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What building your own deck costs in materials, tools and permits — and what it saves against a contractor.
With these inputs:
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| DIY cost | $1,866 – $3,204 |
| Contractor installed price | $3,802 – $4,858 |
| Typical saving | $598 – $2,992 |
| Build time for two people | 5–10 days |
| Decking, framing, footings and hardware | $1,536 – $2,304 |
| Auger rental and small tools | $180 – $400 |
| Permit | $150 – $500 |
Materials-only ranges cover decking boards, pressure-treated framing, post-hole concrete, joist hangers, structural screws and ledger fasteners at 2026 big-box prices, with 10% waste. They do not include railing beyond a basic run or more than one short stair. The saving shrinks on raised decks, where the structure, bracing and inspection requirements are the hard part — that is where a contractor's labour earns its price.
Building a deck yourself removes the labour — typically about half the price — but not everything else. Materials, footing concrete, fasteners and hardware, a permit and the tools you do not own all still have to be paid for. This totals the DIY bill for your size and material and puts it next to a contractor's installed price, so the saving you are working for is a real number.
For pressure-treated pine, about $8–$12 per square foot in materials, plus a few hundred dollars for tools and the permit. A 12×16 deck comes to roughly $1,900–$3,200 DIY against about $3,800–$4,900 from a contractor.
Usually by 40–60%, because labour is roughly half of a contractor's price. The saving is smallest on raised decks, where structure, bracing and inspection are the hard part.
A circular saw, a drill/driver, a level, a speed square, a chalk line and a post-hole digger or rented auger. A mitre saw and an impact driver make it faster.
In most places yes, once the deck is attached to the house, more than about 30 inches above grade, or larger than about 200 square feet. The permit usually runs $150–$500 and includes inspections that catch structural mistakes.
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