Wood deck cost in Louisiana
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (300 sq ft)
- $6,700 – $13,400
- Per sq ft
- $22 – $44.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −11%
- US $11,400
- Metros covered
- 9
What does it cost to build a wood deck in Louisiana? Plan on $6,700 to $13,400 for 300 sq ft. Wages (0.82x the US blend), materials (price index 93.7) and permit costs (88.2) put the state below the national midpoint by 11%.
Inside Louisiana, the metros we cover range from $9,800 (Alexandria) to $10,400 (Baton Rouge) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Louisiana (statewide), standard level
$8,700 to $11,400
About $29 to $37.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,100 | $6,700 |
| Labor | $3,500 | $4,600 |
| Permits and fees | $70 | $110 |
| Total | $8,700 | $11,400 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Louisiana
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $3,950 | $5,900 | $7,850 | 59% |
| Labor | $2,700 | $4,050 | $5,400 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $90 | $130 | 1% |
| Total | $6,700 | $10,100 | $13,400 | 100% |
Optional extras in Louisiana
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.88 for Louisiana, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.82) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add stairs (flat) | $1,250 – $2,300 |
Why two Louisiana quotes can differ
Wood species
Pressure-treated pine is the cheapest at $25-$50 per sq ft installed. Ipe runs $50-$70 and bamboo $27-$52 (HomeGuide).
Height and stairs
A second-story deck needs more structure. New stairs run $1,400-$2,600 installed.
Railing
A wood or vinyl railing adds $20-$60 per linear foot.
Replacement versus new
Deck replacement costs $30-$55 per sq ft because of demolition and haul-away.
Permit
Deck permits average $50-$150. Many cities skip the permit for small, low, freestanding decks.
Which Louisiana city is cheapest for wood deck?
1 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $10,100, and the top-to-bottom gap is 6%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (300 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | $6,950 – $13,900 | $10,400 | +4% |
| New Orleans, LA | $6,700 – $13,500 | $10,100 | level |
| Slidell, LA | $6,600 – $13,300 | $9,950 | −1% |
| Lake Charles, LA | $6,600 – $13,300 | $9,950 | −1% |
| Houma, LA | $6,600 – $13,200 | $9,900 | −1% |
| Monroe, LA | $6,600 – $13,200 | $9,900 | −2% |
| Lafayette, LA | $6,600 – $13,200 | $9,900 | −2% |
| Shreveport, LA | $6,550 – $13,200 | $9,850 | −2% |
| Alexandria, LA | $6,550 – $13,100 | $9,800 | −2% |
Other Louisiana jobs that often go with wood deck
Each project weights the trades differently, so Louisiana's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, detached garage is −11% and composite deck −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite deck | 300 sq ft | $10,500 – $21,000 | −13% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,500 | −12% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,850 | −11% |
| Detached garage | 576 sq ft | $25,800 – $51,800 | −11% |
When Louisiana weather lets you build
Weather decides when exterior installation can happen, and Louisiana is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
New Orleans has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Louisiana at 10 months (September through June); Shreveport has the shortest at 8 (October through May). Rainfall runs from 51 inches a year in Shreveport to 66 inches in Slidell.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 47 | 91 | 60 | 10: September through June |
| Baton Rouge | 42 | 92 | 62 | 9: September through May |
| Lafayette | 44 | 92 | 63 | 9: September through May |
| Shreveport | 37 | 94 | 51 | 8: October through May |
| Lake Charles | 43 | 92 | 60 | 9: September through May |
| Slidell | 42 | 90 | 66 | 10: September through June |
| Monroe | 37 | 93 | 55 | 9: September through May |
| Houma | 44 | 91 | 65 | 9: September through May |
| Alexandria | 39 | 92 | 61 | 10: September through June |
Louisiana labor market for wood deck
Louisiana's labor line is priced from 2 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.82 times the national level.
Carpenters (47-2031), 80% of the weighting: a median of $24.00 an hour, 18% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $21.03 and $28.72 an hour. About 8,990 work in the state. That is 46.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 20%) the local median is $18.38 an hour, which is 19% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.59 and $22.74 an hour. BLS counts 22,100 of them working in the state, 114.2 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for carpenters ($28.72 an hour) would add about $640 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($21.03) would take off about $400. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,934,900 jobs across Louisiana (May 2025), which is 1.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $21.03 | $24.00 | $28.72 | $29.12 | 0.82 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $16.59 | $18.38 | $22.74 | $22.66 | 0.81 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.82 | |||||
Louisiana versus the states around it
Louisiana ranks 49 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for wood deck, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $14,300 and the cheapest Oklahoma at $9,900, both for 300 sq ft at the midpoint. Louisiana sits at $10,100. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 130 miles away | $6,750 – $13,500 | $10,100 | +1% |
| Alabama | 310 miles away | $6,700 – $13,500 | $10,100 | level |
| Texas | 360 miles away | $6,850 – $13,800 | $10,300 | +3% |
| Arkansas | 360 miles away | $6,600 – $13,200 | $9,900 | −2% |
| Tennessee | 460 miles away | $6,950 – $13,900 | $10,400 | +4% |
Basic, standard or premium: Louisiana prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from 10x12 (120 sq ft) to 20x20 (400 sq ft).
Basic
$6,700 to $9,400
Pressure-treated pine, low to the ground, simple rectangle
Standard
$8,700 to $11,400
Cedar or upgraded pine, stairs and a railing
Premium
$10,700 to $13,400
Hardwood decking, multi-level, built-in features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $2,700 – $3,800 | $3,550 – $4,650 | $4,350 – $5,450 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $3,250 – $4,550 | $4,200 – $5,550 | $5,200 – $6,500 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $7,150 – $10,000 | $9,300 – $12,200 | $11,400 – $14,300 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $8,900 – $12,500 | $11,600 – $15,200 | $14,300 – $17,900 |
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Wood deck in Louisiana: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a wood deck in Louisiana?
$6,700 to $13,400 for 300 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Louisiana can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Louisiana is cheapest for wood deck?
Alexandria at about $9,800 (midpoint, 300 sq ft). The priciest is Baton Rouge at $10,400.
+Is wood deck cheaper in Louisiana than the US average?
It is 11% cheaper: $10,100 against $11,400 for 300 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Louisiana?
About 40% ($4,050). Materials are 59%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.82x the national wage level.
+What do carpenters earn in Louisiana?
The BLS statewide median is $24.00 an hour, against $29.12 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.03 to $28.72.
+Where does Louisiana rank for wood deck costs?
49th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $10,100 for 300 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium wood deck work cost in Louisiana?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $6,700 to $9,400 and premium work $10,700 to $13,400. Basic means: pressure-treated pine, low to the ground, simple rectangle. Premium means: hardwood decking, multi-level, built-in features.
+Does the season matter for wood deck in Louisiana?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Louisiana metros we cover, New Orleans has the most comfortable months (10 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add stairs" add in Louisiana?
$1,250 to $2,300, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Wood deck by city in Louisiana
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 It Cost to Build a Deck? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Composite Decking Cost? (2026) (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