Garden Decking Installation Costs UK — What to Charge to Build a Deck in 2026

Decking Costs at a Glance

Decking is usually priced per square metre supplied and fitted, with the material choice being the single biggest variable. Below are current UK supply-and-fit rates for the three main board types, plus typical whole-job figures for small and large decks. These assume reasonable access and level-ish ground — read the cost drivers section before you commit to a number.

Softwood / Treated Timber Decking

Pressure-treated softwood is the budget option and still the most common timber sold in the UK. It's cheap to buy, easy to work, and quick to fix down. The downside is lifespan and maintenance: softwood boards need oiling or staining every year or two, and even with care they typically last 10–15 years before warping, splitting or rotting at fixing points. It's the right choice for cost-conscious customers and a sensible default for larger areas where composite would blow the budget.

• Supply & fit: £80–£140/m²
• Lifespan: 10–15 years with regular maintenance
• Maintenance: annual clean, plus oil or stain every 1–2 years

Composite Decking

Composite boards — a mix of recycled wood fibre and plastic (HDPE) — have become the premium mainstream choice. They cost more up front but need almost no maintenance: no oiling, no staining, no splinters. Quality varies enormously between budget co-extruded boards and capped premium ranges, so be specific in your quote about the brand and grade. Composite suits customers who want a fit-and-forget deck and are happy to pay for it, and it carries a healthier margin than softwood if you price the labour right.

• Supply & fit: £150–£250/m²
• Lifespan: 25–30 years (most carry a 20–25 year warranty)
• Maintenance: occasional wash — no oiling or staining

Hardwood Decking

Hardwoods such as ipe, balau and oak sit at the top of the market. They look superb, are extremely durable, and a well-laid hardwood deck is a genuine selling point on a high-value property. They're slow and demanding to install — dense timber blunts blades, every fixing usually needs pre-drilling, and the boards are heavy. Hardwood needs oiling to keep its colour (left untreated it silvers off), but it tolerates neglect far better than softwood. Quote these toward the top of the range and build in extra labour time.

• Supply & fit: £200–£350/m²
• Lifespan: 25–40+ years
• Maintenance: oil annually to retain colour, or let it weather to silver-grey

Ground-Level vs Raised Decks

Beyond board choice, the structure itself is the biggest factor in your price. A deck that sits a few centimetres off level ground is a fundamentally different job to one raised on posts with a balustrade and steps.

Ground-Level Decks

A ground-level (or low-level) deck sits on a joist frame supported by a grid of concrete pads, paving slabs or adjustable pedestals close to the ground. There's no balustrade requirement under 30cm, no steps, and the substructure is simple. These are the quickest and most profitable decks to build — a small one is a one-to-two-day job for a competent two-person team.

• Small ground-level deck (10–15 m²): £1,200–£3,000 depending on board choice

Raised Decks

A raised deck sits on a posted substructure — pressure-treated timber posts (or steel) set into concrete footings — and once the platform is over 60cm above the ground (or at any height where someone could fall and hurt themselves), Building Regulations effectively require a balustrade. Add steps to reach ground level and the labour climbs quickly: setting and concreting posts, levelling across a slope, building the frame, fitting a code-compliant balustrade and constructing steps all take time. These are where most operators underquote.

• Raised deck with balustrade and steps: £3,000–£8,000+

What's Included in a Deck Build

Customers compare quotes line by line, and the operators who win work are the ones whose quotes make clear what they're getting. A complete decking quote should account for:

• Ground preparation: clearing the area, removing turf or old slabs, laying weed-control membrane and gravel or a sub-base to suppress growth and aid drainage.
• Substructure: the frame — joists, bearers, posts and concrete footings or pads. This is the part the customer never sees and the part that determines whether the deck lasts.
• Decking boards: the visible surface, in the chosen material and laid in the agreed pattern (straight, diagonal or picture-framed).
• Fixings: stainless or coated screws, or hidden clip systems for composite and premium boards. Don't skimp — cheap fixings rust and stain the boards.
• Balustrade: posts, rails and spindles or glass panels where the deck height requires it.
• Steps: framed and boarded to match, with handrails where needed.
• Finishing: fascia boards to hide the frame edge, plus oil or stain on timber decks.

List ground prep and the substructure as their own lines. They're the hidden value in a deck, and spelling them out justifies your price against a cheaper quote that's skimping below the surface.

What Drives the Cost Up

Two decks of identical square metreage can vary by thousands of pounds. The main cost drivers are:

• Size: larger decks cost more in total but less per m² — fixed setup time spreads across more area. Don't apply your small-deck per-m² rate to a big job or you'll overprice it.
• Height: every centimetre off the ground adds posts, footings, bracing and — past the threshold — a balustrade. Raised decks are far more material- and labour-intensive than ground-level.
• Access: a deck at the bottom of a long, narrow garden with no rear vehicle access means barrowing every board, bag of postcrete and length of timber by hand. Poor access can add a full day of labour.
• Ground levelling: a sloping or uneven site needs stepped footings, longer posts on the low side, and more time spent getting the frame dead level. Sloping gardens are routinely underquoted.
• Substructure depth: soft, waterlogged or made-up ground means deeper footings and more concrete. Always check what you're building on.
• Board pattern: diagonal lays and picture-frame borders look smart but add cutting, waste and labour — price them as extras, not freebies.

Does Decking Need Planning Permission?

Most domestic decking falls under permitted development and needs no planning application — but there are clear limits, and it's your reputation on the line if you build something that breaches them. As a rule of thumb, decking is permitted development when:

• The deck (together with other extensions and outbuildings) covers no more than 50% of the garden area; and
• The deck surface is no more than 30cm above the ground.

Raised decking over 30cm high, or decking that takes the total built-on area of the garden past 50%, will usually need planning permission. Permitted development rights are also restricted or removed entirely on listed buildings, in conservation areas, and in some new-build estates with planning conditions attached. When a job is borderline, tell the customer to check with their local planning authority before you start — get that confirmation in writing so the responsibility sits with them, not you.

Note that planning permission and Building Regulations are separate. A raised deck's structure and balustrade should be built to be structurally sound and safe regardless of whether planning applies.

Maintenance and Lifespan

Be honest with customers about upkeep — it's often the deciding factor between timber and composite, and managing expectations now saves you a callback later.

• Softwood: 10–15 years. Needs an annual clean and re-oiling or staining every 1–2 years. Skipping maintenance brings the lifespan in fast.
• Hardwood: 25–40+ years. Oil annually to keep the colour, or accept a silver-grey weathered finish. Very tolerant of neglect.
• Composite: 25–30 years with a 20–25 year warranty. An occasional wash is all it needs — no oiling, staining or sealing.

A maintenance line is also a recurring-revenue opportunity. Offer an annual clean-and-oil visit on the timber decks you build — it keeps you in front of the customer and fills schedule gaps in the quieter months.

Day Rates and Labour-Only Builds

Not every job is supply-and-fit. Some customers buy their own boards and want you to build, or a landscaper subs the carpentry out. Price labour-only work off your day rate and an honest estimate of how long the build will take.

• Carpenter / landscaper day rate: £180–£280/day depending on region and skill
• Labour-only deck build: £500–£1,500 depending on size and complexity

On labour-only jobs, make clear in writing that you're not responsible for material quality or quantity shortfalls — if the customer under-orders boards, the extra trip and delay is on them, not you.

Worked Example: 20 m² Raised Composite Deck

Here's how a realistic mid-range job breaks down. The brief: a 20 m² raised composite deck, roughly 50cm off the ground at the high side of a gently sloping garden, with a balustrade on two open sides and a three-tread step down to the lawn. Reasonable access down the side of the house.

That works out at around £265/m² all in, which is right for a raised composite deck with a balustrade and steps. Note the margin line is separate from labour — your day rate covers paying the team, not your profit. If you fold profit into the day rate you'll think you're earning when you're really just covering wages. On a softwood ground-level deck of the same area you'd strip out the posts, balustrade and steps and land far lower, nearer £2,000–£2,800.

How to Quote Decking Profitably

The difference between a deck that earns and one that costs you money is almost always in the quoting, not the building. A few rules that keep margins healthy:

• Always survey on site. Never quote a deck off a photo or a phone description. You need to see the ground levels, the access and what you're building on before you commit a price.
• Separate materials, labour and margin. Keep your profit as its own line in your costing (even if the customer only sees one figure). Burying profit in the day rate is how operators end up working for wages.
• Add a contingency for ground. You can't see what's under the turf. Build in 5–10% for surprises, or state clearly that deeper footings on poor ground are a chargeable extra.
• Price patterns and extras separately. Diagonal lays, picture framing, integrated lighting and built-in seating all add labour — quote them as named line items, not goodwill.
• Quote the structure, not just the surface. Spell out the substructure and ground prep so the customer understands why you're dearer than the operator who's skimping below deck.
• Track your actuals. Log what each deck really cost you in time and materials versus what you quoted. After a handful of jobs you'll know your true per-m² rate cold — and stop guessing.

Quick Reference: Decking Prices UK 2026