Written by

Tom Grupa

April 5, 2023

Trex Decking Cost

A typical 24’ x 12’ deck (288 square feet) built with Trex decking will cost $4,300 to $10,900 for materials and installation. Trex decking materials cost $7 to $27 per square foot on average, while the average labor cost for decking is $8 to $11 per square foot.

Let's take a look:

Average Trex Decking Cost: No Railing, Existing Substructure

High End Trex Decking Cost: Trex Railing & Trex Substructure

Trex has been around since 1996—when they created the composite deck materials category, which they have been perfecting ever since. All Trex boards are made of 95% recycled materials, including recycled wood, sawdust, and plastic film.

Trex Decking Cost By Materials

Trex deck products are broken down into three categories of good, better, and best with the following corresponding product names - Trex Select, Trex Enhance, and Trex Transcend.

For the same 24’ x 12’ deck of 288 square feet, these are the specifics on the options available on the Trex website, using their pricing calculator for material costs:

Trex Decking Installation Cost

A 24’ x 12’ (288 sqft) deck will take an average of 34.5 hours to build with a labor cost of around $2,165 for a deck to be installed on an existing substructure.

The labor to install a substructure, the deck, and the railings, takes an average of 50 hours, which brings you to an installation cost of $3,138.

Trex Decking Types

The Enhanced line is the only one available in big box hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowes. The other two product lines—Select and Transcend—are sold directly from the Trex website and are also available from big lumber providers like ABC Lumber.

Trex Select

Trex Select boards are .82 inches thick and come in lengths of 12 feet, with a width of 5.5 inches. They have the lowest grade of Trex scratch resistance, and their grain pattern is the shallowest of the three products.

There are currently five color options available in two groups, including Madeira (brown), Saddle (brown), Woodland Brown, Winchester Grey, and Pebble Grey.

Trex Enhanced

Trex Enhanced boards are .94” thick, with a width of 5.5 inches, and come in lengths of 12’, 16’, and 20’. These have better scratch resistance than the Select boards and are carried in stock at Lowes and Home Depot.

Compared to Select boards, Trex Enhanced boards have a deeper grain pattern, giving a more natural appearance, and they cost less than the top-of-the-line Transcend boards.

Currently, the Enhanced boards that you can order directly or at the hardware store are available in three colors in two groups, which include Beach Dune (brown), Saddle (brown), and Clam Shell (gray).

Trex Transcend

Trex Transcend boards are top-of-the-line boards from Trex. Like the Enhanced line, Transcend boards are also .94 inches thick, with a width of 5.5 inches, and come in lengths of 12’, 16’, and 20’. In addition to having the best scratch resistance of the three, the Transcend line gives homeowners the most diverse style options. The color options are broken down into three styles.

Trex Decking Colors

Premium Tropicals

This collection has five color options with a two-tone appearance because of a black streak that runs through the finish. The options available are:

• Havana Gold (brown)

• Lava Rock (brown)

• Spiced Rum (brown)

• Tiki Torch (brown)

• Island Mist (gray)

Classic Earth Tones

The colors in the Classic Earth Tones collection are more muted and edge toward pastel in appearance. The color options available are:

• Firepit (brown)

• Rope Swing (brown)

• Tree House (brown)

• Gravel Path (gray)

• Vintage Lantern (gray)

Porch Colors

Gravel Path (gray) and Spiced Rum (brown)

Pros & Cons of Trex Decking

Pros

• Weight - Because Trex deck materials are a composite of recycled wood, they are 50% to 70% heavier than natural wood, which could affect your transportation costs. However, Trex also makes the final deck a much more solid structure than a deck built from traditional wood.

• Resistance - The deck boards have a protective shell around all four sides of the plank, and as a result, they are resistant to fading and staining, as well as mildew, mold, and even termites. Also, Trex boards won’t warp, rot, crack, split, or splinter.

• Warranty- The warranty is designed to completely set the homeowner’s mind at peace with its 25-year coverage on the product and its ability to remain stain and fade-free.

• Eco-friendly features - All Trex boards are made of 95% recycled materials. In the average 500-square-foot deck, there are a staggering 140,000 recycled plastic bags, which makes Trex one of the largest plastic recyclers in the US. In addition to being focused on creating environmentally friendly products, Trex are also committed to being a green company wherever possible, and they also use environmentally friendly processes in the production of the products.

• Curves - Unlike traditional deck materials, Trex has a Custom Curve system that allows curves to be cut into the boards to allow for the construction of unique decks.

• Contraction and expansion - Trex deck boards do not heat up as much in the summer sun as traditional wood planks can.

• Maintenance - Unlike traditional deck construction using wood, you do not need to treat your deck for insects or to waterproof it when building a deck using Trex.

Cons

1. Final decisions- Trex deck boards cannot be refinished, so you have to be 100% sure about the color and finish you have chosen for your deck.

2. Replacement - Any significant damage that occurs to your Trex deck may require that any damaged boards be replaced because you cannot sand down the composite materials, and if portions of the deck ever fade, they cannot be stained to be restored like a wood deck can.

3. Price - Like most composite solutions for decks, materials can be a bit more expensive.

Additional Cost Factors

Delivery

Your materials cost should not shift dramatically from the prices we have laid out here from the Trex pricing calculator, whether you order the Trex deck materials yourself or have your contractor order them.

Shipping costs will depend on which line of Trex boards you order. The Enhanced Trex boards are normally stocked by your local big box hardware stores, so the delivery costs would only need to cover the distance from that store to your door, and they may be covered by your contractor.

If, however, you want to go with materials from either the Select or the Transcend product line, you’ll need to find a large lumber supplier with them in stock that will order them in, or you will need to order them online and have them delivered.

Potentially, the less experience local contractors have with Trex, the higher the likelihood that the products aren’t carried locally.

Labor Costs

Our labor estimate above is a generalized cost based on numbers from all over the country, but your location can change those numbers dramatically based on local labor costs.

Deck accessories and enhancements

In addition to the three categories of product lines in deck boards, Trex also manufactures aluminum handrails, aluminum gates, and more, which are marketed under the following brands:

Trex Elevations steel framing, Trex Select Railing, Trex Signature Railing, Trex Transcend Railing, Trex Faccia, Trex LatticeWorks, Trex Fencing, Trex Outdoor and Landscape Lighting, Trex Outdoor Furniture, Trex Outdoor Pergola, Trex Outdoor Kitchens, Trex Spiral Stairs Systems, Trex Fencing, and Trex RainEscape under deck drainage.

Consider the addition of the unique RainEscape drainage system to keep water runoff away from the entire deck area, especially if you live somewhere with heavy rainfall.

Possible additional enhancements to your deck which are not covered in the pricing estimates include the following:

With the range of options available, you can really get creative on the deck space you can design for yourself and your family.

Obviously, if you decide to add any deviation from the standard rectangle shape and design, your costs will increase—drainage, outdoor lighting, kitchen space, benches, elevated platforms, etc.

Time of Year

Most people want their new decks built so they and their families can take advantage of their investment over the summer months. This means that many contractors will be more available, and potentially a bit more flexible on cost if you have the deck installed in the late fall or winter.

Size of Deck

Some people plan to add a second level but are planning to do half now and half later to spread out the cost. Keep in mind that for many contractors, it will end up being a cheaper overall project to get the entire project built at one time rather than have the same or different contractors come out at a different time to do the second phase of construction.

Height of deck

Most decks will be built at a level of no more than two inches from the back doorjamb down to the top walking surface. From that starting point, a deck will fall into one of three categories: it will either be considered a low-elevation deck for a house built at ground level, a mid-elevation deck when built for raised homes, or a high-elevation deck if the home is split level.

Removal of old deck

If you are having a deck built, you will have to pay for the demolition and removal of the old deck, unless you are going to take care of that yourself. While this is an additional cost, if the new deck will be placed in the exact same location, and if it is to be the same size, then you will probably save the cost of the construction of a substructure.

Tips Before Starting Your Deck Project

Building Restrictions

Check with your homeowner’s association (if applicable), and with your local government building department to see if there are regulations that need to be followed, and to find out if a building permit is needed.

Often, building restrictions will include language to specify the minimum distance between the deck and any wells, septic tanks, or their drain field, and, sometimes, between your deck and a neighbor’s house. Once you have the necessary information from the relevant authorities, you will know if there will be any impact on your intended deck location.

While the construction of your deck is taking place, a local building department inspector will need to conduct inspections to make sure the construction is up to code. Upon completion of construction for your deck project, and after the final inspection has taken place and the deck gets the official all-clear, your local building department will issue a certificate of occupancy, which certifies that the structure is compliant with all relevant building codes and relevant laws.

Construction Safety

Before construction can begin, it will need to be established if there are any water lines or power lines that run underground at the intended location for your deck. Once this is known, these locations will need to be marked out before the project can be fully planned out, and before the ground can be broken. The best place to start for this is with a call to 811—the US number to call before you dig anywhere.

Property Tax

The addition of a deck at your home will increase the value of the property, and along with that, unfortunately, your property taxes. The new total value for your property including your home and deck, based on the project cost, will be calculated using your local property tax rate.

As soon as the deck project is complete, have a tax assessor inspect the deck to make that determination. Assessors should be able to let you know of any changes in your taxes during that visit while they are onsite at your property.

Home Insurance

Check with your insurance agent or carrier regarding your policy coverage, but according to Zebra insurance:

“Since the deck you recently had built is attached to your home, the structure should be covered under the ‘dwelling’ portion of your homeowner’s insurance. If the deck was not attached to your home then it would be covered under the ‘other structures’ portion of your policy.”

You need to be sure everything is covered at the full value, as referenced by the Insurance Information Institute:

“Make sure your insurance agent knows about any improvements or additions to your house. If you don't increase your limits to cover the cost of rebuilding a new deck [which] has increased the cost to rebuild your home, you may save a little money on your insurance premium, but you risk being underinsured. If you don't have sufficient insurance, your insurance company may only pay a portion of the cost of replacing or repairing damaged items.”

Call your insurance agent to make sure your coverage is adequate for your home. The revised policy should be the replacement value for the house plus the replacement cost for the deck.

Selecting Your Trex Deck Contractor

1. Insurance - As you work to create your shortlist of builders, get a copy of each contractor’s certificate of insurance so you won’t be held accountable for claims by their workers against you as the result of an accident while the deck construction is taking place.

2. Progress checks - It can help to have an overseer check on the progress every day as part of the job.

Energy Catchers in Apex, NC, say, “During the entire process of the job our installation manager will complete a jobsite visit (daily) and complete a ‘Job Progress Form.’ Any issues or concerns (such as change orders, missing items or broken items) will be dealt with by our Office Manager and Production Manager. Once the job is complete our installer will have the customer fill out a ‘Completion Survey’ as well as conduct an ‘Installer Quality Control and Job Closeout Sheet’ and collect the final balance.”

1. No subcontractors - A contractor with employees rather than one who farms out the work to subcontractors can often get the work done faster and to a higher standard.

2. Experience - A contractor who has been building decks for years will know a lot more about every aspect of decking.

3. Warranty - Make sure your chosen contractor provides a warranty on the quality of construction. Addition Building & Design in Sherman Oaks, CA, says, “We offer a 3-year warranty and stand behind our craftsmanship.”

Trex Decking FAQs

How long will Trex Decking last?

Standard pressure-treated wood decks have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Composite Trex decking will last for 20 to 30 years because it is weather and rot-resistant.

Is composite decking slippery when wet?

All-plastic planks are a little more slippery than regular wood, however, composite decks are not. Also, when it gets wet, the heat dissipates instantly.

How much does it cost to build a 12x24 Trex deck?

A typical 24’ x 12’ deck (288 square feet) built with Trex decking will cost $4,244 to $10,826 for materials and installation. Trex decking materials cost $8.25 per square foot on average, while the average labor cost for decking is $7.52 per square foot.

How much does Trex cost per linear foot?

The average cost for Trex composite decking is $14.74 per square foot, while on the high end, decking can run up to $37.59 per square foot. This includes materials plus installation by a professional.

How much does Trex composite decking cost compared to wood?

When comparing composite vs wood decks, a standard 12’ x 24’ wood deck will cost $15 to $25 per square foot, whereas a Trex composite deck costs $15 to $40 per square foot installed.

How much does Trex Transcend cost?

For a 24’ x 12’ Trex deck of 288 square feet, the estimated material costs run from $9.96 to $29.61 per square foot if you include Trex railing and installing a Trex substructure. This does not include labor costs which are typically around $7.52 per square foot.