Redwood and ipe deck cost next to the others
Per square foot, built, for a new deck on level ground. Straight from our calculator.
Replacing an old deck adds about $5 per sq ft for taking the old deck down ($2 in redwood); hauling it away is quoted separately. Elevated decks, 5 ft and up, add $5 to $10 per sq ft, hillside decks run about 22% more.
Price my deckRedwood and three hardwoods in numbers
Hardness is the Janka test: the force to press a steel ball halfway into the wood. Weight is per cubic foot, dried.
| Wood | Hardness | Weight | Rot resistance | To install |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood | 450 lbf | 26 lb | Moderately to very durable | Easy to cut and fasten |
| Cumaru | 3,330 lbf | 68 lb | Very durable | Hard on blades, every hole drilled |
| Ipe | 3,490 lbf | 65.5 lb | Very durable | Hard on blades, every hole drilled |
| Batu (balau) | 1,600 lbf | 53 lb | Varies by species | Dense, every hole drilled |
Ipe, cumaru or batu: three hardwoods, three prices
Oiled, all three look like a tropical hardwood deck. They are not the same wood, and the price follows the hardness.
- Ipe: the benchmarkThe hardest of the three, very durable, and the most expensive.
- Cumaru: nearly ipe, for lessAlmost as hard (3,330 against 3,490 lbf) and just as durable. Once it is oiled, it looks close to ipe.
- Batu: the budget hardwoodSold as batu or red balau. About half as hard as ipe, and its durability depends on the species in the bundle, so it wants its oil on schedule. Oiled, it reads as a red-brown tropical deck at a lower price.
- Where the saving comes fromAll three are drilled, screwed and plugged the same way. Cumaru and batu cost less than ipe. Batu is much softer and lighter; cumaru is close to ipe in hardness and weight.
Redwood grades, in plain words
- Heart grades go on or near the soilThe red heartwood carries the natural extractives that resist rot and insects. The mill's own rule: posts, anything touching the ground, anything near soil gets a grade with Heart in its name.
- Construction Common is what we lay on a deckIt mixes red heartwood with cream sapwood: it follows the same grade rules as Construction Heart but allows the sapwood, which is why the mill lists it for work above the ground, where deck boards live. The two-tone look is a large part of why owners pick redwood at all.
- Clear grades cost more than compositeClear All Heart is beautiful and almost knot-free. It also prices a redwood deck past a good composite one, which is hard to justify for boards you walk on.
Redwood and hardwood decks we built
See all projectsThe Cupertino deck is cumaru, not ipe: a different Brazilian hardwood, close to ipe in hardness and installed the same way.
How we fasten real wood
- Redwood: hidden CAMO fastenersWe fasten redwood decks with the CAMO hidden system: the screws go in at an angle through the board edge. It takes longer and costs more than face screws, and you see no nails or screw heads on the deck.
- Ipe and cumaru: screwed and pluggedHardwood is too dense to screw straight into. Each hole is predrilled and countersunk with a special bit, a stainless screw is set in it, and the hole is closed with glue and a plug cut from the same wood, a system like Starborn Pro Plug.
- Stainless, alwaysCoated screws stain dense hardwood black around the head. Stainless fasteners keep the board clean.
Color, oil and upkeep
- How redwood changes color outdoorsLeft bare, redwood changes color as it weathers. How much and how evenly depends on the climate and where the deck sits, so neighboring boards can look different.
- Keeping redwood's colorOn redwood, a penetrating oil stain made for decks helps hold the color you pick; it needs renewing based on its condition and the product's instructions. On redwood we use one coat of TWP, Penofin or Armstrong Clark. Our refinishing guide has the rates.
- Old redwood is worth savingOwners with 30 and 40 year old redwood decks ask whether to tear them out. Tight, old boards often only need cleaning, sanding and a fresh coat.
Questions people actually ask
Is redwood or ipe better for a deck?
Ipe is about eight times harder than redwood (3,490 against 450 lbf on the Janka scale) and costs more to buy and to install. Redwood is lighter, grown in California and costs less. In our calculator a new redwood deck runs $55 to $67 per sq ft, a hardwood deck $65 to $80.
What grade of redwood is best for a deck?
For deck boards, Construction Common: it follows the same grade rules as Construction Heart but allows cream sapwood, and it's fine above the ground. Supports that sit in soil are different. They need lumber pressure-treated for ground contact, even when the rest of the deck is a heart grade.
Does a redwood deck need to be stained?
No. Without a finish it changes color as it weathers; how it changes depends on the climate and where the deck sits. If you want to keep the red color, a penetrating oil stain helps, and it needs renewing based on its condition and the product's instructions.
Why does an ipe deck cost more to install?
It is heavy (65.5 lb per cubic foot), dulls blades, and every screw hole is drilled and plugged by hand.
Is batu good for decking?
Yes, as a budget hardwood. It is about half as hard as ipe (1,600 lbf), costs less, and looks close to it once oiled. Keep the oil up: its durability varies by species.
Is cumaru a good alternative to ipe?
It is nearly as hard (3,330 against 3,490 lbf), just as durable, and usually less expensive. We built a cumaru deck in Cupertino.
How are hardwood deck boards fastened?
Each hole is predrilled and countersunk, a stainless screw goes in, and the hole is closed with glue and a plug of the same wood, a system like Starborn Pro Plug.
What are the disadvantages of redwood?
Unfinished redwood changes color as it weathers, and how it changes depends on the climate and where the deck sits, so boards next to each other can look different. If you want to keep a chosen color with a finish, the finish needs renewing based on its condition and the manufacturer's instructions. The California Redwood Association also notes that finishes can change color as the wood's natural extractives wash out.
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