Decking can be a great investment for your home, and many who choose to add decking to their new builds often find that it boosts their curb appeal and the overall value of their home! Plus, a deck can be a wonderful excuse to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. And who wouldn’t want to grab any excuse possible to spend as much time in the glorious Queensland weather?!
But how much can you expect to pay for your decking? Whether you’re planning on adding a deck to your new build or want to attach it to an existing building, a deck can be a large yet worthwhile investment. Today we’re going to be looking at the cost of decking, including materials, labour, and much more.
Table of Contents
What are the key factors impacting decking costs?
Type of decking
If you’re planning a new build, we’re sure you’re sick of looking at all the different types of materials you can use. But there’s just one more decision you need to make, and that’s what you’re going to use for decking. There are three main types to consider, each coming with its own unique benefits to add some flair to your new build. Here are the most popular options to choose from:
- Wooden decking: This is the most common and traditional choice for homeowners, and you can choose between softwood and hardwood. The former will need regular staining and treating, while hardwood needs to be oiled, too.
- Composite decking: Composite is a unique blend of wood and plastic, making it low-maintenance and very versatile. You can choose between hollow, uncapped, and capped composite decking.
- Plastic decking: Plastic is lightweight and easy to install, but it can be quite slippery when wet and might sag over time. It can also become brittle after a few years, so it might need replacing sooner than wooden or composite decking.
Size of your home
Decking often wraps around a portion of your home, so the larger your home, the more decking you’ll need to pay for. The good thing about decking is that you can often choose certain areas of your home to use, such as patios and porches. You could also choose to wrap your decking all the way around your home, but bear in mind that this will cost much more than only getting a set portion at the front or back of your home.
Difficulty of installation
Another thing to consider is the installation of your decking project and how difficult this might be for contractors. The more complex the installation, the more this is likely to cost and therefore increase your overall projected price. Things like obscure shaped houses and access issues can increase the cost of your decking.
Can you save some money by installing your deck yourself? Yes, many people choose to embark on a DIY deck to save on labour costs. However, we want to remind you that this is a huge undertaking, and if you don’t have enough time to put it into your deck, we’d highly recommend trusting a professional instead.
Typical decking costs in Australia
Decking costs anywhere from $200 to $1000+ per square metre in Australia, depending on the type of material you’ve chosen and how large you want your deck to be. Here’s an estimated cost depending on the material you’re considering:
- $200 for treated pine decking
- $320+ per square metre for hardwood decking
- $350+ per square metre for composite decking
- $1000+ for elevated cyclone-rated decking
If you want to include extras on your decking, such as roofing or stairs, you can also expect to pay more.
How size changes the price of your decking
The larger the size of your deck, the more materials and labour you’ll need to pay for, therefore increasing the total bill. Here’s an estimated price of decking depending on its size:
- 10 square metres: $3,000 to $5,000
- 20 square metres: $3,300 to $5,300
- 30 square metres: $4,000 to $6,800
- 40 square metres: $5,000 to $7,000
- 50 square metres: $5,300 to $7,200
- 50+ square metres: $5,900 to $11,500+
Breakdown of specific decking types
Softwood Decking
Softwood decking is one of the most popular types of decking because of its traditional look, but it’ll require extensive maintenance to keep it in excellent shape. You’ll need to make sure you keep up with staining and treating it every year.
Softwood is very absorbent and will often soak up lots of moisture from the weather, which might make it more susceptible to mould, green algae, cracking, and warping.
Hardwood Decking
Some builders believe that hardwood timber might be a better alternative to softwood if you’re looking for the wooden decking of your dreams. You’ll still need to strip, stain, and oil it to keep it in tip-top condition, but hopefully you might find it less fragile than softwood.
Hardwood timber can splinter over time and can be difficult to fix. If you’re keeping up with its maintenance, you’ll probably agree that hardwood is very time-consuming to care for.
Plastic Decking
So, wood might not be the best material for modern decking – so that leaves plastic, right? While plastic is a reasonable solution for wooden decking issues, it’s not the best to use in extreme weather conditions. Super cold temperatures can make decking brittle and easily breakable while summer sunshine can make it weaker in the most exposed places.
With that being said, plastic takes much less maintenance than wooden decking and can be a cheaper option, making it a good choice for some households.
Composite Decking
Composite decking is a blend of wooden and plastic decking, giving you all the benefits of the options above but without some of the drawbacks. Composite looks like wood but is much lower maintenance, and it’s also very durable and weather resistant.
There are a few variations of composite decking to choose from, including:
- Hollow composite decking: Budget-friendly and eco-friendly.
- Uncapped composite decking: Great durability and low maintenance.
- Capped composite decking: Virtually impermeable to moisture and great for hot tubs.
What are the benefits of home decking?
Increases the usable square footage of your home
When creating a deck for your new build, whether you’re planning on selling it or using it as your own, your outdoor space becomes an extension of the home. It can be turned into a porch, snug, outdoor eating area or reading nook, giving whoever lives there extra space that the house might not be able to accommodate otherwise!
Gives you an excuse to get outside
Looking out your window right now, is there a reason for you to go and enjoy the fresh air? If not, a deck might be the solution to all your worries. You can sit outside with a drink and enjoy the sunrise or sunset, starting and finishing your day off right.
Boosts your property value
Adding a deck can increase the overall value of your home as the extra space can appeal to plenty of buyers, which might be music to your ears if you’re constructing new build properties! Some property appraisers believe a deck can increase the value of your home. So, if you’re thinking of selling your new build in the future, this would be a worthwhile investment for you to enjoy before moving on.
Our tips for managing the costs of your decking project
- Consider whether you really need a large wrap-around deck, or whether a smaller-scale alternative might be more than enough
- Don’t choose the cheapest material, but rather the material that’s going to last the longest and require less maintenance in the long run
- Lower deck heights tend to cost less, so consider whether you need a higher or lower deck
- Utilise a contractor who will use mindful installation of your decking that minimises waste, requires fewer cuts, and saves time
CTA Buildi is here to help you throughout your building journey. Book your free consultation now.
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