Pricing a new deck

[Scarlett]

Any one or your spouse in construction to give me ball park on this question.

 

Cost to construct a new 20 X 20 wooden deck. It is replacing a smaller deck so tear off is about 2/3 that size I would guess. Most of the under structure is being kept. New Hand rails all around as well as vertical slats. And steps...about 6 or 7. And a small concrete pad/ stoop at base of steps. It will be sealed but not stained.

 

LCOL rural area. No permits required. Price will include disposal of all demo.

[StephanieZ]

FWIW, if you can get one dimension down to 16', it'll simplify construction a lot since you can buy 16' lengths of deck lumber. :) When we recently built 2 decks, we used 16' as one of the dimensions in each of them. (The big deck is 16x 32 -- or something like that -- and the small deck is 12x16.) So, anyway, be sure to consider that option when you get your pricing. Eliminating unnecessary cutting of boards is helpful, and besides, it's attractive not to have any cut ends on the boards . . . Every deck board goes the full width of the deck . . . 

 

The supports and "engineering" is the most expensive aspect, and certainly the most challenging. Replacing the boards and handrails is pretty easy to do with basic tools. 

 

You've got 2 older teen boys in the house . . . I'd suggest at least considering doing this DIY with some parental supervision and lots of teen sweat  . . . My teen boy LOVES that sort of work and will GLADLY work it for 10/hr whereas getting him to do any other household work is a serious chore . . . If you pay your boys to do the work, it keeps the $$ in the family and gives them good skills, too. Put your investment into buying any needed tools . . . and you'll probably end up with a nice collection of tools, 2 boys who now feel competent to build a deck (great side jobs during school, etc, and just a cool skill to have), and boys with some of their "own" $$$ to cover some of their expenses. 

 

 

I'd price the materials at Lowe's/Home Depot (might want to buy them at a local lumber yard, but getting prices is easy on the big box stores websites). Add up the lumber costs . . . and add maybe 10% for waste and for screws/nails/minor hardware. 

 

 

If you hire it out, I'd guess 2 days of labor for 2 guys. So, somewhere around 20/hr x 32 hours = $640. That's if you can find someone (a decent handyman) to do it for cash . . . If you're paying a contractor who has licenses/etc/etc/etc/high expenses, double that, so maybe 1300 in labor. Total rough guess. Could be half that -- done in one day -- if all the structural components can be reused (but I don't see how that works if the replacement deck is a different size -- so I'm guessing there will be some element of adding supports/etc.)

 

Structural lumber can be very expensive . . . And that sort of work requires more brains/experience to do it right, whereas replacing decking boards and handrails should be really easy. 

 

Home Depot & Lowe's often have display decks with price tags for all the components. They also often have (free) classes on how to do these sorts of things as well as desks that can use computer programs to calculate your lumber needs. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Use homewyse, and plug in your zip code.  This really is location based. 

Edited February 13, 2017 by kbeal

[retiredHSmom]

I live in a HCOL area (Washing DC suburbs in Northern VA) and our neighbors got quotes of $10,000- $12,000 for a deck of that size.  My husband and I built the deck at our previous home and built this one as well.  We paid $3500 for materials and used composite decking and rails.

[Scarlett]

Dh is doing a job for someone else.  He is notorious for under bidding.  Homewyse has it at almost $3K for labor in our zip code.

 

But that includes 60 linear feet of railing.  Tear down of old deck and disposal.  

[Scarlett]

FWIW, if you can get one dimension down to 16', it'll simplify construction a lot since you can buy 16' lengths of deck lumber. :) When we recently built 2 decks, we used 16' as one of the dimensions in each of them. (The big deck is 16x 32 -- or something like that -- and the small deck is 12x16.) So, anyway, be sure to consider that option when you get your pricing. Eliminating unnecessary cutting of boards is helpful, and besides, it's attractive not to have any cut ends on the boards . . . Every deck board goes the full width of the deck . . . 

 

The supports and "engineering" is the most expensive aspect, and certainly the most challenging. Replacing the boards and handrails is pretty easy to do with basic tools. 

 

You've got 2 older teen boys in the house . . . I'd suggest at least considering doing this DIY with some parental supervision and lots of teen sweat  . . . My teen boy LOVES that sort of work and will GLADLY work it for 10/hr whereas getting him to do any other household work is a serious chore . . . If you pay your boys to do the work, it keeps the $$ in the family and gives them good skills, too. Put your investment into buying any needed tools . . . and you'll probably end up with a nice collection of tools, 2 boys who now feel competent to build a deck (great side jobs during school, etc, and just a cool skill to have), and boys with some of their "own" $$$ to cover some of their expenses. 

 

 

I'd price the materials at Lowe's/Home Depot (might want to buy them at a local lumber yard, but getting prices is easy on the big box stores websites). Add up the lumber costs . . . and add maybe 10% for waste and for screws/nails/minor hardware. 

 

 

If you hire it out, I'd guess 2 days of labor for 2 guys. So, somewhere around 20/hr x 32 hours = $640. That's if you can find someone (a decent handyman) to do it for cash . . . If you're paying a contractor who has licenses/etc/etc/etc/high expenses, double that, so maybe 1300 in labor. Total rough guess. Could be half that -- done in one day -- if all the structural components can be reused (but I don't see how that works if the replacement deck is a different size -- so I'm guessing there will be some element of adding supports/etc.)

 

Structural lumber can be very expensive . . . And that sort of work requires more brains/experience to do it right, whereas replacing decking boards and handrails should be really easy. 

 

Home Depot & Lowe's often have display decks with price tags for all the components. They also often have (free) classes on how to do these sorts of things as well as desks that can use computer programs to calculate your lumber needs. 

 

 

This is a job dh will be doing....I was wrong on sf. 536 SF 

 

We sat down and went through it all very carefully and came up with a total of $5469.  $3029 for labor.  (edited because we decided one line item was overpriced)

Edited February 14, 2017 by Scarlett