Deck Cost Calculator

Building a deck, though exciting, can be a pricey project, and many homeowners aren't really sure how to budget for such an undertaking. There are a lot of factors to consider, from design complexity and structural requirements to material type and accessories.

Fortunately, our deck boards and cost calculator can help you determine the material and labor costs, allowing you to budget for your deck project more efficiently. Here's what you need to know:

How the Deck Board and Cost Calculator Works

A deck board and cost calculator is a fantastic tool that helps homeowners, contractors, and designers calculate a rough cost estimate of materials and expenses required for building a deck.

It's important to understand that online calculators only provide rough estimates based on size and materials and that real costs may vary depending on the deck shape and board orientation.

Most calculators offer preset size selection for standard deck sizes. You can simply select the desired standard size and get a cost estimate. However, if you're looking for cost estimates for a custom-sized deck, you'll have to enter deck dimensions (deck length and width) manually.

Depending on where you live, you can either enter the required measurements in feet (Imperial, US) or meters (Metric, Canada). After you've entered the desired measurements, select the decking material. Please note that pressure-treated wood decking, composite decking, and PVC are priced differently per square foot, and your selection will affect the final cost estimate.

Following material selection, you can select additional features, such as railings, stairs, and fasteners. The calculator will then provide you with the total square footage of your deck, the material costs, labor costs, and the total costs of your deck project.

Factors That Affect Deck Costs

While deck board and cost of materials calculators offer ballpark estimates (which allow you to budget more adequately), they don't account for numerous other factors that affect deck cost.

For example, these tools often provide calculations for rectangle-shaped decks. However, decks come in all sizes and shapes, and larger and more complex deck designs can increase the price by a significant margin.

Additionally, the type of material also impacts the price. More exotic hardwoods typically carry higher costs than pressure-treated wood when it comes to deck flooring. PVC decking generally sits closer to the top of the price range and demands higher upfront costs, but its durability and low-maintenance properties will help save a small fortune in maintenance costs in the long run.

Most calculators assume a standard joist spacing of 16 inches, but you still account for deck board sizes, hidden fasteners, and labor and deck installation costs, which widely vary depending on the structure and substructure design.

While it might be tempting to DIY the whole project to cut costs, we would advise against it when building a completely new deck (unless you're a professional deck builder), as it often ensures better results.

Benefits of Using Our Deck Cost Calculator

Budgeting is probably the most important part of planning a deck project, and manually calculating deck costs (especially if you're not familiar with the prices) can be a time-consuming and error-prone experience.

The main benefit of using our deck cost calculator is that it provides an instantaneous cost estimate based on your deck size, material, and additional features you might want to incorporate. Relying on a cost calculator also allows you to set a realistic budget and helps avoid unexpected expenses.

Additionally, having a cost calculator at your fingertips allows you to compare different material options to find the best balance between cost and quality.

Summary

The deck board and cost calculator allow you to get a rough estimate of your deck project based on your deck size, materials, and accessories. If you're looking for cost estimates for your deck project, don't hesitate to check out the Deck Zone calculator.