What a deck costs, by material and by ground
Eight combinations, read out of our own calculator. The dollar figure is for a 300 sq ft deck; the rate per square foot is what scales.
- Pressure-treated, ground level $40–55 / sq ft$12,000 – $16,500 at 300 sq ft
- The cheapest way to get a deck that lasts. It needs staining every few years and it will never look like hardwood, and both of those are fair trades at this price.
- Redwood, ground level $48–60 / sq ft$14,500 – $18,000 at 300 sq ft
- What most Bay Area homes had before composite arrived. Ages beautifully if it is refinished on schedule, greys out if it is not.
- Composite, ground level $50–75 / sq ft$15,000 – $22,500 at 300 sq ft
- The usual choice now. Costs more to build and almost nothing to keep: no sanding, no staining, wash it and leave it.
- Hardwood, ground level $65–80 / sq ft$19,500 – $24,000 at 300 sq ft
- Ipe and its relatives. Hard to work, heavy, and the best-looking deck on this list by a distance.
- Pressure-treated, hillside $49–67 / sq ft$14,500 – $20,000 at 300 sq ft
- The hill is what costs, not the boards. Footings go deeper, posts get taller, and access stops being free.
- Redwood, hillside $59–73 / sq ft$17,500 – $22,000 at 300 sq ft
- Same material, harder ground. On a slope the framing under the deck is most of the work.
- Composite, hillside $61–92 / sq ft$18,500 – $27,500 at 300 sq ft
- The widest range on this page, because hillside covers everything from a gentle slope to a structure on stilts.
- Hardwood, hillside $79–98 / sq ft$24,000 – $29,500 at 300 sq ft
- The top of what we build. Worth saying plainly: most projects do not need this and we will tell you so.
What actually moves the number
- The ground, more than the sizeA hillside deck costs 20 to 25 per cent more than the same deck on flat soil. Deeper footings, taller posts, and materials that have to be carried rather than driven in.
- The material, by about halfPressure-treated to hardwood roughly doubles the rate. Composite sits in the middle and costs least to keep.
- Height above gradePast 30 inches the deck needs a guard by code, and past that a stair with landings. Both are real money, and both are the law rather than an upsell.
- What is under the old deckOn a replacement, the framing is unknown until the boards come off. We price what we can see and say plainly what we cannot.
Questions people actually ask
How much does a deck cost in the Bay Area in 2026?
Between $40 and $98 per square foot built and finished, depending on the material and the ground. A 300 sq ft deck runs from about $12,000 in pressure-treated at ground level to about $29,500 in hardwood on a hillside. The middle of the market — composite at ground level — lands around $15,000 to $22,500.
Why is the range so wide?
Because two decks of the same size can be different projects. The material changes the price by roughly half; the ground changes it again. A deck on flat soil needs footings and framing; the same deck on a slope needs deeper footings, taller posts and a way to get materials down there.
What is not included in these numbers?
Permits, which we handle as a separate service at $2,500 with the city's own fees paid directly by you; and anything structural we find once the old deck comes off. We say what is included in writing before work starts.
Is composite really cheaper in the long run?
Over ten years, usually yes in this climate. Redwood costs less to build and then needs sanding and staining every two to four years; composite costs more once and needs washing. Whether that maths works for you depends on how long you plan to stay.
Can you quote from a photo?
We can give you a range from a photo and the square footage, and that range is what this page shows. A price you can hold us to comes after somebody has walked the deck, looked at the framing and checked the access.
Put your own numbers in
The calculator takes the size, the material and the site, and gives you the range this page is built from. It takes about a minute and asks for nothing in return.