Bri-Den Custom Decking, Des Moines,IA.

by Dennis
(Des Moines, IA. USA)

Trex (saddle) with columns

I have built many custom decks and many basic decks - over 600.

I am originally from Denver,CO. Then I moved to Des Moines in 2000.

On average in Des Moines, if you hire a framer or carpenter or basic handyman to build you an ACQ treated lumber deck the labor and material would be around $13-$16 a sq ft.

If you were to hire a professional deck builder, meaning someone who only specializes in decks - not just builds them as they build the house - then the average costs would be $15-$24 a ft.

for the most part, when building with cedar, labor stays the same but doubles in material cost. And with composite material it can easily double or triple the cost of cedar.

Material and labor on composite decks jump dramatically with a professional buildler yet the average Joe will maintain the same labor costs.

However their decks only last a few years because the workmanship is so poor. This is where most homeowners regret hiring a basic carpenter, especially after they spend $5k-$15k on the material alone.

There are also many other factors to consider such as are you putting a deck on your house to sell it or are you going to live in that house for a long time.

You would be surprised how many people put up a crappy deck on their house to sell it. Have you ever driven by a multi-million dollar home and seen some piece of junk deck on it?

That is an example of the builder profiting off that deck.

With true quality you have to consider: is it a split level deck, does it have multi-level staircases,decking designs, or planters?

Is it round, does it have benches, lighting, picture frame decking, hot-tubs, hills, height, etc? All of these aspects need to be considered in order to get an average price.

But for a professional to build a Trex deck the sq. ft. price would be $40-$75 a sq ft.

Stairs are the biggest consideration and are the most expensive part of a deck. A true quality staircase is a rare find. Even highly experienced professionals still have a hard time with stairs.

Unfortunately in most deck cases the carpenters are only worried about the bottom line, their paycheck not the quality.

Always research the person building your deck. Decks easily cost as much as a car. I have built a couple $50K+ decks and I guarantee my labor for 10 years, just to give everyone an example.

Quality means you stand behind your work. If they don't offer a warranty, DON'T HIRE THEM!!!