-forget. To keep the warranty and the color, pressure-treated pine needs washing and sealing or staining every 2 to 3 years: $250 to $600 a year annualized if you hire it, cheaper but sweatier if you roll it yourself on a weekend. Skip it and the boards gray, check, and splinter, and the 15-to-20-year lifespan shrinks toward 10.
Composite asks for soap, water, and a soft brush: $50 to $150 a year in practice. It won't rot, splinter, or need resealing, and most brands carry 25-to-30-year fade and stain warranties. The trade is heat (darker composites get hot in direct sun) and price.
| Pressure-Treated Wood | Composite | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront (300 sq ft, installed) | ~$9,000 | ~$11,400 |
| Yearly upkeep | $250 – $600 | $50 – $150 |
| Lifespan | 15 – 20 years | 25 – 30 years |
| Est. 20-year total | ~$17,500 | ~$13,400 |
| Resale recoup (Cost vs. Value) | ~75% – 85% | ~50% – 65% |
The crossover lands around year 8 to 10, when cumulative wood upkeep finally passes the composite premium. After that, every year widens the gap, and there's a decent chance you'd be re-sealing a 20-year-old wood deck right around the time the composite one still has warranty left.
You'll stay 10 years or more, you'd otherwise pay someone to seal the deck, the surface gets barefoot traffic (kids, pool), or you simply never want to think about it again. Also worth it for second-story decks, where tearing out a failed surface later means working over a finished area below.
Middle path worth knowing: cedar splits the difference at $25–$55/sq ft with natural rot resistance, though it still wants periodic oil. And if your frame is sound, re-decking an existing structure with composite boards runs 40% to 60% of a full rebuild, since the substructure (about a third of deck cost) stays. Our deck material calculator works out boards, joists, and posts for either path, and the stair calculator handles the stair run once you've picked a height.
Over a long horizon, yes. On a 300 sq ft deck, composite costs about $2,400 more up front ($11,400 vs $9,000 for pressure-treated), but wood needs $250 to $600 a year of cleaning and sealing. Around year 8 to 10 the cumulative upkeep passes the upfront difference, and by year 20 the totals are about $13,400 for composite versus $17,500 for wood.
Composite boards are engineered wood-plastic or PVC extrusions sold with 25-to-30-year fade and stain warranties, and they require hidden fastener systems and tighter joist spacing (often 12 inches on center) than wood. Material alone runs $9 to $18 per sq ft before a single post is set.
Yes, if the framing is sound. Re-decking over a solid pressure-treated frame costs roughly 40% to 60% of a full rebuild, since footings, posts, beams, and joists (about a third of a deck's cost) stay in place. Have the structure inspected first: rot at the ledger or posts means a full rebuild.