Estimate Desk
Deck building cost estimate
Footings, frame, decking, rail, and stairs. Height above grade changes the labor. The band is a Kitsap planning range, about ±15%, not a contract price.
Default scenario
16×12 pressure-treated, low, wood rail
$10,000 – $14,000
Decks, fences, and landscape that meet the ground.
Planning band
$10,000 – $14,000
About 3 working days on site. Not a bid.
Line items, notes and what is not in the band are below the form.
Planning bandLine items and notes
$10,000 – $14,000
Point total about $12,000 · about 3 working days on site
Material and labor of the unit-priced lines: Material $5,291 · Labor $7,059
Default scenario: 16×12 pressure-treated, low, wood rail. Not a contract price. The band is the point total plus or minus 15%, a planning allowance we set for early estimates, not a measured accuracy. Prices include materials, labor, JKM overhead and fee, and 9.3% Washington sales tax. Working days on site are crew days. Design, permits and material lead times add calendar time before and between them.
| Item | Qty | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Footings and posts | 9 ea | $3,465 |
| Framing lumber | 192 sf | $1,018 |
| Decking boards, with waste | 211.2 sf | $1,056 |
| Fasteners and hardware | 192 sf | $490 |
| Carpentry labor | 192 sf | $4,128 |
| Railing | 36 lf | $1,458 |
| Stair steps | 3 ea | $735 |
Notes
- Decks more than 30 inches above grade are a different permit conversation in most Kitsap cities. Pick the height honestly.
- Ledger flashing and a hot tub are not in this band.
- Railing is priced on three sides, with the house side open.
Not in this band
- Hazardous-material abatement. Asbestos and lead are common on pre-1978 houses and are separately licensed work.
- Structural repair discovered after demolition.
- A new electrical panel, water service, or septic, unless that line is on this estimate.
- Design fees, except where a drawing line is shown.
- Financing and temporary housing. (Washington sales tax, 9.3%, is included in these prices.)
- Ledger board, flashing and attachment to the house wall.
Planning band for Kitsap County. Not a bid. A site visit sets the number.
What the deck estimate covers
The deck estimate prices a deck from its length and width and a handful of choices: decking material, height above the ground, railing, shape, number of stair steps and whether to add skirting. It builds the price from its parts: footings and posts, framing lumber, decking boards with waste, fasteners and hardware, carpentry labor, the railing, and the stairs.
The default is a rectangle of pressure-treated decking, low to the ground, with a wood railing and three steps.
What moves the number
Size is the base, since framing, decking and labor all scale with the area. Material comes next. Pressure-treated, cedar, composite and PVC are priced in rising order on the decking line, and composite and PVC also change the labor rate. The railing is priced by its length, and metal or composite costs more per foot than wood. Skirting adds a line for the sides of the deck.
Shape adds a premium. An L-shaped deck wastes more material and takes more cuts, and a two-level deck needs extra framing, so the desk adds a line for each.
Height and the permit conversation
Height changes more than the labor. A low deck has shorter posts and a simpler frame, a mid-height deck takes more time, and a deck high above the ground costs more for its footings and posts as well as its labor. The notes say that decks more than 30 inches above grade are a different permit conversation in most Kitsap cities, which is why the desk asks you to pick the height honestly.
Whether your deck needs a permit depends on its height, its size and the office that covers your address. Our permit guides explain how the five Kitsap authorities divide the communities.
What is not in the band
Ledger flashing, the detail where the deck attaches to the house wall, and a hot tub are not in the band. A hot tub changes the structure and the loads on the frame. The usual exclusions apply too: hazardous-material abatement, structural repair found at the house wall, a new electrical panel, design fees and financing. Washington sales tax is already included in the prices.
Days on site follow the area, with extra days for a high deck. Use the band to choose between materials and decide on railing, then ask for a site visit so we can look at the house wall, the ground and any slope before we write the real estimate.
Scope ladder
Deck: three scopes compared
Each row is the Estimate Desk engine run on the inputs listed, so these numbers move whenever the desk does. They are planning bands, about ±15%, not bids.
| Scope and what was priced | Planning band |
|---|---|
Low, no railingA pressure-treated deck under 30 inches off the ground with three steps, and no railing.
| $9,300 – $13,000Point total about $11,000About 3 working days |
Low, wood railingDesk defaultA pressure-treated deck under 30 inches off the ground with a wood railing and three steps.
| $10,000 – $14,000Point total about $12,000About 3 working days |
Raised compositeA composite deck 30 inches to 8 feet above grade with a composite railing, skirting and three steps.
| $16,000 – $22,000Point total about $19,000About 3 working days |
Questions
Deck estimates: common questions
What does the deck estimate assume before I change anything?
The starting band, $10,000 – $14,000, is the default scenario (16×12 pressure-treated, low, wood rail). It prices footings and posts, framing, decking with waste, fasteners, carpentry labor, the railing and three stair steps.
Why does the deck estimate ask how high the deck is?
Height changes the labor. A deck that sits higher above the ground takes more time to build, and the estimate also notes that decks more than 30 inches above grade are a different permit conversation in most Kitsap cities. Pick the height honestly.
What is not in the deck estimate?
Ledger flashing and a hot tub. A hot tub changes the structure and the loads, and ledger flashing is a detail at the house wall. Both are outside the band, along with the usual exclusions.
How do decking materials compare in the deck estimate?
The desk prices pressure-treated, cedar, composite and PVC decking separately, in rising order of board price. The framing underneath is the same kind of work, so the largest difference shows up in the decking line.
A site visit sets the number
Bring your result to the walk. We measure, check what is behind the walls, and replace the planning band with a written estimate.