Composite deck cost in Providence, RI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $12,400 – $24,900
- Per sq ft
- $41 – $82.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +3%
- US $18,100
- Rank of 300 metros
- #67
- 1 = most expensive
A composite deck in Providence, RI usually costs $12,400 to $24,900 for 300 sq ft. That works out to about $41 to $82.50 per sq ft before permits. That is within a few percent of the national midpoint, so there is little local premium or discount. Carpenters earn a median of $29.76 an hour in the Providence area, 2% above the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Providence, RI, standard level
$16,100 to $21,100
About $53.50 to $70 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 62% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $6,050 | $7,900 |
| Labor | $10,000 | $13,100 |
| Permits and fees | $80 | $120 |
| Total | $16,100 | $21,100 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Providence, RI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,650 | $7,000 | $9,300 | 38% |
| Labor | $7,700 | $11,500 | $15,400 | 62% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $100 | $150 | 1% |
| Total | $12,400 | $18,600 | $24,900 | 100% |
What is behind the Providence number
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 80% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $29.76 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Providence is 1.07 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 62% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Providence is at 97.1 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $7,200 nationally becomes $7,000 here (midpoint, 300 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 101.8: $50 to $150.
How Providence 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 $18,600 to $20,900 across Providence and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence, RIthis page | $12,400 – $24,900 | $18,600 | |
| Norwich, CT45 miles | $12,400 – $24,900 | $18,700 | level |
| Worcester, MA55 miles | $13,500 – $27,100 | $20,300 | +9% |
| Boston, MA60 miles | $13,900 – $27,900 | $20,900 | +12% |
| Barnstable, MA60 miles | $13,300 – $26,600 | $19,900 | +7% |
| Hartford, CT65 miles | $12,600 – $25,300 | $18,900 | +2% |
| Rhode Island (statewide) | $12,200 – $24,600 | $18,400 | −1% |
| United States | $12,100 – $24,200 | $18,100 | −3% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Providence ranks #67 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Providence is 1% above the Rhode Island figure.
Providence is the only Rhode Island metro we cover, so the statewide page is the only in-state comparison. It uses statewide wages, which include rural areas.
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Providence against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | 743,120 jobs | $10,900 – $21,900 | $16,400 | −12% |
| Louisville, KY | 685,190 jobs | $11,500 – $23,000 | $17,300 | −7% |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 763,060 jobs | $10,800 – $21,600 | $16,200 | −13% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 677,680 jobs | $10,400 – $20,900 | $15,600 | −16% |
Providence weather and the composite deck calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Providence T F Green Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For exterior installation, the comfortable months in Providence are March through November: 9 of 12. Outside them, January, February and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February 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.
Providence gets about 48 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 37 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, April and December (4.9 inches in March). Inside the workable window, May and July are the driest, at 3.4 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 12 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 22 | 4.0 | Cold |
| Feb | 41 | 24 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Mar | 48 | 30 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 59 | 40 | 4.3 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 49 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 78 | 59 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Jul | 84 | 65 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 64 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Sep | 75 | 57 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 45 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 53 | 36 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 43 | 28 | 4.7 | Cold |
What local crews earn in Providence
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Providence the blend is 1.07.
Carpenters (47-2031), 80% of the weighting: a median of $29.76 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $26.71 and $38.38 an hour. About 4,140 work in the metro. That is 58.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $28.50 an hour, which is 26% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.10 and $37.25 an hour. BLS counts 3,240 of them working in the area, 45.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (carpenters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $2,550 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $900. That is a swing of roughly 4.9% to 13.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Providence-Warwick has 714,120 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 42nd by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $26.71 | $29.76 | $38.38 | $29.12 | 1.02 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $23.10 | $28.50 | $37.25 | $22.66 | 1.26 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.07 | |||||
Optional extras in Providence
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.02 for Providence, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.07) and goods price index (0.97). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a deck railing (approx. 0.3 ft per sq ft) | $1,850 – $5,500 |
Why two Providence quotes can differ
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.
Related projects, priced for Providence
Jobs that often go together with composite deck are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Providence wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, paver patio comes out highest (+16%) and wood deck lowest (+1%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $7,650 – $15,400 | +1% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,300 – $4,300 | +7% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,450 – $6,350 | +16% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,350 – $4,300 | +3% |
Cost by quality level and size in Providence
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Providence. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from 10x12 (120 sq ft) to 20x20 (400 sq ft).
Basic
$12,400 to $17,400
Entry-level composite boards, low deck, simple shape
Standard
$16,100 to $21,100
Mid-grade capped boards with railing and stairs
Premium
$19,900 to $24,900
Premium capped or PVC boards, multi-level, hidden fasteners
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $5,000 – $7,000 | $6,500 – $8,550 | $8,000 – $10,000 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $6,000 – $8,400 | $7,800 – $10,200 | $9,600 – $12,000 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $13,200 – $18,500 | $17,200 – $22,500 | $21,200 – $26,500 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $16,500 – $23,200 | $21,500 – $28,100 | $26,500 – $33,100 |
Get 3 local quotes
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Multi-page report for Providence, RI: 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 Providence: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a composite deck in Providence?
For 300 sq ft, expect $12,400 to $24,900 in the Providence area. A standard-spec job lands at $16,100 to $21,100. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for composite deck in Providence?
About $41 to $82.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $50 to $150 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $40 to $80.
+Is composite deck cheaper in Providence or Norwich?
Norwich is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $18,700, which is 0% more than Providence ($18,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Providence?
About 62% at the midpoint, or $11,500 out of $18,600. Materials are 38% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in Providence?
$13,200 to $26,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does composite deck need a permit in Providence?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $150 for fees in the Providence area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Providence expensive for composite deck compared with the rest of Rhode Island?
Providence is 1% above the Rhode Island statewide estimate ($18,400 at the midpoint).
+What do carpenters earn in Providence?
The BLS median is $29.76 an hour in the Providence area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $26.71 to $38.38.
+What do basic and premium composite deck work cost in Providence?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $12,400 to $17,400 and premium work $19,900 to $24,900. 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 Providence?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through November. May and July 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 Providence?
$1,850 to $5,500 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Composite deck near Providence
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