2026 PRICE GUIDE
How Much Does a Deck Cost in Michigan?
Composite and Trex deck prices per square foot in 2026, what drives the number, what a mid-size deck really costs, and what a deck is worth 25 years from now — every figure sourced.
By Custom Deck Creations · Michigan's most trusted deck builder · Updated September 2026
In this guide
Short answer: The 2026 industry cost guides put a professionally built composite deck at roughly $30 to $70 per square foot installed — Hammerio lists mid-range composite at $30–$55 and HomeGuide puts a finished Trex deck with railing and stairs at $45–$70 — and Angi’s Detroit-area guide lands in the same place at $30–$60. The national average for a mid-size composite deck with railing and stairs is about $25,000 — a project that returns close to 90 cents on the dollar the day it’s finished and, unlike wood, keeps returning it for decades. Every figure on this page is sourced; the sources are listed at the bottom. This guide explains where the numbers come from, what moves them up or down, and how to turn an industry range into your number.
Want your custom price now? Our free online estimator gives you a ballpark for your deck in about two minutes — no phone call, no visit.
What the Average Deck Costs — and What It's Worth
Every year Zonda and the Journal of Light Construction publish the Cost vs. Value Report, which prices the same remodeling projects in markets across the country and asks real estate professionals what each adds at resale. It is the most-cited benchmark in the industry.
For a composite deck addition — a 16-by-20-foot deck with a matching composite railing, stairs and a built-in bench — the 2025 report puts the numbers at:
| Composite deck addition (2025 Cost vs. Value) | |
|---|---|
|
Average job cost |
$25,096 |
|
Value added at resale |
$22,199 |
|
Cost recouped |
89% |
That makes a deck one of the best-returning projects in the report — very few kitchen or bath remodels come close. Put in monthly terms: on our guaranteed-installment plan of 2% of the project cost, an average composite deck is about $500 a month, or nothing at all for the first 12 months on the deferred-interest option. See the financing options.
What the report can’t show you is time. Cost vs. Value measures resale value when the deck is brand new. Any deck looks like an asset in year one. The question that matters is what it’s worth in year ten and year twenty-five — and that is where composite and wood stop being comparable:
| Composite deck (Trex) | Wood deck | |
|---|---|---|
|
Year 1 |
Adds ~89% of its cost at resale (Cost vs. Value 2025) |
Adds a similar share — for now |
|
Year 10 |
Hosed off a few times a year; no staining, no splinters; still under the manufacturer’s warranty |
Professionally stained every 2–3 years at about $850 a job (Angi, 2026) — roughly $2,500–$4,250 in upkeep; boards graying, stair treads and posts starting to rot |
|
Year 25 |
Still under the manufacturer’s warranty (Trex boards carry 25- to 50-year warranties) and still adding value to the home |
Rebuilt at least once (Trex’s Decks.com resource site puts a maintained wood deck’s life at about 15 years); a buyer prices in the next one |
|
Year 50 |
Our view: a deck built with hidden fasteners, protected framing and rot-proof footings is built to still look new — and ours is covered for life |
On its third deck |
That’s the number to price a deck by: not what it costs, but what it costs per year you get to use it. A composite deck that costs 35% more than wood up front and lasts three times as long is the cheaper deck.
Where your deck lands depends on your yard, your design and your choices — which is exactly what the free online estimator figures out in two minutes.
Deck Cost Per Square Foot in 2026
Per-square-foot pricing is how most homeowners compare quotes, so here are the installed ranges the 2026 industry cost guides report for a permitted, professionally built deck — frame, decking, labor and hardware, with railing and stairs priced separately (more on that below). These are national figures; Angi’s Detroit-area guide, which puts a professionally built deck at $30–$60 per square foot, sits inside them. The source for each line is in the last column.
| Decking material | Installed cost per sq. ft. | What you get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Pressure-treated pine |
$15 – $25 |
Lowest price to build, highest price to own: staining every 2–3 years, splinters, and a wood deck’s roughly 15-year life |
Hammerio, 2026 |
|
Cedar |
$20 – $35 |
Better looks and rot resistance than pine; same staining schedule and lifespan |
Hammerio, 2026 |
|
Mid-range composite |
$30 – $55 |
No staining, 25-year board warranty; the low end of this range overlaps cedar |
Hammerio, 2026 |
|
Premium composite |
$40 – $60+ |
Deepest colors, best scratch and fade resistance, up to a 50-year board warranty |
Hammerio, 2026 |
|
Trex deck, finished with railing and stairs |
$45 – $70 |
Everything above plus the railing and stairs most decks need |
HomeGuide, 2026 |
|
Entry-level composite boards (Trex Enhance Basics) |
Boards ≈ $5 per sq. ft. — less than cedar boards at $7–$12 |
Same crew, frame and labor as any composite deck, so an Enhance Basics deck lands at the bottom of the composite range |
Trex’s Decks.com resource site |
The line most homeowners miss is the last one. A composite deck does not have to cost more than a wood deck. Trex Enhance Basics boards cost less per square foot than cedar boards — it is the same crews, the same frame and the same labor, and the surface never needs a can of stain — so an entry-level composite deck lands where a cedar deck does. The premium lines cost more because you’re buying color depth, scratch resistance and a longer warranty, not because “composite is expensive.”
If you’re pricing Trex decking specifically, Trex’s Decks.com resource site lists the boards at roughly $2.31 per linear foot for Enhance Basics, $3.15 for Enhance Naturals, $4.80 for Select and $6.83 for Transcend — about $5 to $14 per square foot of decking — and HomeGuide puts a finished Trex deck with railing and stairs at $45–$70 per square foot. The difference between a “$30 composite deck” and a “$70 composite deck” is mostly railing, stairs and height — not the boards.
The honest caveat about any per-square-foot number: it’s an average of decks that have nothing in common. A ground-level 12×12 platform and a second-story deck with two stair runs, aluminum railing and lighting can both be “composite decks” and differ by $40 a square foot. That’s why the next section matters more than this one.
What Actually Drives the Price of a Deck
When our Design Consultants price a deck, these are the things that move the number:
Size. Bigger costs more, but not in a straight line — the frame, ledger, permit and setup are fixed costs, so the per-square-foot price usually drops as the deck gets larger.
Height. A ground-level deck needs no railing and short or no stairs. Once the deck is more than 30 inches off the ground, Michigan code requires a guardrail, and every foot of elevation adds post length, bracing and a longer stair run. A walkout-level or second-story deck is the single biggest price jump.
Stairs. Hammerio’s 2026 guide puts a straight run of deck stairs to grade at $500–$2,000; wide “waterfall” steps or a landing with a turn cost more.
Railing. The cost most homeowners underestimate. Per linear foot installed, Hammerio lists composite or aluminum railing at $40–$80, cable at $80–$130 and glass at $100–$200+ (Trex’s Decks.com resource site gives $25–$100+ across the board). On a typical deck with three open sides, railing is a meaningful share of the total — and on a high deck with cable or glass rail it can add $6,000–$15,000 (Hammerio).
Framing and footings. What holds the deck up is invisible once it’s finished and is where the cheapest bids cut corners: undersized joists, nailed ledgers, posts on grade. We build on rot-proof galvanized steel ground screws instead of poured concrete footings, and wrap every joist and beam in waterproofing tape — more on how we build.
Lighting, features and add-ons. Post-cap and riser lights, a picture-frame border in a contrasting color, built-in seating, a louvered pergola, an outdoor kitchen, or framing for a hot tub each add to the price and to what the deck does for you.
Permits and site. Trex’s Decks.com resource site puts a deck permit at $100–$500 depending on the community and the project value (Hammerio’s range runs to $1,000); tight side-yard access, a sloped lot, or tearing out and hauling away an old deck — typically $5–$10 per square foot — add labor.
A Worked Example: What a 14×20 Composite Deck Costs
“How much does a 14×20 deck cost” is one of the most-searched deck questions, so let’s price one with industry numbers. A 14×20 deck is 280 square feet — a comfortable size for a dining table and a seating area.
| Published 2026 totals for a mid-size composite deck | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
|
14×20 (280 sq. ft.) Trex deck with railing and stairs at $45–$70 per sq. ft. |
$12,600 – $19,600 |
HomeGuide, 2026 |
|
16×20 (320 sq. ft.) composite deck |
$16,000 – $32,000 |
Hammerio, 2026 |
|
20×20 (400 sq. ft.) composite deck, Detroit area |
$16,000 – $24,000 |
Angi, 2026 |
|
Permit (all sizes) |
$100 – $500 |
Trex’s Decks.com resource site |
|
Hauling away an old deck, if you’re replacing one |
$100 – $800 |
Trex’s Decks.com resource site |
Industry range for a 14×20 Trex deck: roughly $12,600 to $19,600 — and the published totals for the next sizes up ($16,000–$32,000 for a 16×20, per Hammerio) show how wide the spread gets once height, railing and board choice come in. An entry-level board on a low deck sits at the bottom; a raised deck with a premium board and lighting sits at the top, and a second-story deck or cable or glass railing pushes past it. Notice that the bottom of that range is where a cedar deck lands, and the cedar deck comes with a staining bill every few summers.
That’s a $7,000 spread for one deck size — and a $16,000 spread for the next size up — which is why an online range is only a starting point. Enter your deck’s size, height and options in the free estimator and get a ballpark built for your project, not an average.
Labor vs. Materials: Where the Money Goes
On a composite deck, labor is a bigger line than the boards. Trex’s Decks.com resource site puts professional labor at $20–$35 per square foot for a deck contractor (about $10–$20 for a general carpenter, $35–$50+ for a design-build remodeler) on top of $5–$15 per square foot for the decking itself, and HomeGuide’s 2026 figure for composite installation is $27–$42 per square foot. That share surprises people who priced the boards at the lumberyard, but it is where the quality of the deck is decided: a ledger that’s through-bolted and flashed instead of nailed, joists sized and spaced for composite (which is heavier than wood), footings that go below Michigan’s 42-inch frost line, and stairs and railing that pass inspection.
A quote that is far below the ranges above is almost always saving money on one of those things. Our advice — whoever you hire — is to ask what is under the deck, not just what’s on top of it. If you’re replacing an old deck, our post on five deck-building problems that can surprise you covers what to ask for in a quote.
The Cost After the Deck Is Built
The purchase price is only half the comparison. A wood deck in Michigan needs cleaning and re-staining every two to three years to keep it from graying, splintering and rotting. Angi’s 2026 pricing puts a professional deck staining at $550–$1,250 per job, about $850 on average — roughly $2,500 to $4,250 over ten years at three to five stainings — plus your weekends. Stair treads, railing posts and the boards themselves on a wood deck typically need replacing at the 10-to-15-year mark, and Trex’s Decks.com resource site puts a wood deck’s life at about 15 years even with diligent maintenance.
A Trex composite deck needs a hose-down and nothing else. The boards carry a 25- to 50-year manufacturer warranty against fading, staining and structural defects, and the deck under them — when it’s framed and footed the way we do it — is built to outlast the boards. Over the life of the deck, the composite premium pays for itself. Trex vs. wood, in detail.
What the "Average" Deck Leaves Out
The Cost vs. Value composite deck is a good deck. It is also a basic one: decking in a simple linear pattern, standard framing, poured concrete piers. Here is what it doesn’t include — and what we build into every deck, because they are the things that decide whether a deck looks new in year fifteen and year fifty:
- Hidden fasteners — zero visible face screws, so the surface stays smooth and the boards can’t lift around a screw head.
- Joist and beam protection — waterproofing tape on every joist and beam, so the wood frame under your composite deck lasts as long as the boards on top of it.
- Picture-frame borders — a contrasting border board around the perimeter that hides the cut ends and finishes the deck like furniture.
- Wood-alternative footings — rot-proof galvanized steel ground screws instead of poured concrete: no excavation, no curing time, no frost heave.
- A warranty on the whole deck — our Lifetime Transferable Workmanship & Materials Warranty covers the workmanship and the materials for as long as you own the home, and transfers to the next owner. It is the only one of its kind in Michigan.
That is what we mean when we say Custom Deck Creations builds above average. It is also why we don’t compete on the lowest per-square-foot number — we compete on what the number buys, and we put it in writing: our No-Surprise Costs Guarantee means the price you sign is the price you pay, and the project is guaranteed on time and on budget.
How to Get Your Deck's Real Price
- Two minutes online. Use the free online estimator — size, height, options — and get a ballpark for your deck. No phone call, no visit.
- A free in-home consultation. One of our Design Consultants — not a salesperson — brings physical samples to your kitchen table, measures the space, and designs your deck in 3D with the furniture on it.
- A firm price, in writing. You approve the design before anything is ordered, and the price is locked with our No-Surprise Costs Guarantee. Financing is available, including 12 months with no payments and no interest — see the options.
Michigan’s most trusted deck builder, 1,000+ decks since 2017, rated 4.9★ on Google by hundreds of homeowners. Start with the estimator or call (734) 931-6700.
Ready for your number? Two minutes, no phone call, no visit.
Deck Cost Questions
Is a deck worth the money?
By the industry’s own numbers, yes. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report shows a composite deck returning 89% of its cost at resale the year it’s built — among the best of any remodeling project — and a composite deck keeps that value for decades instead of losing it to rot.
How much does a Trex deck cost?
HomeGuide’s 2026 guide puts a professionally installed Trex deck at $45–$70 per square foot including railing and stairs, with the boards themselves at about $5–$14 per square foot depending on the line (Enhance Basics, Enhance Naturals, Select or Transcend, per Trex’s Decks.com resource site). For a Trex deck sized and optioned the way you want it, the estimator is faster than the math.
Is composite decking more expensive than wood?
Not necessarily. Trex’s Decks.com resource site prices Enhance Basics boards at about $5 per square foot — less than cedar boards at $7–$12 — so an entry-level composite deck lands in the same installed range as a cedar deck. The premium composite lines cost more than wood up front, and less than wood over ten years once staining and board replacement are counted.
What is the cheapest way to build a deck?
A small, ground-level, pressure-treated wood deck with no railing is the least expensive deck to build. It is also the most expensive deck to own: staining every two years and a rebuild at 10–15 years. If the budget is tight, a smaller composite deck — or an entry-level composite board — costs less over ten years than a bigger wood one.
How much does it cost to resurface a deck instead of replacing it?
If the frame is sound, replacing just the boards and railing with composite costs a fraction of a new deck, because the frame and footings are the expensive part — you’re buying Trex boards (about $5–$14 per square foot, per Trex’s Decks.com resource site) and the labor to lay them, not a structure. The catch is the frame: composite weighs about 2.5 times what wood does, so it has to pass an inspection first. How deck resurfacing works.
Does the permit add much to the cost?
Not much — typically $100–$500, up to $1,000 in some communities — and it is never optional on a deck we build. Michigan communities require a permit for a deck, and an unpermitted deck becomes a problem when you sell the house. We pull the permit and schedule the inspections for you.
Why don’t you list your prices on this page?
Because there is no such thing as the price of “a deck” — the same 14×20 footprint can vary by more than $15,000 depending on the board, height, railing and options. What we can give you is a real number for your deck, in two minutes, with the free online estimator, and a firm, guaranteed price after a free in-home consultation.
Sources. Cost vs. Value figures: Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, national averages for a composite deck addition. Per-square-foot ranges by material, stairs, railing per linear foot, permit ceiling, published deck totals and the cable/glass railing add-on: Hammerio, “Deck Cost Guide 2026.” Trex installed cost, composite labor and Trex deck totals: HomeGuide, “Trex Decking Cost (2026).” Detroit-area per-square-foot and 20×20 ranges: Angi, “How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck in Detroit?” (2026); deck staining cost: Angi, “How Much Does It Cost to Stain a Deck?” (2026). Trex board pricing by line, cedar board pricing, labor by contractor type, permits, haul-away and wood-deck lifespan: Trex’s Decks.com resource site, “Composite Decking Price Comparison” and “How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Deck?” (2026). Old-deck tear-out per square foot is our own typical figure. All other ranges are published industry figures, not Custom Deck Creations quotes. Retrieved September 2026.
