Composite deck cost in Fargo, ND
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $11,700 – $23,500
- Per sq ft
- $39 – $78
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −2%
- US $18,100
- Rank of 300 metros
- #129
- 1 = most expensive
Fargo homeowners pay roughly $11,700 to $23,500 to build a composite deck at 300 sq ft, or $39 to $78 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Fargo is almost level. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 95.7).
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Fargo, ND, standard level
$15,300 to $20,000
About $50.50 to $66.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,950 | $7,800 |
| Labor | $9,250 | $12,100 |
| Permits and fees | $75 | $110 |
| Total | $15,300 | $20,000 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Fargo, ND
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,600 | $6,900 | $9,200 | 39% |
| Labor | $7,100 | $10,700 | $14,200 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $90 | $140 | 1% |
| Total | $11,700 | $17,600 | $23,500 | 100% |
Where the Fargo 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 Fargo the blended ratio comes out at 0.99.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Fargo metro is 95.7 (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 (90.9) and land at $45 to $140.
When to schedule composite deck in Fargo
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Fargo Hector Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Fargo (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February, March, November and December the average high stays below 45°F. Sealants, adhesives and some materials, such as vinyl, are harder to install well in the cold, and short daylight cuts the working day.
Fargo gets about 24 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 51 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (4.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, April and October are the driest, at 1.5 and 2.2 inches. The station averages about 11 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 | 18 | 0 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 23 | 4 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Mar | 36 | 18 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 1.5 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Aug | 81 | 57 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 2.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 56 | 35 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 38 | 21 | 1.0 | Cold |
| Dec | 24 | 8 | 0.9 | Cold |
Specs and site conditions that change a Fargo bid
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.
Drainage
Ground-level decks over poorly draining yards may need $1,000-$4,000 of drainage work first.
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 Fargo is 0.99 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 80%) the local median is $28.34 an hour, which is in line with the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.34 and $31.06 an hour. BLS counts 880 of them working in the area, 59.2 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $23.72 an hour, 5% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.29 and $29.85 an hour. About 1,760 work in the metro. That is 118.4 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 ($31.06 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $810. At the 25th percentile ($23.34) it shrinks by about $1,500. The total moves by 4.6% or 8.4%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 148,660 jobs in the Fargo area. That makes it the 156th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.10% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $23.34 | $28.34 | $31.06 | $29.12 | 0.97 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.29 | $23.72 | $29.85 | $22.66 | 1.05 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.99 | |||||
Extras that change the Fargo total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Fargo by the average of the local wage index (0.99) and goods index (0.96), a factor of 0.97. 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 – $5,250 |
How Fargo compares
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 300 sq ft range from $16,200 to $20,900 across Fargo and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo, NDthis page | $11,700 – $23,500 | $17,600 | |
| St. Cloud, MN150 miles | $12,200 – $24,400 | $18,300 | +3% |
| Bismarck, ND190 miles | $11,400 – $22,800 | $17,100 | −3% |
| Minneapolis, MN215 miles | $13,900 – $27,900 | $20,900 | +19% |
| Duluth, MN215 miles | $12,200 – $24,500 | $18,400 | +4% |
| Sioux Falls, SD235 miles | $10,800 – $21,600 | $16,200 | −8% |
| North Dakota (statewide) | $11,600 – $23,300 | $17,500 | −1% |
| United States | $12,100 – $24,200 | $18,100 | +3% |
Across 300 US metros, Fargo comes in at #129 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $25,200; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $13,500 (midpoints, 300 sq ft). Statewide, Fargo is 1% above the North Dakota figure.
Other North Dakota metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND | 71,270 jobs | $11,400 – $22,800 | $17,100 | −3% |
Cities with a workforce like Fargo's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Fargo against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killeen, TX | 150,580 jobs | $10,200 – $20,500 | $15,400 | −13% |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 146,260 jobs | $10,400 – $20,800 | $15,600 | −12% |
| Gainesville, FL | 152,670 jobs | $10,500 – $21,100 | $15,800 | −11% |
| Vallejo, CA | 144,130 jobs | $14,300 – $28,600 | $21,400 | +21% |
Related projects, priced for Fargo
Because every project leans on different trades, Fargo's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, gutters runs +3% and wood deck −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,300 – $14,700 | −3% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,950 | −2% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,050 – $5,500 | +1% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,350 – $4,300 | +3% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: composite deck pricing in Fargo
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Fargo 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
$11,700 to $16,500
Entry-level composite boards, low deck, simple shape
Standard
$15,300 to $20,000
Mid-grade capped boards with railing and stairs
Premium
$18,800 to $23,500
Premium capped or PVC boards, multi-level, hidden fasteners
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $4,750 – $6,650 | $6,150 – $8,050 | $7,600 – $9,500 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $5,650 – $7,950 | $7,400 – $9,650 | $9,100 – $11,400 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $12,500 – $17,600 | $16,300 – $21,300 | $20,100 – $25,100 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $15,700 – $21,900 | $20,400 – $26,600 | $25,100 – $31,300 |
Get 3 local quotes
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Detailed composite deck report for Fargo, ND, $9
Multi-page report for Fargo, ND: 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 Fargo: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a composite deck in Fargo?
For 300 sq ft, expect $11,700 to $23,500 in the Fargo area. A standard-spec job lands at $15,300 to $20,000. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for composite deck in Fargo?
About $39 to $78 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $140 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $40 to $80.
+Is composite deck cheaper in Fargo or St. Cloud?
St. Cloud is 150 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $18,300, which is 3% more than Fargo ($17,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Fargo?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $10,700 out of $17,600. Materials are 39% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in Fargo?
$12,500 to $25,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does composite deck need a permit in Fargo?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $140 for fees in the Fargo area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Fargo expensive for composite deck compared with the rest of North Dakota?
Fargo is 1% above the North Dakota statewide estimate ($17,500 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in North Dakota; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Fargo?
The BLS median is $28.34 an hour in the Fargo area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.34 to $31.06.
+What do basic and premium composite deck work cost in Fargo?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $11,700 to $16,500 and premium work $18,800 to $23,500. 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 Fargo?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. April and October 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 Fargo?
$1,750 to $5,250 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Composite deck near Fargo
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