A composite deck costs about $40 to $80 per square foot installed in 2026, compared with $25 to $50 for pressure-treated wood. Those are HomeGuide’s February 2026 ranges. The 2025 Cost vs Value report prices the same 16×20 deck at $25,096 in composite and $18,263 in pressure-treated wood, a $6,833 gap. Over 20 years, once cleaning, staining and board repairs are added, our model puts the wood deck at $24,603 to $40,004 and the composite deck at $26,096 to $28,096.
Prices updated October 2026.
This guide compares composite deck cost with wood in two ways: what you pay on day one and what you pay over 20 years of ownership. Each assumption is sourced and the math is shown, so you can swap in your own quotes. For full material-by-material pricing, see our deck cost guides.
Composite vs wood deck cost per square foot
Installed prices include framing, footings, labor and boards. Composite and PVC usually sit on the same kind of frame as a wood deck, so the gap comes mostly from the boards and their installation.
| Decking | Installed per sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $25 to $50 | HomeGuide deck guide |
| Cedar | $30 to $47 | HomeGuide deck guide |
| Ipe (tropical hardwood) | $50 to $70 | HomeGuide deck guide |
| Composite, materials and labor | $25 to $45 | Forbes Home |
| Composite, all types | $40 to $80 | HomeGuide composite guide |
| PVC (AZEK) | $60 to $80 | HomeGuide AZEK guide |
HomeGuide’s composite guide breaks the $40 to $80 into $16 to $32 for materials and $24 to $48 for labor per square foot. Forbes Home and HomeGuide disagree on the low end ($25 versus $40). Forbes also lists uncapped composite at $20 to $40, capped at $30 to $60 and PVC at $40 to $70 per square foot, but does not say whether those tier prices include labor. HomeGuide’s separate composite vs wood comparison (October 2025) quotes higher installed ranges: $50 to $100 or more per square foot for composite and $40 to $80 or more for wood.
Composite decking cost per square foot, boards only
For a DIY build or lumberyard quote, these are board-only prices per square foot of deck surface.
| Brand or type | Boards only per sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trex | $5 to $15 | HomeGuide |
| TimberTech and AZEK | $6 to $13 | HomeGuide |
| Fiberon | $7 to $14 | HomeGuide |
| Composite (general) | $4 to $12 | Angi |
| PVC (general) | $5 to $13 | Angi |
Example: the same 16×20 deck in both materials
The Cost vs Value report prices two matching 16×20 decks, each on pressure-treated joists and 4×4 posts set on concrete piers, with a bench, a planter, railing and three steps. Only the decking and railing material change.
| 16×20 deck (320 sq ft) | Job cost | Per sq ft | Resale value | Cost recouped | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated wood | $18,263 | $57 ($18,263 ÷ 320) | $17,323 | 94.9% | Cost vs Value 2025 |
| Composite | $25,096 | $78 ($25,096 ÷ 320) | $22,199 | 88.5% | Cost vs Value 2025 |
The composite version costs $6,833 more up front ($25,096 minus $18,263), or about 37% more. Because both decks use the same footings, the foundation work is the same; our concrete calculator can help you size the concrete for the piers.
20-year cost of ownership: composite vs wood
Upfront price is only part of composite deck cost. Wood needs yearly cleaning and fresh stain every few years, while composite makers say their boards need only an occasional wash. The model below uses the 16×20 Cost vs Value decks and runs a low case and a high case for each material. All figures are in today’s dollars, with no inflation or financing.
Assumptions and where they come from
- Upfront cost: $18,263 for pressure-treated wood and $25,096 for composite (Cost vs Value 2025, 16×20 deck).
- Wood cleaning: one professional wash a year, since Angi notes most pros recommend cleaning a wood deck at least yearly. Angi prices a wood deck wash at $100 to $200 per 300 sq ft; we apply that per visit to this 320 sq ft deck, so 20 washes cost 20 × $100 = $2,000 to 20 × $200 = $4,000.
- Wood staining: Angi says to stain every two to three years at $2 to $4 per square foot. Low case: every 3 years (6 coats in 20 years) at $2, so 6 × 320 × $2 = $3,840. High case: every 2 years (10 coats) at $4, so 10 × 320 × $4 = $12,800.
- Wood board replacement: low case is $500, the bottom of Angi’s $500 to $4,000 board replacement range. High case is new boards on the old frame at Homewyse’s top rate, 320 × $15.44 = $4,941. Angi puts typical wood deck life at 10 to 15 years, so resurfacing within 20 years is realistic.
- Composite cleaning: low case $50 a year, the soap-and-water figure HomeGuide gives; high case $150 a year, the top of Angi’s $100 to $150 pro wash price for 300 sq ft of composite. That is 20 × $50 = $1,000 to 20 × $150 = $3,000.
- Composite staining and board replacement: $0. Trex says its boards never need staining or painting, and the decking warranties below run 25 to 50 years, longer than this 20-year window.
| Cost over 20 years | Wood, low | Wood, high | Composite, low | Composite, high | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront install | $18,263 | $18,263 | $25,096 | $25,096 | Cost vs Value 2025 |
| Yearly cleaning × 20 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $1,000 | $3,000 | Angi, HomeGuide |
| Stain or seal | $3,840 | $12,800 | $0 | $0 | Angi, Trex |
| Board replacement | $500 | $4,941 | $0 | $0 | Angi, Homewyse |
| 20-year total | $24,603 | $40,004 | $26,096 | $28,096 | Sum of lines above |
| Per sq ft per year | $3.84 | $6.25 | $4.08 | $4.39 | Total ÷ 320 ÷ 20 |
16×20 deck: upfront cost vs 20-year total
Wood, upfront: $18,263
Wood, 20-year total: $24,603 to $40,004
Composite, upfront: $25,096
Composite, 20-year total: $26,096 to $28,096
Scale: $0 to $45,000. Sources: Cost vs Value 2025, Angi, HomeGuide, Homewyse, Trex (October 2026). Ranges show the low and high cases in the table above.
Break-even: when composite pays for itself
Composite starts $6,833 behind. To break even over 20 years, the wood deck has to cost $6,833 more to maintain than the composite deck, which is $6,833 ÷ 20 = about $342 a year. In the low case, wood maintenance totals $6,340 against $1,000 for composite, a gap of $5,340, so wood stays cheaper by $1,493. In the high case, wood maintenance reaches $21,741 against $3,000, so composite comes out $11,908 ahead.
HomeGuide’s own rule of thumb lands near the break-even line: it estimates wood upkeep at $400 to $600 a year and composite at about $50. That $350 to $550 yearly gap clears the $342 needed, so for an owner who keeps up with staining, composite pulls ahead by year 20.
Over a shorter stay the math flips. After 5 years in the low case, wood has cost $18,263 + (5 × $100) + one $640 stain coat = $19,403, while composite has cost $25,096 + (5 × $50) = $25,346.
Lifespan and warranty by tier
Warranty terms are the clearest way to compare composite and PVC tiers. Wood has no comparable fade and stain warranty, so cost-guide lifespan estimates are shown instead.
| Decking tier | Expected life | Warranty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | 10 to 25 years | Not listed | HomeGuide |
| Ipe | 40 to 70 years | Not listed | HomeGuide |
| Entry capped composite (Trex Enhance) | 25 to 50 years | 25-year limited residential | HomeGuide, Trex |
| Mid capped composite (Trex Select) | 25 to 50 years | 35-year limited residential | HomeGuide, Trex |
| Premium capped composite (Trex Transcend) | 25 to 50 years | 50-year limited residential | HomeGuide, Trex |
| PVC (TimberTech AZEK Vintage) | 30 to 50 years | Limited lifetime product, 50-year fade and stain | Angi, TimberTech |
Other sources describe composite life differently. Forbes Home gives no lifespan figure but says composite often comes with 20- to 30-year warranties, and Angi says composite can last 30-plus years with proper care. Angi’s PVC comparison notes that uncapped composite is more vulnerable to moisture and rot than capped boards.
Heat, fading, slip and mold
- Heat. Trex says its decking will get hot in direct sun, with darker colors feeling hotter, and HomeGuide and Angi both note composite can run hotter than wood. Trex sells heat-mitigating boards in its Transcend Lineage line and some Enhance colors. Angi says PVC tends to stay cooler than composite, and TimberTech claims its Vintage PVC is up to 30 degrees cooler to the touch than other composites.
- Fading. Capped composite and PVC are built to resist UV fading, and the fade and stain warranties above back that up. Angi notes wood will fade, crack and split over time.
- Slip. Angi says composite comes in textured, slip-resistant styles and that wood is prone to mildew buildup. TimberTech claims its Vintage PVC grips 40% better, wet or dry, than competing boards; that is a maker claim rather than an independent test.
- Mold and rot. Trex and Angi both describe composite as resistant to mold. HomeGuide notes that wood needs sealing to hold up against mold.
Is composite decking worth it?
Based on the numbers above, composite is worth the higher price when three things are true:
- You plan to stay at least 15 to 20 years, long enough for skipped staining to cover the upfront premium.
- You would otherwise pay a pro to clean and stain the deck, rather than doing it yourself at DIY prices.
- You value lower upkeep; Trex says its boards need only an occasional soap-and-water wash.
It is less clear-cut at resale. In the Cost vs Value data, a wood deck recouped 94.9% of its cost and a composite deck 88.5%. If you sold right after building, the wood deck would leave you $940 short ($18,263 minus $17,323) and the composite deck $2,897 short ($25,096 minus $22,199).
When a wood deck still makes sense
Angi points to budget, a natural look and easy DIY repairs as reasons to choose wood, and the cost model adds a few more:
- Your budget is tight. Pressure-treated wood saves $6,833 on a 16×20 deck, per Cost vs Value.
- You may move within 5 to 10 years. The short-stay math above shows wood ahead by about $5,943 at year 5 ($25,346 minus $19,403).
- You will stain it yourself. Angi says DIY staining can save $300 to $900 in labor, which pushes wood toward the low case.
- You want a natural look or a durable hardwood. HomeGuide puts ipe at 40 to 70 years, longer than many composite warranties, though it costs $50 to $70 per square foot.
- You want to make repairs yourself, since wood boards are easy to swap and stain to match.
Related calculator: Composite and wood decks use the same pier footings. Use our concrete calculator to estimate concrete for the footings, or see every tool on our calculators page.
All prices on this page were gathered and checked under our editorial policy.
Related guides: cost to build a deck breaks down footings, framing, railings and permits, and deck staining cost shows what the wood upkeep in this model costs per job.
Common questions
How much does a composite deck cost?
HomeGuide puts composite decks at $40 to $80 per square foot installed, or $5,750 to $11,500 for a 12×12. The 2025 Cost vs Value report priced a 16×20 composite deck at $25,096.
How much more does composite cost than wood?
For the same 16×20 deck, Cost vs Value lists $25,096 for composite and $18,263 for pressure-treated wood, a $6,833 difference. Per square foot, HomeGuide shows $40 to $80 for composite versus $25 to $50 for pressure-treated wood.
What does composite decking cost per square foot?
Installed, composite runs $40 to $80 per square foot (HomeGuide) or $25 to $45 (Forbes Home). The boards alone cost about $5 to $15 per square foot for Trex and $7 to $14 for Fiberon, per HomeGuide.
Is composite decking worth it?
Usually if you keep the deck 15 to 20 years and pay a pro to stain wood. In our 20-year model for a 16×20 deck, composite totals $26,096 to $28,096 versus $24,603 to $40,004 for wood.
How often does a wood deck need staining?
Angi recommends staining every two to three years at $2 to $4 per square foot, with a national average of $850 per job. Trex says its composite boards never need staining.
How long does composite decking last?
HomeGuide puts composite at 25 to 50 years, compared with 10 to 25 years for pressure-treated wood. Trex backs its lines with 25-, 35- and 50-year limited residential warranties.
Sources
- Zonda and JLC: 2025 Cost vs Value Report, National Results (accessed October 2026)
- HomeGuide: Composite Decking Vs. Wood Cost (2026) (accessed October 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Composite Decking Cost? (2026) (accessed October 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does AZEK Decking Cost? (2026) (accessed October 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck? (2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Forbes Home: How Much Does Composite Decking Cost? (accessed October 2026)
- Angi: Composite Decking vs. Wood, Which Is Better for You? (accessed October 2026)
- Angi: How Much Does It Cost to Stain a Deck? [2026 Data] (accessed October 2026)
- Angi: How Much Does It Cost to Pressure Wash a Deck? [2026 Data] (accessed October 2026)
- Angi: How Much Does Deck Replacement or Repair Cost? [2026 Data] (accessed October 2026)
- Angi: PVC vs. Composite Decking (accessed October 2026)
- Homewyse: Cost to Install Wood Decking (2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Trex: Composite Decking Boards and Products (accessed October 2026)
- Trex: Composite Decking and Railing FAQs (accessed October 2026)
- TimberTech: Advanced PVC Decking, Vintage Collection (accessed October 2026)