The Day 1 Sticker Price (Installation)
Pressure-Treated Pine & Cedar
A standard 300 square foot treated pine deck is frequently bid between $10,000 and $15,000. Upgrading to Western Red Cedar pushes that to roughly $16,000 to $21,000. It is undeniable: if you have a strict, non-negotiable budget constraint today, pine is the only way to get a structurally safe deck built.
Capped Composite Decking
That exact same 300 square foot deck built with mid-tier capped composite (like Trex Select or TimberTech Edge) will command a starting bid between $18,000 and $25,000. This 40% to 60% price premium frequently causes sticker shock. But here is the secret: you are paying for your next 20 years of weekends upfront.
The Break-Even Point
Because traditional wood decks require professional stripping, sanding, and re-staining every 2 to 3 years to prevent rot, homeowners spend an average of $1,200 to $2,000 per maintenance cycle. By year 7 to 9, the cumulative amount of money spent maintaining the wood deck actually eclipses the heavy initial premium paid to install a zero-maintenance composite deck.