Composite deck cost in Chattanooga, TN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $10,800 – $21,700
- Per sq ft
- $36 – $71.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $18,100
- Rank of 300 metros
- #198
- 1 = most expensive
Chattanooga homeowners pay roughly $10,800 to $21,700 to build a composite deck at 300 sq ft, or $36 to $71.50 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Chattanooga is 10% lower. Carpenters earn a median of $24.41 an hour in the Chattanooga area, 16% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Chattanooga, TN, standard level
$14,100 to $18,400
About $46.50 to $61 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 57% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $6,000 | $7,850 |
| Labor | $8,000 | $10,500 |
| Permits and fees | $75 | $110 |
| Total | $14,100 | $18,400 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Chattanooga, TN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,600 | $6,900 | $9,200 | 43% |
| Labor | $6,150 | $9,250 | $12,300 | 57% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $90 | $140 | 1% |
| Total | $10,800 | $16,200 | $21,700 | 100% |
What is behind the Chattanooga number
Labor is 57% 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 Chattanooga the blended ratio comes out at 0.85.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Chattanooga metro is 96.0 (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 (91.5) and land at $45 to $140.
Extras that change the Chattanooga total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Chattanooga by the average of the local wage index (0.85) and goods index (0.96), a factor of 0.91. 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) | $1,650 – $4,900 |
How Chattanooga compares
Same job, same size (300 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Nashville is the priciest of the group at $17,100. Dalton is the cheapest at $14,700.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TNthis page | $10,800 – $21,700 | $16,200 | |
| Dalton, GA35 miles | $9,800 – $19,700 | $14,700 | −9% |
| Huntsville, AL80 miles | $10,500 – $21,000 | $15,700 | −3% |
| Knoxville, TN95 miles | $10,900 – $21,800 | $16,300 | +1% |
| Gainesville, GA100 miles | $10,200 – $20,500 | $15,400 | −5% |
| Nashville, TN105 miles | $11,400 – $22,800 | $17,100 | +5% |
| Tennessee (statewide) | $10,900 – $21,800 | $16,300 | +1% |
| United States | $12,100 – $24,200 | $18,100 | +12% |
Across 300 US metros, Chattanooga comes in at #198 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $25,200; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $13,500 (midpoints, 300 sq ft). Statewide, Chattanooga is 1% below the Tennessee figure.
Other Tennessee metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | 1,099,300 jobs | $11,400 – $22,800 | $17,100 | +5% |
| Memphis, TN | 611,670 jobs | $10,800 – $21,700 | $16,300 | level |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $10,900 – $21,800 | $16,300 | +1% |
| Kingsport, TN | 119,560 jobs | $10,600 – $21,300 | $16,000 | −1% |
| Clarksville, TN | 103,220 jobs | $10,600 – $21,300 | $15,900 | −2% |
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $10,600 – $21,200 | $15,900 | −2% |
Cities with a workforce like Chattanooga's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Chattanooga against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poughkeepsie, NY | 268,970 jobs | $13,000 – $26,100 | $19,600 | +21% |
| Huntsville, AL | 266,650 jobs | $10,500 – $21,000 | $15,700 | −3% |
| Jackson, MS | 270,730 jobs | $10,500 – $21,100 | $15,800 | −3% |
| Lakeland, FL | 265,280 jobs | $10,200 – $20,500 | $15,400 | −5% |
When to schedule composite deck in Chattanooga
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Chattanooga Lovell Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through June is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Chattanooga (10 of 12 months). July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Chattanooga gets about 55 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, July and December (5.3 inches in March). Inside the workable window, May and October are the driest, at 3.9 and 3.6 inches. The station averages about 58 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 | 51 | 32 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Feb | 56 | 36 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 4.9 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 59 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 5.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 3.7 | Hot |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 62 | 40 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 53 | 35 | 5.3 | Workable |
What nearby projects cost in Chattanooga
Because every project leans on different trades, Chattanooga's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, paver patio runs −3% and concrete patio −11%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,900 – $13,800 | −9% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,550 | −11% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,900 – $5,300 | −3% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,200 – $3,950 | −6% |
Chattanooga: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Chattanooga 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
$10,800 to $15,100
Entry-level composite boards, low deck, simple shape
Standard
$14,100 to $18,400
Mid-grade capped boards with railing and stairs
Premium
$17,300 to $21,700
Premium capped or PVC boards, multi-level, hidden fasteners
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $4,350 – $6,100 | $5,650 – $7,450 | $7,000 – $8,750 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $5,200 – $7,300 | $6,800 – $8,900 | $8,350 – $10,500 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $11,500 – $16,100 | $15,000 – $19,600 | $18,500 – $23,100 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $14,400 – $20,200 | $18,700 – $24,500 | $23,100 – $28,800 |
Why two Chattanooga 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.
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 Chattanooga is 0.85 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 80%) the local median is $24.41 an hour, which is 16% below the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $22.40 and $29.19 an hour. BLS counts 620 of them working in the area, 23.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $20.80 an hour, 8% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.64 and $23.48 an hour. About 1,800 work in the metro. That is 67.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the carpenters on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($29.19 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $1,400. At the 25th percentile ($22.40) it shrinks by about $600. The total moves by 8.7% or 3.7%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 268,750 jobs in the Chattanooga area. That makes it the 98th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.17% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $22.40 | $24.41 | $29.19 | $29.12 | 0.84 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $17.64 | $20.80 | $23.48 | $22.66 | 0.92 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.85 | |||||
Get 3 local quotes
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Composite deck in Chattanooga: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a composite deck in Chattanooga?
For 300 sq ft, expect $10,800 to $21,700 in the Chattanooga area. A standard-spec job lands at $14,100 to $18,400. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for composite deck in Chattanooga?
About $36 to $71.50 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 Chattanooga or Dalton?
Dalton is 35 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $14,700, which is 9% less than Chattanooga ($16,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Chattanooga?
About 57% at the midpoint, or $9,250 out of $16,200. Materials are 43% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in Chattanooga?
$11,500 to $23,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does composite deck need a permit in Chattanooga?
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 Chattanooga area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Chattanooga expensive for composite deck compared with the rest of Tennessee?
Chattanooga is 1% below the Tennessee statewide estimate ($16,300 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Tennessee; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Chattanooga?
The BLS median is $24.41 an hour in the Chattanooga area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.40 to $29.19.
+What do basic and premium composite deck work cost in Chattanooga?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $10,800 to $15,100 and premium work $17,300 to $21,700. 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 Chattanooga?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. May 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 Chattanooga?
$1,650 to $4,900 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Composite deck near Chattanooga
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