Wood deck cost in Boston, MA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $8,400 – $16,900
- Per sq ft
- $28 – $55.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +11%
- US $11,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #25
- 1 = most expensive
Boston homeowners pay roughly $8,400 to $16,900 to build a wood deck at 300 sq ft, or $28 to $55.50 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Boston is 11% higher. Carpenters earn a median of $36.16 an hour in the Boston area, 24% above the US median of $29.12.
Estimate your wood deck cost
Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.
Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Boston, MA, standard level
$10,900 to $14,300
About $36 to $47.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,450 | $7,100 |
| Labor | $5,400 | $7,100 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $130 |
| Total | $10,900 | $14,300 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Boston, MA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,200 | $6,300 | $8,350 | 50% |
| Labor | $4,150 | $6,250 | $8,350 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $55 | $110 | $160 | 1% |
| Total | $8,400 | $12,600 | $16,900 | 100% |
Why Boston prices look the way they do
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 2 trades: carpenters at 80%, construction laborers at 20%. Weighted together, Boston wages are 1.26 times the national level. Labor makes up about 49% of the midpoint estimate (44% at national prices).
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Boston metro is 99.7 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 300 sq ft comes to $6,300, compared with $6,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (108.3) and land at $55 to $160.
Why two Boston quotes can differ
Permit
Deck permits average $50-$150. Many cities skip the permit for small, low, freestanding decks.
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.
Is Boston cheap or dear? The local comparison
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 $11,300 to $12,600 across Boston and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MAthis page | $8,400 – $16,900 | $12,600 | |
| Manchester, NH45 miles | $7,500 – $15,000 | $11,300 | −11% |
| Worcester, MA50 miles | $8,150 – $16,400 | $12,300 | −3% |
| Providence, RI60 miles | $7,650 – $15,400 | $11,500 | −9% |
| Barnstable, MA70 miles | $8,050 – $16,100 | $12,100 | −4% |
| Portland, ME85 miles | $7,600 – $15,300 | $11,400 | −9% |
| Massachusetts (statewide) | $8,350 – $16,800 | $12,600 | level |
| United States | $7,550 – $15,200 | $11,400 | −10% |
Across 300 US metros, Boston comes in at #25 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $14,900; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $9,050 (midpoints, 300 sq ft). Statewide, Boston is 0% above the Massachusetts figure.
Other Massachusetts metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | 349,880 jobs | $8,150 – $16,400 | $12,300 | −3% |
| Springfield, MA | 201,240 jobs | $8,300 – $16,600 | $12,500 | −1% |
| Barnstable, MA | 94,110 jobs | $8,050 – $16,100 | $12,100 | −4% |
| Amherst, MA | 65,670 jobs | $7,850 – $15,800 | $11,800 | −7% |
| Pittsfield, MA | 56,810 jobs | $7,600 – $15,200 | $11,400 | −10% |
Cities with a workforce like Boston's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Boston against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 2,819,940 jobs | $7,300 – $14,600 | $11,000 | −13% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,375,760 jobs | $7,350 – $14,700 | $11,000 | −13% |
| Atlanta, GA | 2,889,670 jobs | $7,050 – $14,200 | $10,600 | −16% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $9,500 – $19,100 | $14,300 | +13% |
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 Boston is 1.26 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 80%) the local median is $36.16 an hour, which is 24% above the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $29.26 and $47.47 an hour. BLS counts 12,720 of them working in the area, 47.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is about average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $30.49 an hour, 35% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $26.22 and $45.11 an hour. About 11,580 work in the metro. That is 42.8 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 ($47.47 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $1,550. At the 25th percentile ($29.26) it shrinks by about $940. The total moves by 12.2% or 7.4%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 2,703,890 jobs in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area. That makes it the 10th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 1.74% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $29.26 | $36.16 | $47.47 | $29.12 | 1.24 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $26.22 | $30.49 | $45.11 | $22.66 | 1.35 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.26 | |||||
Boston: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Boston 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
$8,400 to $11,800
Pressure-treated pine, low to the ground, simple rectangle
Standard
$10,900 to $14,300
Cedar or upgraded pine, stairs and a railing
Premium
$13,500 to $16,900
Hardwood decking, multi-level, built-in features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $3,400 – $4,750 | $4,450 – $5,800 | $5,450 – $6,850 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $4,050 – $5,700 | $5,300 – $6,950 | $6,550 – $8,200 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $8,950 – $12,600 | $11,700 – $15,300 | $14,400 – $18,000 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $11,200 – $15,700 | $14,600 – $19,100 | $17,900 – $22,400 |
When to schedule wood deck in Boston
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Boston Logan Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
March through November is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Boston (9 of 12 months). 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.
Boston gets about 44 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 49 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, October and December (4.3 inches in December). Inside the workable window, May and August are the driest, at 3.3 and 3.2 inches. The station averages about 14 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 | 37 | 23 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 39 | 25 | 3.2 | Cold |
| Mar | 46 | 31 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Apr | 56 | 41 | 3.6 | Workable |
| May | 67 | 50 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 76 | 60 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 66 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 65 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 73 | 58 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 62 | 48 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 52 | 38 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Dec | 42 | 29 | 4.3 | Cold |
Related projects, priced for Boston
Because every project leans on different trades, Boston's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, paver patio runs +24% and concrete patio +11%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite deck | 300 sq ft | $13,900 – $27,900 | +16% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,350 – $4,500 | +11% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,700 – $6,750 | +24% |
| Detached garage | 576 sq ft | $32,400 – $64,900 | +12% |
Extras that change the Boston total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Boston by the average of the local wage index (1.26) and goods index (1.00), a factor of 1.13. 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 stairs (flat) | $1,600 – $2,950 |
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 $10,900 to $14,300 for Boston, MA is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Boston, MA: 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.
Wood deck in Boston: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a wood deck in Boston?
For 300 sq ft, expect $8,400 to $16,900 in the Boston area. A standard-spec job lands at $10,900 to $14,300. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for wood deck in Boston?
About $28 to $55.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $55 to $160 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $25 to $50.
+Is wood deck cheaper in Boston or Manchester?
Manchester is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $11,300, which is 11% less than Boston ($12,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Boston?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $6,250 out of $12,600. Materials are 50% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 44%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in Boston?
$8,950 to $18,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does wood deck need a permit in Boston?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $55 to $160 for fees in the Boston area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Boston expensive for wood deck compared with the rest of Massachusetts?
Boston is 0% above the Massachusetts statewide estimate ($12,600 at the midpoint). We cover 6 metros in Massachusetts; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Boston?
The BLS median is $36.16 an hour in the Boston area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $29.26 to $47.47.
+What do basic and premium wood deck work cost in Boston?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $8,400 to $11,800 and premium work $13,500 to $16,900. Basic means: pressure-treated pine, low to the ground, simple rectangle. Premium means: hardwood decking, multi-level, built-in features.
+When is the best time to build a wood deck in Boston?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through November. May and August 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 stairs" add in Boston?
$1,600 to $2,950, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Wood deck near Boston
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