A professionally built deck costs about $15 to $25 per square foot in pressure-treated wood and $28 to $40 per square foot in composite, installed, according to Fixr. A 16x16 deck (256 sq ft) works out to roughly $3,840 to $6,400 in wood or $7,168 to $10,240 in composite, before railings, stairs and permits.
Trinity Exteriors builds wood and Trex composite decks across Greenville and the Upstate, and holds a 5.0 rating from 106 Google reviews. Three of our deck customers shared what they paid, and their numbers are in here too.
How much does a deck cost per square foot?
Most installed decks land between $15 and $55 per square foot, per Fixr's national cost guide. Pressure-treated pine sits at the bottom at $15 to $25, and composite runs $28 to $40. A covered deck jumps to $40 to $100, because now you're also paying for a small roof.
| Material | Installed, per sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated wood | $15 – $25 | Fixr |
| Vinyl (PVC) | $17 – $33 | Fixr |
| Natural wood (cedar, redwood, hardwoods) | $15 – $55 | Fixr |
| Composite | $28 – $40 | Fixr |
| Covered deck, roof included | $40 – $100 | Fixr |
Nobody prices a deck by the square foot because they love math. They do it because typing "how much is a deck" got them a quote form and a phone call before lunch. Fair enough.
The trouble is that every guide draws the line somewhere else. HomeLight's roundup quotes HomeAdvisor at $30 to $60 per square foot, Upstart says $15 to $35, and Lawn Love settles on about $21. Each one counts different things: some price the boards, some add the frame, and a brave few remember the railings.
The boards are what you see. The frame, the railings and the stairs are what you pay for.
Before you trust any per-square-foot number, check whether it covers these:
- Railings, which are priced by the linear foot
- Stairs and landings
- Footings and the frame under the boards
- The permit
- Tearing out and hauling away the old deck
How much does a 16x16 deck cost?
A 16x16 deck is 256 square feet, so the national ranges work out to about $3,840 to $6,400 in pressure-treated wood and $7,168 to $10,240 in composite. Add a roof and it's $10,240 to $25,600. Those totals are Fixr's installed ranges multiplied out, before railings, stairs, permits or tearing out an old deck.
| 16x16 deck, 256 sq ft | Per sq ft | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated wood | $15 – $25 | $3,840 – $6,400 |
| Composite | $28 – $40 | $7,168 – $10,240 |
| Covered deck | $40 – $100 | $10,240 – $25,600 |
Here's the part the per-square-foot math skips. A 16x16 deck that sits off the ground needs a railing on three sides, which is 48 feet of it, and Fixr prices installed railing at $30 to $210 per linear foot. That's $1,440 to $10,080 for something nobody googles until the quote arrives (and then they google it twice, slowly, like the number might change).
Composite treads, pressure-treated posts and rails, and black metal balusters on a Trinity deck stair. Every part of that photo is its own line on a quote.
Stairs, footings and permits come on top. HomeAdvisor says to budget $350 to $1,800 for building permits, and Greenville County raised residential permit fees by 20% on July 1, 2025. If you'd rather see your own deck priced line by line, get a free deck estimate from Trinity.
How much does a composite deck cost?
Composite decking costs $28 to $40 per square foot installed, per Fixr. HomeAdvisor says composite boards average about 40% more than wood boards. Trex puts composite materials alone at $15 to $30 per square foot, frame and hardware included, and says materials are up to a third of a professionally installed job.
That last number is the useful one. If materials are a third of the price, the other two thirds is labor, footings and everything that holds the pretty boards off the dirt. It's why two quotes for the exact same boards can still land thousands of dollars apart.
Composite boards going down over a pressure-treated wood frame on a Trinity job. Nobody has ever stood on a finished deck and complimented the joists. They should, because the joists do all the work while the boards get their picture taken.
How much does a Trex deck cost?
Trex boards cost about $5 to $12 per square foot for materials plus $5 to $15 per square foot to install, according to Bob Vila. With railings, stairs and other features, a Trex deck runs $20 to $62 per square foot. Trex backs most of its products with 25-, 35- or 50-year limited warranties.
The spread comes from the line and the color you pick. The pricier boards look more like real wood, which is a strange thing to pay extra for when real wood is sitting right there at the lumber yard. It makes perfect sense after your third summer of staining the real stuff.
Trinity has built Trex decks around the Upstate. One customer, Michael L., wrote: "They replaced an old wooden deck with Trex composite and I couldn't be happier with the results and price."
Is composite worth the extra money over wood?
Composite costs more on day one and less every year after. Wood decks need restaining every 2 to 3 years, per Bob Vila, and HomeAdvisor puts a professional sealing job at $974 on average, or 75 cents to $4 per square foot. Composite mostly needs soap and water, per Trex.
| 16x16 deck over 10 years | Pressure-treated wood | Composite |
|---|---|---|
| Installed price | $3,840 – $6,400 | $7,168 – $10,240 |
| Sealing rounds | 3 to 5 | None |
| Cost per round | $192 – $1,024 | Soap and water |
| 10-year upkeep | $576 – $5,120 | Cleaning supplies |
| Typical lifespan | 10 – 15 years | 25 – 30+ years |
The 3 to 5 rounds are simple math: one every 2 to 3 years for a decade. The lifespans come from Trex, which credits the home inspectors' association InterNACHI for wood at 10 to 15 years, and from Bob Vila, which gives composite 25 to 30 years or more.
- Pick wood if the budget is tight today and you don't mind a stain day every couple of summers
- Pick composite if you'd rather spend those Saturdays on the deck than on your knees sanding it
- Either way, the frame underneath is pressure-treated lumber, so ask how it's built
The Upstate makes this choice for a lot of people. Greenville's muggy season runs about four months, from late May to late September, and July is muggy on 78% of days, per WeatherSpark. Wood spends that whole stretch soaking up the air like a sponge somebody forgot in the sink.
Here's the twist: composite doesn't win at resale. Remodeling's 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts a wood deck addition at $18,263 with 94.9% of that back when you sell.
The composite version costs $25,096 and gets 88.5% back. Composite wins on Saturdays instead, the ones you don't spend with a paint roller.
Wood is cheaper to build. Composite is cheaper to own. Your Saturdays get a vote.
What does a covered deck cost?
A covered deck costs about $40 to $100 per square foot, per Fixr, because the price now includes a roof and the posts and beams that hold it up. On a 16x16 deck that's $10,240 to $25,600. The cover material and the style move the number most.
Trinity builds aluminum patio covers, and one of its Google posts shows a job "With Trex decking and an insulated aluminum roof with a fan", which is about as close to air conditioning as a deck legally gets. John P. put the point of a roof better than any spec sheet: "Now I can enjoy evenings without the heat of the sun sitting on my deck."
A screened porch Trinity built, ceiling fan included. Already have a deck and just want shade? See Trinity's aluminum patio covers.
What Upstate homeowners paid Trinity for a deck
Three Trinity deck customers ticked a price band on their Google review. One ticked $10,000 to $15,000. Two ticked $15,000 to $20,000. All three called the price reasonable or great, and all three numbers sit above the national 16x16 math, which leaves out railings, stairs and tearing out the old deck.
| Customer | What they wrote | Price band ticked |
|---|---|---|
| Palma H. | "A little slice of heaven." | $10,000 – $15,000 |
| Kendra W. | Rebuilt a 25-year-old deck "designed by Dad" | $15,000 – $20,000 |
| John P. | "The quote I was given was within reason for what I wanted." | $15,000 – $20,000 |
Kendra W. had a 25-year-old deck her dad designed, and she'd collected "numerous quotes and outrageous prices" before she found Trinity on Facebook. The crew kept her original design and rebuilt it in composite. She called it a great price, which is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about a five-figure invoice.
Michael K. timed his: "for our deck - 2 days." He also called the frame "built for life", which is the kind of compliment a joist waits its whole career to hear.
And Palma H., whose sloped backyard was "too steep for two old ladies", now says she and her sister spend "nearly every morning sipping coffee and reading books" on the new deck. No spreadsheet captures that. Want your number next to theirs? Book a free deck estimate.
Comparing quotes? Make sure each one spells out:
- The board brand and product line, not just "composite"
- What the frame is built from, and how far apart the joists sit
- The railing type and how many linear feet of it
- Stairs, landings and footings
- Who pulls the permit, and whether the fee is included
- Tear-out and haul-away of the old deck
Deck cost questions people ask
How much does a 12x12 deck cost?
A 12x12 deck is 144 square feet, so expect about $2,160 to $3,600 in pressure-treated wood or $4,032 to $5,760 in composite, using Fixr's installed ranges. Railings, stairs and permits come on top.
Is composite decking cheaper than wood in the long run?
Often, yes. Wood needs sealing every 2 to 3 years at about 75 cents to $4 per square foot, while composite mostly needs soap and water. Composite still costs more to build, and it gets back less at resale: 88.5% against 94.9% for wood in the 2025 Cost vs. Value report.
Does a new deck add value to my home?
Yes. Remodeling's 2025 Cost vs. Value report says a wood deck addition gets back 94.9% of its cost at resale, and a composite deck addition gets back 88.5%.
Do I need a permit to build a deck in Greenville?
Plan on one, and let your builder pull it. Greenville County takes building permits through its eTrakit portal and raised residential permit fees 20% on July 1, 2025. Inside city limits, the City of Greenville handles it instead.
How long does it take to build a deck?
It depends on the size, the height and how many stairs it needs. One Trinity customer, Michael K., wrote that his deck took 2 days.
Get a real number for your deck
A cost guide gets you into the right neighborhood. Your own number needs someone standing in your yard with a tape measure, looking at the slope and counting the steps. Book a free deck estimate, or see the decks Trinity builds in Greenville first.
How long it takes: Two days, for one reviewer's deck. Height, stairs and a cover add time.
What it costs: $10,000 to $20,000 for the three Trinity deck customers who shared a price band.
When to call: Before you buy a single board. The estimate is free.
Want your own deck number?
Free estimate. You'll see the price before any work starts.
Get my free estimate (864) 844-7777
Roofing, decks, exteriors and remodels across Greenville and the Upstate. 5.0 from 106 Google reviews.