Deck ROI Calculator

Worked example

With these inputs:

• Project cost: 12000 $
• Deck type: Wood deck (94.9% recouped)

Source: Zonda / JLC Cost vs. Value Report 2025 (national averages). Local results vary with the market and the deck's condition.

How it works

A deck is one of the few home improvements that reliably returns a large share of its cost at sale, but the figure varies enormously with material and with what the rest of the house is worth. This estimates the resale value your project adds, the share of cost it recovers, and the value of the years you spend using it before any of that matters.

Frequently asked questions

Does a deck add value to a home?

Yes, and it is consistently among the better-returning outdoor projects. Industry remodelling cost studies have put wood deck additions at a higher cost-recouped percentage than most interior renovations, with composite decks returning somewhat less because they cost more to build. The return is strongest where outdoor living is a normal expectation of the local market.

Which returns more at resale, a wood deck or a composite deck?

Wood typically shows the higher percentage recouped, simply because it costs so much less to build — the resale premium for composite is real but does not fully cover its extra cost. Composite wins on the other side of the ledger: no staining, fewer repairs, and a deck that still looks new when you list it, which affects how the house shows.

How much value does a deck add to a house?

It depends far more on the local market than on the deck. As a national benchmark, Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts a 16 by 20 ft wood deck addition at 94.9 percent of its $18,263 cost recouped at sale, and a composite deck addition at 88.5 percent of $25,096. Individual markets land above and below those averages. A deck in poor repair can subtract value, because a buyer prices in the rebuild.

Is it worth building a deck before selling a house?

Only if the house is clearly missing outdoor space that comparable listings have, and only if you can build it well. A new deck rarely returns more than it costs, so building purely for resale is usually a losing trade. Building it a few years before you sell is a different calculation — you get the use of it, and the resale contribution is a bonus rather than the point.