Composite deck cost in Brownsville, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $9,000 – $18,100
- Per sq ft
- $30 – $60
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −25%
- US $18,100
- Rank of 300 metros
- #300
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to build a composite deck in Brownsville, plan on $9,000 to $18,100 for 300 sq ft, all in. Per sq ft, that is $30 to $60 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 25% lower than the national one. Carpenters earn a median of $17.13 an hour in the Brownsville area, 41% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Brownsville, TX, standard level
$11,700 to $15,300
About $39 to $51 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,850 | $7,650 |
| Labor | $5,800 | $7,600 |
| Permits and fees | $70 | $100 |
| Total | $11,700 | $15,300 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Brownsville, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,500 | $6,750 | $9,000 | 50% |
| Labor | $4,450 | $6,700 | $8,900 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $85 | $130 | 1% |
| Total | $9,000 | $13,500 | $18,100 | 100% |
Where the Brownsville price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 80% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $17.13 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Brownsville is 0.62 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 49% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Brownsville metro is 93.8 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 300 sq ft comes to $6,750, compared with $7,200 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (86.0) and land at $45 to $130.
Add-ons priced for Brownsville
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Brownsville by the average of the local wage index (0.62) and goods index (0.94), a factor of 0.78. 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) | $1,400 – $4,200 |
Why two Brownsville 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.
Cost by quality level and size in Brownsville
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Brownsville 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
$9,000 to $12,600
Entry-level composite boards, low deck, simple shape
Standard
$11,700 to $15,300
Mid-grade capped boards with railing and stairs
Premium
$14,400 to $18,100
Premium capped or PVC boards, multi-level, hidden fasteners
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $3,650 – $5,100 | $4,750 – $6,200 | $5,850 – $7,300 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $4,350 – $6,100 | $5,650 – $7,400 | $7,000 – $8,750 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $9,600 – $13,500 | $12,500 – $16,400 | $15,400 – $19,200 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $12,000 – $16,800 | $15,600 – $20,400 | $19,200 – $24,000 |
What nearby projects cost in Brownsville
Because every project leans on different trades, Brownsville's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, gutters runs −11% and wood deck −20%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,050 – $12,100 | −20% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,100 – $3,350 | −16% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,550 – $4,600 | −16% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,150 – $3,750 | −11% |
Climate in Brownsville: timing your composite deck job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Brownsville (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
October through April is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Brownsville (7 of 12 months). May, June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Brownsville gets about 27 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, September and October (5.7 inches in September). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 1.1 and 1.0 inches. The station averages about 140 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 | 73 | 53 | 1.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 76 | 57 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 81 | 62 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 86 | 68 | 1.5 | Workable |
| May | 90 | 74 | 2.2 | Hot |
| Jun | 94 | 77 | 2.9 | Hot |
| Jul | 95 | 78 | 2.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 96 | 78 | 2.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 92 | 75 | 5.7 | Hot |
| Oct | 87 | 69 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 80 | 61 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 74 | 55 | 1.2 | Workable |
Is Brownsville cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (300 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Austin is the priciest of the group at $16,000.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville, TXthis page | $9,000 – $18,100 | $13,500 | |
| McAllen, TX50 miles | $9,550 – $19,100 | $14,300 | +6% |
| Corpus Christi, TX125 miles | $10,300 – $20,700 | $15,500 | +15% |
| Laredo, TX160 miles | $9,500 – $19,100 | $14,300 | +6% |
| San Antonio, TX240 miles | $10,400 – $20,900 | $15,600 | +15% |
| Austin, TX285 miles | $10,700 – $21,400 | $16,000 | +19% |
| Texas (statewide) | $10,600 – $21,300 | $16,000 | +18% |
| United States | $12,100 – $24,200 | $18,100 | +34% |
Across 300 US metros, Brownsville comes in at #300 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $25,200; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $13,500 (midpoints, 300 sq ft). Statewide, Brownsville is 15% below the Texas figure.
Other Texas metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $11,000 – $22,000 | $16,500 | +22% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $10,900 – $21,800 | $16,300 | +21% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $10,700 – $21,400 | $16,000 | +19% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $10,400 – $20,900 | $15,600 | +15% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $9,650 – $19,400 | $14,500 | +7% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $9,550 – $19,100 | $14,300 | +6% |
Cities with a workforce like Brownsville's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Brownsville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene, OR | 157,710 jobs | $12,500 – $25,100 | $18,800 | +39% |
| Hickory, NC | 154,090 jobs | $10,600 – $21,300 | $16,000 | +18% |
| Gulfport, MS | 158,310 jobs | $10,600 – $21,200 | $15,900 | +17% |
| Roanoke, VA | 153,980 jobs | $10,300 – $20,700 | $15,500 | +15% |
Brownsville labor market for composite deck
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 Brownsville is 0.62 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 80%) the local median is $17.13 an hour, which is 41% below the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $11.25 and $22.26 an hour. BLS counts 250 of them working in the area, 15.9 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 $16.90 an hour, 25% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.33 and $18.88 an hour. About 460 work in the metro. That is 29.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the carpenters on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($22.26 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $1,500. At the 25th percentile ($11.25) it shrinks by about $1,750. The total moves by 11.2% or 12.9%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 157,450 jobs in the Brownsville-Harlingen area. That makes it the 151st 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% | $11.25 | $17.13 | $22.26 | $29.12 | 0.59 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $14.33 | $16.90 | $18.88 | $22.66 | 0.75 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.62 | |||||
Get 3 local quotes
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Detailed composite deck report for Brownsville, TX, $9
Multi-page report for Brownsville, TX: 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 Brownsville: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a composite deck in Brownsville?
For 300 sq ft, expect $9,000 to $18,100 in the Brownsville area. A standard-spec job lands at $11,700 to $15,300. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for composite deck in Brownsville?
About $30 to $60 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $130 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $40 to $80.
+Is composite deck cheaper in Brownsville or McAllen?
McAllen is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $14,300, which is 6% more than Brownsville ($13,500). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Brownsville?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $6,700 out of $13,500. Materials are 50% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in Brownsville?
$9,600 to $19,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does composite deck need a permit in Brownsville?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $130 for fees in the Brownsville area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Brownsville expensive for composite deck compared with the rest of Texas?
Brownsville is 15% below the Texas statewide estimate ($16,000 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Brownsville?
The BLS median is $17.13 an hour in the Brownsville area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $11.25 to $22.26.
+What do basic and premium composite deck work cost in Brownsville?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $9,000 to $12,600 and premium work $14,400 to $18,100. 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 Brownsville?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through April. 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 Brownsville?
$1,400 to $4,200 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Composite deck near Brownsville
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