How Much Does a Deck Cost in Georgia?

A new pressure-treated wood deck runs about $25 to $50 a square foot installed, national cost guides report. Composite runs about $40 to $80. For a 12 by 16 deck, that comes to $4,800 to $9,600 in wood and $7,680 to $15,350 in composite.

For a Georgia number, a 2025 remodeling industry survey priced a 16 by 20 deck in the Atlanta market. The survey deck includes stairs and a full railing. It came to $17,200 in wood and $24,984 in composite.

These are market numbers, not our price list. Our deck building page covers new decks and replacements around Monroe and the towns near it.

What does a wood or composite deck cost per square foot?

Cost guides price a deck by the square foot, installed. Below, one national guide covers decks in general and a second covers composite. The survey adds figures for the Atlanta market.

Over 320 square feet, the survey decks come to about $54 a square foot in wood and $78 in composite. That puts them near or above the top of the guide ranges. Their price covers stairs, a full railing, a bench and a planter.

Atlanta came in a little under the survey’s national averages. Those were $18,263 for wood and $25,096 for composite.

Composite costs more up front, and it lasts longer. The guides give a wood deck 10 to 25 years and a composite deck 25 to 50. Builders advise a stain and seal on pine every year, the deck guide says. Composite skips that step.

A composite deck still stands on a wood frame. The composite guide says composite lacks the strength of real wood, so it covers the surface and the railing.

What drives the price of a deck?

Size comes first. Bigger decks cost more overall but usually less per square foot, the deck guide says. The deck’s shape and built-ins like seating raise the total too.

Height comes next. The deck guide prices an attached ground-level wood deck at $25 to $30 a square foot. A raised deck at least 3 feet up runs $30 to $50. A yard that slopes away from the back door means a taller deck.

Labor is a big share of the bill. The deck guide puts labor at $11 to $25 a square foot. The composite guide puts composite labor at $24 to $48.

Every deck stands on posts and footings. The deck construction guide that Athens-Clarke County’s permit office posts sets footings at least 12 inches below undisturbed ground. Where the frost line runs deeper, footings go below it.

How much do stairs and railings add?

The deck guide lists stairs and railings as their own cost items. New deck stairs run $1,400 to $2,600 installed. A wood or vinyl railing runs $20 to $60 a linear foot.

A 12 by 16 deck attached on its long side has about 40 feet of open edge. At those rates, a railing along that edge runs about $800 to $2,400.

Height decides whether the code calls for a railing at all. The Athens-Clarke County deck guide says any deck more than 30 inches above grade needs a guard. Guard is the code’s word for a railing.

Should you repair or replace an old deck?

Replacing a deck costs more per square foot than building new. The deck guide puts replacement at $30 to $55, against $25 to $50 new. The gap covers tearing out and hauling away the old deck. It puts the average 20 by 20 replacement at $12,000 to $22,000.

Repairs cost far less. Most deck repairs in that guide run $750 to $2,500. Replacing worn stairs on a sound frame often runs $500 to $1,500, the composite guide adds.

The deck guide suggests replacing a deck that is more than 20 years old. It says the same when repairs would cost more than half the price of a new deck.

The median Monroe home was built in 1979, Census data shows. A deck as old as the house has passed the 10 to 25 years the deck guide gives wood.

Do you need a permit to build a deck in Georgia?

Georgia’s state residential code is the 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia amendments. It has a full section on exterior decks. The state leaves permit procedures to each city and county.

So the answer depends on your address. Walton County’s fee schedule lists an open deck at 20 cents a square foot, with a $75 residential minimum. The City of Monroe ties its deck permit fee to a national building valuation table.

The City of Roswell says a permit is required for a new deck or the replacement of an existing deck. It also asks for a site plan, so it can check setbacks. Call the building office for your address before work starts.

The Athens-Clarke County deck guide has the building official check the soil at the footings before concrete goes in. Footing holes dug with a powered auger count as mechanized digging under Georgia’s one-call law. Georgia 811 asks for a locate request at least 3 business days before digging.

Adding a fence too? Our guide to fence permits in Walton County covers those rules.

Does a concrete patio cost less than a deck?

On flat ground, it usually costs far less. A national patio cost guide puts a plain concrete patio at $4 to $12 a square foot installed. A broom finish runs $6 to $13.

Compare the same 12 by 14 footprint in the patio guide and the deck guide. A plain concrete patio runs $700 to $2,000, and a wood deck runs $4,200 to $8,400.

A deck makes sense where the yard slopes or the back door sits high off the ground. A patio fits a flat yard at ground level. We pour concrete patios too, so we can quote both for the same spot.

How do you get a real price for your deck?

Start with the size you want and the height of the back door above the ground. Pick wood or composite, and count the steps down to the yard. Then ask each quote to list the footings, the stairs, the railing and any tear-out.

Planning a new fence for the same yard? We build those too.

Georgia Premier Contracting Group builds new wood and composite decks and replaces worn ones around Monroe. We look at the space and put a free quote in writing. Call or text (770) 743-6706.