How Much Should a 40' X 10' Elevated Deck Cost?

Basics

• Unless they are fairly complex, handy homeowners can tackle the building of an elevated deck over several weekends. According to Virginia Decking and Remodeling, with costs accurate at the time of publication, a 400-square-foot deck made of pressure-treated lumbers runs about $3,200 for materials alone. (The treatment forces preservatives into wood, which helps with protection against fungal decay and termite attacks.) The best and most efficient construction comes from hired labor, which runs about $4,444. This puts the total of a 40-by-10-foot at an estimated $7,644. This includes rails of the same material. Including one level change for an elevated deck, adds $333 in labor and $100 in materials, for a total of $433. Using two levels instead doubles the extra cost for a total of $866.

Options

• Adding options increases the price. The most important of these are stairs and landings, which are necessary if homeowners want to descend from the deck to the area underneath. Adding one or two steps measuring 10 square feet is relatively inexpensive at $100 in materials and $144 in labor, for a total of $244. Adding 20 square feet of planter boxes adds $404 for labor and $80 for materials, making a total of $484. Including 20 square feet of benches runs $204 for labor and $80 for materials, for a total of $284. Totaling all the options for one level, steps, boxes and benches produces a subtotal of $5,674 for labor and $3,660 for materials, or a grand total of $9,334.

Materials

• Using different decking material changes the cost. One option is composite decking, which can duplicate the color of walnut, mahogany, cedar or driftwood. Because the color is part of the material, it resists fading and does not require the re-staining of wood decks. Composites also naturally resist rot and insect infestations, and require only washing with a hose for maintenance. The deck itself costs $5,244 for labor and $6,308 for materials, for a total of $11,552. Costs for the elevation level remain the same at $333 for labor and $100 for materials.

Labor

• Labor costs differ across the country, which changes the cost of a 40-by-10 elevated deck depending on location. As of May 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the wages of construction laborers at a mean $16.15 per hour. Their highest rates are in Hawaii at a mean $24.63 per hour, New Jersey at a mean $23.42 per hour and Alaska at a mean $23.33 per hour. Wages are below average in Texas at a mean $11.83 per hour, New Mexico at a mean $12.49 per hour and Louisiana at a mean $12.79 per hour.