Cost to Build a Deck

A deck is a flat surface which is capable of supporting weight. Decks are typically built outdoors and are made of various materials. Some of the most common types of materials that are used to build decks include treated lumber, red cedar, mahogany, teak, aluminum, and a few artificial products like wood plastic compositions. Decks are one of the most attractive home additions that most of the homeowners long for. You can easily make this beautiful addition to your dwelling, with a few simple deck building tips. The cost to build a deck is much less than most of the home improvement projects. However, there are a few things that you should know, in order to estimate the exact cost of building a deck.

Average Cost to Build a Deck

A few deciding factors for estimating the deck building cost are the type of material that you choose, the desired area of the deck and the method that you choose for building the deck\, for example - DIY or with help of the professionals. Here is brief information about all these important factors to consider before learning more about some wood deck plans.

Type of Material
The most important factor to affect the cost is the kind of material which is used for that particular deck design. To be specific, a pressure treated wood is inexpensive while redwood or cedar may require you to shell more money, since they are more durable. Materials like plastic wood composite decking material, which is virtually indestructible, is also expensive. Cost of the material that you choose for building the deck also depends on the local rates of your region. For instance, material prices in North Carolina are less than Pennsylvania. So, while planning for building the deck, you also need to take the local rated of deck material into consideration.

Area and Specifications
You need to consider the cost which is needed to spend on excavation and preparation of the site where you want to build the deck, in the first place. You also need to consider concrete prices, prices for building deck railings and steps. As a general rule, you can add only three steps to a ground level deck. A few important things to consider in this area are the things that you will do to decoration and deck protection. Hence, add the costs of protective coatings and other deck decoration accessories like benches, tables, chairs, umbrellas, light fixtures, etc. Learn how to build deck ceiling, if you are planning to add light fixtures into them.

Mode of Operation
It is an open secret that professional deck builders with do the job of implementing your deck building plans far better than a layman in the DIY explorations. However, it is also true that if you hire professionals to do the deck building job for you, then you will also have to be ready to increase the estimate of the cost of building a deck. If you are building the deck on your own, then make sure that you are well aware of the exact proceedings of it. Otherwise, spending money on a project that you have poor knowledge of can be a total lost cause. In case you hire the professionals, then you also need to add 5% to 10% more in the estimate. This is the margin that you need to spare for the expenditures like transport and purchase of the material, labor and other minor expenses on part of the contractor.

Estimated Costs
Now that you are aware of the things to consider estimating the average cost, you can estimate average amount for it, right here. For instance, a pressure treated wood costs USD 10 to USD 16 per square foot, while a rich and durable wood may cost you somewhere around USD 18 to USD 20 per sq ft. If you select a tropical hardwood, then you will have to shell USD 22 to USD 24 per sq ft, while plastic- wood composite may cost you around USD 20. Considering all the rest of the expenses, USD 500 to USD 1000 is the average deck building cost for a 10 x 12 feet by the DIY way. While you may require spending USD 1000 to USD 2000 for building the deck, with help of the professionals. The given amount highlights the fact that the cost per square foot is much less, when it is done by the DIY way.

I hope information in the above article was found useful! All the best!