Deck replacement cost calculator
An old deck can be fixed three ways: swap the bad boards, put a new surface and railing on the frame you have, or tear it all out and build again. This prices all three side by side from your own quotes, then the checklist below tells you which column is real — because the cheap one only exists if the frame is good.
Pre-filled with a 12' × 16' deck and round placeholder prices. Replace every price with your own quote before you read the totals.
| Line | Repair boards | Resurface | Tear down and rebuild |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removal | — | $384 | $960 |
| Disposal | — | $400 | $800 |
| Decking | $240 | $1,344 | $1,344 |
| Railing | — | $1,400 | $1,400 |
| Framing lumber | — | — | $864 |
| Footings and posts | — | — | $600 |
| Frame repairs | — | $500 | — |
| Labour | $200 | $1,728 | $3,264 |
| Permit | — | $0 | $300 |
| Total | $440 | $5,756 | $9,532 |
That difference only exists if the frame passes the checklist below. Prices move weekly and by region. Enter the unit price your yard quoted you — the defaults are round placeholders, not a market average.
Three jobs, three different bills
Board-by-board repair is for a sound deck with a few failing boards. It is priced per board, because that is how you buy them, and it carries no tear-off, no railing and no permit. If you are pricing deck board replacement, that column is your answer.
Resurfacing keeps the frame and replaces everything you walk on and hold: decking, railing and the fasteners. It adds a tear-off, a disposal line and an allowance for the frame repairs every old deck turns up once the boards are off.
Tear-down and rebuild adds new framing lumber, footings and posts, framing labour and a bigger removal job. Every line it shares with a resurface is the same price, so the gap between the two columns is exactly what the old frame is worth to you.
| Line | Repair | Resurface | Rebuild |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removal | — | ||
| Disposal | — | ||
| Decking | |||
| Railing | — | ||
| Framing lumber | — | — | |
| Footings and posts | — | — | |
| Frame repairs | — | — | |
| Labour | |||
| Permit | — |
Can the frame be reused?
Go under the deck with a flashlight, an awl and a string line, and tick only what you have actually seen. Anything left unticked belongs in the frame repairs allowance or pushes you to the rebuild column.
- Ledger board and flashing
- How long does a deck last
- Deck footing depth
- Fasteners for treated lumber
- Joist spacing for composite decking
- Blocking, crown and a flat plane
- Deck joist span calculator
7 of 7 not yet confirmed: ledger attachment and flashing; joists, rim and hangers probed; posts and footings; hangers and fasteners; joist spacing against the new decking; joist tops in one plane; joists big enough for their span. Until each one passes, price the rebuild column, or raise the frame repairs allowance to cover the fix.
Two of the checks are the board makers' own conditions. TimberTech's PVC guide says that when decking goes over existing framing, every joist must be structurally sound, free from rot and decay, and in plane across the tops — replace or add framing until it is. MoistureShield says to check that joists, new or pre-existing, are level, because composite boards follow any contour left in the frame. And the spacing has to meet the new board's maximum, which is often tighter than what a wood deck was framed to — see joist spacing for composite decking.
Code requirement
A deck fastened to the house must be positively anchored to it, and the code does not allow that attachment to rely on toenails or nails subject to withdrawal (IRC 2021 R507.8). A nailed ledger is a rebuild of the ledger, whatever the boards look like — ledger board and flashing covers the right detail.
Where the numbers come from
Decking and railing. Price the boards, clips and screws for your area and divide by it to get a per-square-foot figure; the deck board calculator does the takeoff. For an odd-shaped deck, get the area and railing run from the deck square footage calculator.
Removal and disposal. Ask the hauler how they charge. A dumpster or trailer is priced by the load, and a full tear-down fills more loads than a surface strip; some crews quote removal per square foot instead. Pick the mode that matches the quote you have.
Permit. Rebuilding the surface of an existing deck can be exempt, but replacing framing usually is not — the detail is in deck permit requirements. Call the counter before you assume either.
Building new rather than replacing? The deck cost calculator prices a deck from bare ground, with footings, stairs and permit, and the deck cost guide explains what moves the number.
Sources
Filed under Costs, codes & permits — 12 tools, guides and comparisons in this pillar.
Next on the pile
Deck cost calculator
A brand-new deck, footings to permit, line by line.
Joist spacing for composite decking
Will the old frame carry the new boards?
How long does a deck last
Frame and surface age on different clocks.
Deck square footage calculator
Area and railing run for a deck that is not a rectangle.
Deck bid template
Put the chosen job on one printable page.