Composite deck cost in San Antonio, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $10,400 – $20,900
- Per sq ft
- $34.50 – $69
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −14%
- US $18,100
- Rank of 300 metros
- #257
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to build a composite deck in San Antonio, plan on $10,400 to $20,900 for 300 sq ft, all in. Per sq ft, that is $34.50 to $69 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 14% lower than the national one. Carpenters earn a median of $23.51 an hour in the San Antonio area, 19% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in San Antonio, TX, standard level
$13,500 to $17,700
About $45 to $58.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 56% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,850 | $7,650 |
| Labor | $7,600 | $9,950 |
| Permits and fees | $75 | $110 |
| Total | $13,500 | $17,700 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in San Antonio, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,500 | $6,750 | $9,000 | 43% |
| Labor | $5,850 | $8,800 | $11,700 | 56% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $95 | $140 | 1% |
| Total | $10,400 | $15,600 | $20,900 | 100% |
Why San Antonio prices look the way they do
Labor is 56% 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 San Antonio the blended ratio comes out at 0.81.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the San Antonio 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 (94.7) and land at $45 to $140.
Climate in San Antonio: timing your composite deck job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for San Antonio Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
October through May is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in San Antonio (8 of 12 months). June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
San Antonio gets about 32 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, September and October (4.4 inches in May). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 2.0 and 1.7 inches. The station averages about 122 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 | 63 | 41 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Feb | 68 | 45 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 74 | 52 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 80 | 58 | 2.4 | Workable |
| May | 87 | 66 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 3.3 | Hot |
| Jul | 95 | 75 | 2.4 | Hot |
| Aug | 96 | 75 | 2.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 3.9 | Hot |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 65 | 42 | 2.0 | Workable |
Is San Antonio 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. Laredo is the cheapest at $14,300.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, TXthis page | $10,400 – $20,900 | $15,600 | |
| Austin, TX80 miles | $10,700 – $21,400 | $16,000 | +3% |
| Laredo, TX125 miles | $9,500 – $19,100 | $14,300 | −8% |
| Corpus Christi, TX130 miles | $10,300 – $20,700 | $15,500 | −1% |
| Killeen, TX130 miles | $10,200 – $20,500 | $15,400 | −2% |
| College Station, TX155 miles | $10,100 – $20,300 | $15,200 | −2% |
| Texas (statewide) | $10,600 – $21,300 | $16,000 | +2% |
| United States | $12,100 – $24,200 | $18,100 | +16% |
Across 300 US metros, San Antonio comes in at #257 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $25,200; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $13,500 (midpoints, 300 sq ft). Statewide, San Antonio is 2% 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 | +5% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $10,900 – $21,800 | $16,300 | +4% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $10,700 – $21,400 | $16,000 | +3% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $9,650 – $19,400 | $14,500 | −7% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $9,550 – $19,100 | $14,300 | −8% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $10,300 – $20,700 | $15,500 | −1% |
Cities with a workforce like San Antonio's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is San Antonio against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $14,800 – $29,700 | $22,300 | +42% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1,114,490 jobs | $12,200 – $24,500 | $18,400 | +18% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 1,136,960 jobs | $12,100 – $24,200 | $18,100 | +16% |
| Columbus, OH | 1,105,580 jobs | $12,700 – $25,500 | $19,100 | +22% |
Planning more than one job in San Antonio?
Because every project leans on different trades, San Antonio's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, gutters runs −9% and concrete patio −12%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,650 – $13,400 | −12% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,100 – $3,500 | −12% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,900 | −10% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,150 – $3,850 | −9% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: composite deck pricing in San Antonio
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for San Antonio 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
$10,400 to $14,600
Entry-level composite boards, low deck, simple shape
Standard
$13,500 to $17,700
Mid-grade capped boards with railing and stairs
Premium
$16,700 to $20,900
Premium capped or PVC boards, multi-level, hidden fasteners
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $4,200 – $5,900 | $5,450 – $7,150 | $6,750 – $8,450 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $5,000 – $7,050 | $6,550 – $8,550 | $8,050 – $10,100 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $11,100 – $15,500 | $14,400 – $18,900 | $17,800 – $22,200 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $13,900 – $19,400 | $18,000 – $23,600 | $22,200 – $27,800 |
Add-ons priced for San Antonio
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to San Antonio by the average of the local wage index (0.81) and goods index (0.94), a factor of 0.88. 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) | $1,600 – $4,750 |
San Antonio 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 San Antonio is 0.81 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 80%) the local median is $23.51 an hour, which is 19% below the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $21.91 and $26.49 an hour. BLS counts 2,240 of them working in the area, 19.9 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 $18.94 an hour, 16% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.61 and $21.87 an hour. About 8,400 work in the metro. That is 74.5 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 ($26.49 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $880. At the 25th percentile ($21.91) it shrinks by about $470. The total moves by 5.7% or 3.0%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 1,126,880 jobs in the San Antonio-New Braunfels area. That makes it the 28th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.72% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $21.91 | $23.51 | $26.49 | $29.12 | 0.81 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $17.61 | $18.94 | $21.87 | $22.66 | 0.84 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.81 | |||||
Specs and site conditions that change a San Antonio 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.
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 $13,500 to $17,700 for San Antonio, TX is attached.
Take this estimate with you: PDF report, $9
The report lays out the composite deck numbers for San Antonio, TX line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. 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 San Antonio: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a composite deck in San Antonio?
For 300 sq ft, expect $10,400 to $20,900 in the San Antonio area. A standard-spec job lands at $13,500 to $17,700. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for composite deck in San Antonio?
About $34.50 to $69 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 San Antonio or Austin?
Austin is 80 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $16,000, which is 3% more than San Antonio ($15,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in San Antonio?
About 56% at the midpoint, or $8,800 out of $15,600. Materials are 43% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in San Antonio?
$11,100 to $22,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does composite deck need a permit in San Antonio?
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 San Antonio area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is San Antonio expensive for composite deck compared with the rest of Texas?
San Antonio is 2% 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 San Antonio?
The BLS median is $23.51 an hour in the San Antonio area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.91 to $26.49.
+What do basic and premium composite deck work cost in San Antonio?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $10,400 to $14,600 and premium work $16,700 to $20,900. 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 San Antonio?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October 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 San Antonio?
$1,600 to $4,750 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Composite deck near San Antonio
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