Deck Material Comparison Calculator

On the 280 sq ft reference deck, composite costs about $3,529 more installed ($13,570 vs $10,041). With staining hired out, that premium breaks even around year 19 and composite finishes about $1,231 cheaper over 25 years. Do the staining yourself and pressure-treated wins by thousands instead — the whole comparison hinges on who holds the sprayer.

Every 2–3 years for pressure-treated and cedar. National guides put professional staining at roughly $1.50–$6 per sq ft (Homewyse's May 2026 figure is $2.96–$6.16/sq ft); this model uses $2.50/sq ft per cycle — about $700 each time on the reference deck, 8 cycles over 25 years, or roughly $5,810 all-in with board replacement.

Manufacturer and industry lifespans: pressure-treated pine 15–20 years with faithful sealing, cedar 15–20+ years (naturally rot-resistant but it checks and splits), composite 25–30+ years, and PVC 50 years or more. That is why this model budgets a 10% board swap for PT around year 15 and a 5% swap for cedar around year 18, but nothing for composite or PVC inside the 25-year window.

Cedar splits the difference badly: its boards and rails cost about $1,376 more than pressure-treated up front on the reference deck, but it still needs the same 8-cycle staining schedule — so it collects wood's maintenance bill without PT's price tag. Cedar's case is look and smell, not total cost; it only beats composite if you stain it yourself.

Soap, water and a soft brush once or twice a year; no sealing, staining or sanding, ever. Mold and pollen can leave a film in damp shade — a mild household cleaner handles it. Hired out, this model prices that at $0.15/sq ft per year (about $42 a year on the reference deck); done with a garden hose it costs an afternoon, which is why the DIY switch drops their upkeep line to zero. Two caveats the wash-and-go story leaves out: dark boards in full sun run hot underfoot, and a scratched composite board can't be sanded back the way wood can — though capped second-generation boards fixed most of the fading and staining that plagued first-gen composite.

No — every option here sits on pressure-treated framing, which is how decks are built: joists, beams, posts and ledger are PT regardless of surface. You're comparing boards, rail tops and balusters, plus modest install-labor differences (hidden fasteners and predrilling add roughly $1–$3/sq ft for composite and PVC). Matching composite or PVC rail systems are what push railing costs up 80–100% versus PT rails.

Tearing out an existing deck, grading and drainage work, electrical (deck lights, outlets, hot-tub circuits), pergolas and built-ins, permit fees outside the $250 national typical, and inflation on future labor — future staining and washing cycles are priced at today's rates, so the materials — not inflation — decide the comparison. One honest caveat that cuts against wood: this model prices pressure-treated aging as a 10% board swap around year 15, but PT decking's realistic service life is 15–20 years, at the edge of the horizon. If a PT surface ends up needing a full re-deck inside the window, composite's math improves accordingly.