How much does garden decking cost in the UK? (2026)
Verified UK garden decking costs in 2026 by material (softwood, hardwood, composite, PVC), per square metre and by deck size, plus sub-frame, balustrades, labour day rates, removal, and the scope gaps that catch homeowners out.
Garden decking in the UK in 2026 costs between roughly £900 for a small PVC deck and £10,000+ for a large premium-hardwood deck with balustrades. For most homeowners installing a typical 15–30m² rear- garden deck, the bill lands between £1,500 and £5,000 fully installed, with the material choice the single biggest driver. The figures below come from cross-referencing MyJobQuote's 2026 decking guides.
Quick answer
UK garden decking cost 2026, fully installed per m²: PVC £35–£60, softwood £40–£75, hardwood £60–£110, composite £90–£135, premium composite (Trex, Millboard) £140–£200, IPE £120–£175. By size (composite mid-range): 15m² £2,080–£2,260, 30m² £3,740–£4,050, 60m² £5,390–£5,890. Sub-frame typically 25–35% of total. Removal of old deck £110–£550.
How to read this guide#
Two kinds of figures appear below:
- Headline price ranges (per-m² rates by material, totals by deck size, sub-frame, labour, removal): cross-referenced against MyJobQuote's 2026 garden decking, composite decking, and timber decking guides. Sources are listed at the bottom.
- Practical guidance (material trade-offs, sub-frame spec, drainage, regional variation, red flags): drawn from standard UK landscaping practice. Useful for context but not cross-referenced figure-by-figure.
Headline ranges (verified)#
Per square metre (fully installed)#
| Material | Range per m² |
|---|---|
| PVC | £35 – £60 |
| Softwood (treated pine, larch) | £40 – £75 |
| Hardwood (oak, balau) | £60 – £110 |
| Trex / mid-range composite | £60 – £109 |
| Composite (standard) | £90 – £135 |
| IPE (premium hardwood) | £120 – £175 |
| Premium composite (Millboard) | £140 – £200 |
Total cost by deck size (installed)#
| Material | 15m² | 30m² | 60m² | 90m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softwood | £1,080 – £1,320 | £1,760 – £2,200 | £2,420 – £3,080 | £3,080 – £3,960 |
| Hardwood | £1,670 – £1,840 | £2,475 – £3,240 | £3,710 – £4,630 | £5,390 – £6,050 |
| Composite | £2,080 – £2,260 | £3,740 – £4,050 | £5,390 – £5,890 | £7,040 – £7,700 |
| PVC | £880 – £1,100 | £1,320 – £1,760 | £1,980 – £2,420 | £2,640 – £3,080 |
| IPE | £2,650 – £2,820 | £5,060 – £5,200 | £7,070 – £7,570 | £9,280 – £9,940 |
Boards only (supply per linear metre)#
| Material | Range per m |
|---|---|
| Softwood | £3.30 – £6.60 |
| Hardwood | £4.40 – £11 |
| Composite | £8.80 – £13.20 |
| IPE | £8.80 – £16.50 |
Labour and extras#
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| Installation labour (per m²) | £22 – £55 |
| Two-person crew day rate | £200 – £400 |
| Sub-frame supply (15m² deck) | £400 – £700 |
| Balustrade kit | £110+ per run |
| Decking steps | £55 – £235 per flight |
| Posts | £6.60 – £13.20 each |
| Removal of old deck | £110 – £550 |
Practical guidance (industry standard)#
Where the price comes from#
Three things move the price most:
- Board material. PVC and softwood at one end, premium composite and IPE at the other. The supply price gap can be 4x; the fully installed gap is 2–3x because labour and sub-frame costs are similar across materials.
- Sub-frame spec. Joist spacing, post depth, and bearer size set the deck's lifespan. Composite needs tighter joist spacing (around 300mm centres) than softwood (400mm), which adds materials and labour.
- Ground conditions. Ground-level decks on level lawn are cheap. Raised decks over sloping or uneven ground need taller posts, more bearers, and often balustrades for safety, which can double the cost per m².
The "cheapest" deck quote is often a softwood deck on a thin sub-frame against a composite deck on a structured sub-frame. They are different scopes, not the same job at two prices.
Material trade-offs#
- PVC. Cheapest. Light, low-maintenance, but plasticky underfoot and prone to thermal expansion. Best for budget projects or covered spaces.
- Softwood (treated pine, larch). The traditional choice. Cheap to buy, easy to work, but needs annual treatment and reaches end-of-life at 10–15 years.
- Hardwood (oak, balau). Hard-wearing, ages to a silver-grey if left untreated. Costs more, lasts 20–25 years.
- Composite (standard). Wood-plastic blend, no annual treatment, capped surface resists staining. The default 2026 choice for new installations expected to last 20+ years.
- Premium composite (Trex, Millboard). Higher-grade boards with better realism and longer warranties (25–30 years). Costs more but noticeably nicer underfoot and to look at.
- IPE. Brazilian hardwood, extremely dense, lasts 30+ years. The highest-cost option and the heaviest to install.
What the price should include#
A complete decking quote should cover:
- Marking out, excavation where needed, ground preparation
- Geotextile membrane and weed suppression
- Concrete or screw-in post bases
- Treated sub-frame: joists, bearers, posts to the agreed spec
- Board supply, cutting, and fixing (hidden clips for composite, top- fixed for softwood)
- Fascia boards and trim
- Site clearance at the end
It often does not cover:
- Removal of an existing deck, patio, or shed base
- Levelling significant slopes or building retaining walls
- Steps or balustrades (typically priced separately)
- Lighting integration
- First-year oil or stain treatment on timber decks
- Drainage works beyond a simple level fall
Sub-frame: the part you cannot see#
The sub-frame is what determines whether your deck lasts 5 years or 25. A cheap quote that uses untreated CLS timber joists at 600mm centres will sag within a couple of winters. Standards:
- Joists: Treated C16 or C24 softwood, 100x47mm or 150x47mm depending on span. Composite needs them at 300mm centres maximum.
- Bearers: Treated 150x47mm or larger on raised decks.
- Posts: Treated 100x100mm in concrete or galvanised post anchors. Post depth should be 600mm minimum below ground.
- Fixings: Stainless steel or hot-dip galvanised. Plain steel rusts inside two years.
A quote silent on joist spacing, treatment grade, or fixing type is hiding something on the structure.
Regional variation#
Decking prices vary by region, mostly on the labour side (boards and sub-frame timber are nationally priced):
- Inner London: ~20–30% above national
- Outer London / South-East: ~10–20% above
- Midlands and East: close to national
- North of England, Wales: ~5–15% below
- Northern Ireland, rural Scotland: ~10–15% below
For a 30m² composite deck costing £3,800 nationally, this means roughly £4,600–£4,900 in inner London and £3,200–£3,400 in the North.
Red flags in decking quotes#
No sub-frame spec. Joist size, spacing, post depth, and treatment grade should all be stated. A quote that says "lay decking on a suitable frame" leaves the door open for a shortcut.
Composite boards on a softwood sub-frame. Not always wrong, but the joists must be C24-grade with proper centres, or the surface will outlast the structure. Ask what spec.
No mention of joist centres. Composite needs 300mm centres or tighter, hardwood and softwood typically 400mm. A quote that does not specify will use the cheapest spacing.
Plain-steel screws or nails. A deck exposed to weather needs stainless or hot-dip galvanised fixings. Plain steel rusts, stains the boards, and weakens the joints within 2–3 years.
No removal allowance on a replacement. Breaking up an existing deck and disposing of the timber is real work. A quote silent on it either expects you to do it or will charge extra on the day.
Suspiciously low per-m² for composite. Anything under £60 per m² fitted for "composite" in 2026 is either using low-grade uncapped hollow-core boards (they will fade and stain within a year or two) or an aggressively thinned sub-frame.
No drainage gap. Boards need a 3–6mm gap for water to drain through and a 25mm minimum gap from soil for ventilation. A deck laid tight to the ground rots from below.
Sequence of work on a typical build#
- Survey and quote. Installer measures the area, confirms board choice, sub-frame spec, balustrade requirement, drainage plan.
- Strip out. Existing deck, patio, or turf removed, spoil loaded.
- Ground preparation. Geotextile membrane, weed killer, sub-base gravel for ground-level decks.
- Post installation. Post holes dug, posts concreted or anchor-fixed, left to set on raised decks.
- Sub-frame. Bearers and joists installed level and square, fixed with stainless or galvanised hardware.
- Board laying. Boards cut, laid with consistent gaps, hidden- clip or top-fixed depending on system.
- Trim and finish. Fascia boards, end caps, balustrades, steps.
- Treatment (timber only). First coat of oil or stain after timber boards have settled, usually 2–4 weeks after install.
A 15m² ground-level deck is typically 2–3 days for a two-person crew. A 30m² raised deck with balustrades is 5–7 days. Wet weather can stop fixing work because composite clip systems need dry boards.
Comparing your quote#
The reliable way to know if a decking quote is fair is to check each line against the ranges above: board material and area, sub-frame spec, labour, removal, balustrades, and treatment. The easier way is to paste your quote into Check the Quote, which compares every line against current UK rates for your postcode, flags anything above the fair range, and tells you what is missing. Your first project is free. For related outdoor work, see the patio cost guide or the garden landscaping cost guide.
Got a quote you want checked?
Paste any UK contractor quote and Check the Quote compares every line item against current market rates, flags missing scope, and runs a Companies House check on the contractor. Free on your first project.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does garden decking cost in the UK in 2026?
- A typical 15m² garden deck fully installed costs £1,100–£2,300 in softwood, £1,700–£2,300 in composite, and around £2,650–£2,800 in premium hardwood like IPE, confirmed across MyJobQuote 2026 figures. The biggest driver is material choice: composite roughly doubles the per-m² rate of softwood. London and the South-East run 20–30% above national.
- Is composite decking worth the extra cost?
- Usually yes if you plan to keep the deck for 10+ years. Composite costs roughly twice as much as softwood up front (£90–£135/m² installed versus £40–£75/m²) but needs no annual treatment, will not rot or splinter, and lasts 20–30 years with capped surfaces. Softwood needs treatment yearly and typically reaches end-of-life at 10–15 years. Over a 20-year horizon, the lifetime cost is similar.
- How much does a decking sub-frame add?
- The sub-frame (joists, bearers, posts, fixings) is roughly 25–35% of the total deck cost and is the part that determines how long the deck lasts. For a 15m² deck, expect £400–£700 in sub-frame materials for treated softwood joists, more for hardwood or steel. A composite deck on a softwood sub-frame is a false economy — the deck surface will outlast the structure underneath.
- Do I need planning permission for a deck?
- Usually not, if the deck is under 30cm high, covers less than half the garden area, and is not on a listed property or in a conservation area. Above 30cm, planning permission is normally needed. Always check your title deeds for covenants that restrict outbuildings or hardstanding, and check with the local authority if your property is listed or your garden borders a footpath.
- How long does a deck take to install?
- A 15m² deck takes 2–3 days for a two-person crew on level, accessible ground. 30m² is 4–5 days, 60m² is 6–8 days. Add a day for awkward access, sloping ground, or balustrades. Composite installation is slightly slower than timber because boards are heavier and the fixing system (hidden clips) is more involved.
- How often does timber decking need treating?
- Treated softwood needs a fresh coat of oil or stain every 12 months, ideally before winter. Hardwood needs less frequent treatment but benefits from an annual oil to keep its colour. Composite needs no treatment at all — just an occasional wash. Skipping annual softwood treatment is the most common reason a five-year-old deck looks ten years old.
Last updated: 5 June 2026