Decks are a great addition to any home. They extend your living space and create gathering spaces for family, friends, and neighbors to relax and socialize. Plus, they look awesome and make your backyard an oasis. So how do you get the best bang for your buck when building a deck? Here are some inside trade secrets to building a deck on a budget.
Decks That Last Ten Years or More
I’ve been building decks for over 15 years in the Kansas City area. There are a few secrets to keeping costs low. For our purposes here, I’m going to assume you plan to live in your home for 5-7 more years. If not, you may want to consider using the most affordable decking materials like pressure-treated wood and Fortress Fe26 railing, but it won’t look as good as capped composite decking as time goes on. If you plan to build a deck that looks great for ten years or more, I recommend capped composite decking.
Capped Composite Decks Cost Less Over Their Lifetime
Even though composite decks cost more upfront to build, they are actually more economical in the long run. Because they require less maintenance than pressure-treated wood decks, a capped composite deck is definitely worth the investment you make in the beginning. I encourage my customers to pay the extra now and save themselves the trouble of years of maintenance and a slowly deteriorating deck, especially if they plan to stay in the house they are in for more than 5 years.
What Is Capped Composite Decking?
Capped composite decking is a type of deck board made from a combination of wood and plastic with a polymer cap. It is a popular alternative to traditional wood because it is more durable, low maintenance, and environmentally friendly. Capped composite decking was introduced over 25 years ago. It has come a long way since then in both looks and performance. Capped composite decking won’t splinter, split, crack, or rot, which means that after years of use, they are still perfectly safe for kids, pets, and bare feet. Many offer slip resistance and fire resistance as well. Capped composite decking comes in a wide range of colors and styles with realistic wood grain. Investing in a composite deck will add value now and when you sell your home.
Value Engineering Is the Secret to Budget Control
Value engineering is a systematic, organized approach to providing necessary functions in a project at the lowest cost. If we are trying to stay close to the $75 per sq. ft. range, there are a few basic concepts to value engineering your deck.
1. Deck Design – Stick with Standard Lumber Lengths
When designing the floor plan of your deck, make sure the length and width of the deck fall within the parameters of typical lumber lengths. Let this guide your plan for width and length from the beginning. This minimizes waste while maximizing the size. No fancy shapes, just stick with a basic square or rectangle and take it to the max of typical lumber and capped composite decking lengths. Standard lengths of capped composite decking are 10’,12’,16’ & 20’. If you need to buy yourself a little real estate consider adding a double picture frame and that will add roughly 1.5’ to the length.
2. Keep the Deck Floor Plan at One Elevation
Any time you add a lower level or multiple levels, cost per sq. ft. increases.
3. Eliminate Stairs
Stairs increase costs, so try to stay away from them. Stairs typically cost about $350+ per step depending on finishes. That adds up fast. If your deck is a one-story deck, many times adding stairs will require building a landing, which requires more material as well. A deck without stairs is your next best option if ROI is priority.
4. Deck Railing
Deck railing is another material consideration. Check out this article Choosing the Best Deck Railing Systems to give you an idea of cost per type of railing. Pressure-treated deck railing is the most affordable, but it won’t last more than about five years before it starts to twist, curl, cup, and splinter. I’d recommend metal deck railing. You’ll see it everywhere from starter homes to million-dollar-plus home price points. My favorite is the Fortress Fe26 deck railing. It is basically the same price as cedar handrail with black metal balusters. However, it outperforms the cedar with metal balusters across the board. Fortress provides a very simple, low-profile, railing with clean lines and will make the space feel as big as possible. Be aware that all steel will rust over time, so you may want to upgrade to aluminum railing. On the average-size deck, you can upgrade to aluminum for around $1,000 more.
Best Composite Decking for Budget-Friendly Decks
We always try to give our customers the most deck for their dollar. Over the years, I’ve found some favorite composite decking that looks great but won’t break the bank. I do all my cost-basis bids with Fiberon Cabin. Their upper-tier products are excellent, however, I believe the Cabin is the best value and offers the best ROI in the market. Whenever I have a client who is looking for a budget-friendly deck board, I always recommend Fiberon Cabin.
We Make Deck Loans Easy
At Creative Concepts and Designs, we get it. Budgets don’t always allow for a large chunk of money at one time. That’s why we offer convenient and affordable deck financing. You can get a deck loan today that will allow you to build that deck but spread the payments out over a few years to make it fit into your budget. You don’t have to take out a home equity loan or take any risks. Simply apply for our easy deck loans on our website. And don’t forget, each year the cost of materials goes up, so you can lock in today’s decking and railing prices instead of paying more later.
