Composite deck cost in Albuquerque, NM
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $11,600 – $23,300
- Per sq ft
- $38.50 – $77
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −4%
- US $18,100
- Rank of 300 metros
- #142
- 1 = most expensive
Albuquerque homeowners pay roughly $11,600 to $23,300 to build a composite deck at 300 sq ft, or $38.50 to $77 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Albuquerque is 4% lower. Carpenters earn a median of $28.89 an hour in the Albuquerque area, 1% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Albuquerque, NM, standard level
$15,100 to $19,800
About $50 to $65.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $6,000 | $7,850 |
| Labor | $9,050 | $11,800 |
| Permits and fees | $75 | $110 |
| Total | $15,100 | $19,800 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Albuquerque, NM
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,600 | $6,900 | $9,250 | 40% |
| Labor | $6,950 | $10,400 | $13,900 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $95 | $140 | 1% |
| Total | $11,600 | $17,400 | $23,300 | 100% |
Where the Albuquerque price comes from
Labor is 60% of the midpoint bill here, against 60% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is carpenters (80%), construction laborers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Albuquerque the blended ratio comes out at 0.97.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Albuquerque metro is 96.1 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 300 sq ft comes to $6,900, compared with $7,200 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (95.5) and land at $50 to $140.
Composite deck: what moves the price in Albuquerque
Engineering
Large or complex decks may need a structural engineer at $100-$220 an hour to get a permit.
Board grade
Composite materials run $16-$32 per sq ft and the installed price is $40-$80 per sq ft, including the substructure (HomeGuide).
Labor
Labor for composite is $24-$48 per sq ft, higher than wood because the boards need extra parts and more careful assembly.
Albuquerque against nearby metros and the rest of New Mexico
Same job, same size (300 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Albuquerque is the priciest of the group. El Paso is the cheapest at $14,500.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NMthis page | $11,600 – $23,300 | $17,400 | |
| Santa Fe, NM40 miles | $11,600 – $23,200 | $17,400 | level |
| Las Cruces, NM195 miles | $11,300 – $22,600 | $17,000 | −3% |
| Pueblo, CO235 miles | $11,400 – $22,800 | $17,100 | −2% |
| El Paso, TX255 miles | $9,650 – $19,400 | $14,500 | −17% |
| Amarillo, TX255 miles | $10,300 – $20,600 | $15,400 | −12% |
| New Mexico (statewide) | $11,500 – $23,100 | $17,300 | −1% |
| United States | $12,100 – $24,200 | $18,100 | +4% |
Across 300 US metros, Albuquerque comes in at #142 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $25,200; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $13,500 (midpoints, 300 sq ft). Statewide, Albuquerque is 1% above the New Mexico figure.
Other New Mexico metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Cruces, NM | 80,000 jobs | $11,300 – $22,600 | $17,000 | −3% |
| Santa Fe, NM | 61,770 jobs | $11,600 – $23,200 | $17,400 | level |
Cities with a workforce like Albuquerque's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Albuquerque against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $12,300 – $24,700 | $18,500 | +6% |
| Bridgeport, CT | 404,180 jobs | $12,500 – $25,100 | $18,800 | +8% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $11,000 – $22,100 | $16,500 | −5% |
| Des Moines, IA | 404,130 jobs | $11,900 – $23,900 | $17,900 | +3% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: composite deck pricing in Albuquerque
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Albuquerque wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$11,600 to $16,300
Entry-level composite boards, low deck, simple shape
Standard
$15,100 to $19,800
Mid-grade capped boards with railing and stairs
Premium
$18,600 to $23,300
Premium capped or PVC boards, multi-level, hidden fasteners
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $4,650 – $6,550 | $6,100 – $8,000 | $7,500 – $9,400 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $5,600 – $7,850 | $7,300 – $9,550 | $9,000 – $11,200 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $12,400 – $17,400 | $16,100 – $21,100 | $19,800 – $24,800 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $15,500 – $21,700 | $20,100 – $26,300 | $24,800 – $31,000 |
Extras that change the Albuquerque total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Albuquerque by the average of the local wage index (0.97) and goods index (0.96), a factor of 0.96. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a deck railing (approx. 0.3 ft per sq ft) | $1,750 – $5,200 |
What nearby projects cost in Albuquerque
Because every project leans on different trades, Albuquerque's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, wood deck runs −4% and paver patio −12%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,250 – $14,600 | −4% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,650 | −8% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,800 | −12% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,200 – $3,900 | −7% |
When to schedule composite deck in Albuquerque
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Albuquerque Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
August through May is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Albuquerque (10 of 12 months). June and July have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Albuquerque gets about 9 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 8 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and September (1.6 inches in July). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 0.4 and 0.4 inches. The station averages about 64 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 54 | 30 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 63 | 36 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Apr | 70 | 43 | 0.5 | Workable |
| May | 80 | 52 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 62 | 0.6 | Hot |
| Jul | 91 | 67 | 1.6 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 65 | 1.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 1.1 | Workable |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 47 | 27 | 0.5 | Workable |
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 2 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Albuquerque is 0.97 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 80%) the local median is $28.89 an hour, which is in line with the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.21 and $31.48 an hour. BLS counts 1,940 of them working in the area, 47.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is about average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $19.44 an hour, 14% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.40 and $23.09 an hour. About 4,140 work in the metro. That is 102.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the carpenters on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($31.48 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $770. At the 25th percentile ($23.21) it shrinks by about $1,700. The total moves by 4.4% or 9.7%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 404,700 jobs in the Albuquerque area. That makes it the 62nd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.26% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $23.21 | $28.89 | $31.48 | $29.12 | 0.99 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $17.40 | $19.44 | $23.09 | $22.66 | 0.86 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $15,100 to $19,800 for Albuquerque, NM is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Albuquerque, NM: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Composite deck in Albuquerque: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a composite deck in Albuquerque?
For 300 sq ft, expect $11,600 to $23,300 in the Albuquerque area. A standard-spec job lands at $15,100 to $19,800. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for composite deck in Albuquerque?
About $38.50 to $77 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $50 to $140 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $40 to $80.
+Is composite deck cheaper in Albuquerque or Santa Fe?
Santa Fe is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $17,400, which is 0% less than Albuquerque ($17,400). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Albuquerque?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $10,400 out of $17,400. Materials are 40% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in Albuquerque?
$12,400 to $24,800. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does composite deck need a permit in Albuquerque?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $140 for fees in the Albuquerque area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Albuquerque expensive for composite deck compared with the rest of New Mexico?
Albuquerque is 1% above the New Mexico statewide estimate ($17,300 at the midpoint). We cover 3 metros in New Mexico; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Albuquerque?
The BLS median is $28.89 an hour in the Albuquerque area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.21 to $31.48.
+What do basic and premium composite deck work cost in Albuquerque?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $11,600 to $16,300 and premium work $18,600 to $23,300. Basic means: entry-level composite boards, low deck, simple shape. Premium means: premium capped or PVC boards, multi-level, hidden fasteners.
+When is the best time to build a composite deck in Albuquerque?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are August through May. January and February are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "add a deck railing" add in Albuquerque?
$1,750 to $5,200 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Composite deck near Albuquerque
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Composite Decking Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020