Twin Cities Deck Cost Estimator
Enter your deck size, pick a material, and see a real price range in under a minute. No email required to see your numbers. MN Lic# BC809688.
The pieces that make up your price
Four things move a deck estimate: how big it is, what it's made of, the railing, and what your yard is like to work in. Here's roughly how each one factors in.
Material choices for Minnesota
- Pressure-treated pine: roughly $55-$70 per square foot installed. The lowest starting cost, but plan on staining it every year or two so Minnesota winters don't warp or gray the boards.
- Entry composite (Trex Select and similar): roughly $72-$88 per square foot installed. You stop staining entirely, and the manufacturer warranty typically runs 25 years.
- Premium composite or PVC (TimberTech, AZEK, and similar): roughly $105-$128 per square foot installed. The best color retention and the longest warranties we install.
What pushes the price up
We price railing by the linear foot instead of a flat number, since a wraparound rail costs a lot more than a short run: wood runs about $48-$60 per linear foot, aluminum about $95-$115, and cable about $130-$160. Each set of stairs adds roughly $1,500-$1,800. Getting the frame more than 2 feet off the ground takes more lumber and more labor than building at grade, and if we have to tear out an old deck first, that gets added to the total too. Even your yard itself matters: hauling material through a narrow gate or down a steep slope takes longer than a clear, flat approach.
Frequently asked questions
Before railing, stairs, or site conditions are added in, most Twin Cities decks we build land between $55 and $128 per square foot installed. Where you fall in that range mostly comes down to material: pressure-treated pine is the budget option, composite lands in the middle, and premium composite or PVC tops it out.
Permits are already folded into the base number. Tearing out an existing deck is not. It only gets added when you check that box in the Site step, since not everyone needs it. Anything unusual, like rocky soil, an engineering stamp, or an HOA approval, gets sorted out when Luis is actually standing in your yard.
Close, for a straightforward rectangular deck. An oddly shaped yard, a multi-level design, or something we can't see from a form, like soil or drainage, can move the number in either direction. That's why nothing here is final until Luis has looked at your yard, for free, before you sign anything.
Ready to build your deck?
Luis will walk your yard, confirm the scope, and give you a written estimate. Takes about 30 minutes.
Schedule Your Free Inspection