Wood deck cost in Bellingham, WA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $8,450 – $17,000
- Per sq ft
- $28 – $56
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +12%
- US $11,400
- Rank of 300 metros
- #22
- 1 = most expensive
Bellingham homeowners pay roughly $8,450 to $17,000 to build a wood deck at 300 sq ft, or $28 to $56 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Bellingham is 12% higher. Carpenters earn a median of $35.22 an hour in the Bellingham area, 21% above the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Bellingham, WA, standard level
$11,000 to $14,400
About $36.50 to $47.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $5,750 | $7,500 |
| Labor | $5,200 | $6,800 |
| Permits and fees | $85 | $120 |
| Total | $11,000 | $14,400 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Bellingham, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,400 | $6,600 | $8,800 | 52% |
| Labor | $4,000 | $6,000 | $8,000 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $100 | $160 | 1% |
| Total | $8,450 | $12,700 | $17,000 | 100% |
What is behind the Bellingham number
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 80% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $35.22 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Bellingham is 1.22 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 47% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Bellingham metro is 105.0 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 300 sq ft comes to $6,600, compared with $6,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (103.3) and land at $50 to $160.
When to schedule wood deck in Bellingham
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Bellingham Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
Weather is not a serious constraint for exterior installation in Bellingham: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average daytime high under 45°F) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Bellingham gets about 35 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, November and December (5.2 inches in November).
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 | 46 | 34 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Feb | 49 | 35 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Mar | 53 | 38 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 58 | 42 | 2.8 | Workable |
| May | 64 | 47 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Jun | 68 | 52 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 73 | 55 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Aug | 73 | 55 | 1.1 | Workable |
| Sep | 68 | 50 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 59 | 43 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 51 | 38 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 46 | 34 | 4.3 | Workable |
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 Bellingham is 1.22 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 80%) the local median is $35.22 an hour, which is 21% above the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $29.17 and $46.22 an hour. BLS counts 950 of them working in the area, 104.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 20% of the weighting: a median of $28.06 an hour, 24% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.41 and $36.85 an hour. About 1,030 work in the metro. That is 112.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the carpenters on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($46.22 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $1,500. At the 25th percentile ($29.17) it shrinks by about $820. The total moves by 11.7% or 6.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 91,390 jobs in the Bellingham area. That makes it the 217th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.06% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 80% | $29.17 | $35.22 | $46.22 | $29.12 | 1.21 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 20% | $22.41 | $28.06 | $36.85 | $22.66 | 1.24 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.22 | |||||
Extras that change the Bellingham total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Bellingham by the average of the local wage index (1.22) and goods index (1.05), 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 |
What nearby projects cost in Bellingham
Because every project leans on different trades, Bellingham's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, concrete patio runs +19% and composite deck +15%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite deck | 300 sq ft | $13,800 – $27,700 | +15% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,450 – $4,800 | +19% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,500 – $6,350 | +17% |
| Detached garage | 576 sq ft | $33,400 – $67,000 | +15% |
Bellingham against nearby metros and the rest of Washington
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 $11,800 to $12,900 across Bellingham and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WAthis page | $8,450 – $17,000 | $12,700 | |
| Bremerton, WA90 miles | $8,050 – $16,200 | $12,100 | −5% |
| Seattle, WA95 miles | $8,600 – $17,200 | $12,900 | +1% |
| Olympia, WA140 miles | $7,950 – $16,000 | $12,000 | −6% |
| Yakima, WA175 miles | $7,900 – $15,900 | $11,900 | −7% |
| Spokane, WA200 miles | $7,850 – $15,800 | $11,800 | −7% |
| Washington (statewide) | $8,500 – $17,000 | $12,700 | level |
| United States | $7,550 – $15,200 | $11,400 | −11% |
Across 300 US metros, Bellingham comes in at #22 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $14,900; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $9,050 (midpoints, 300 sq ft). Statewide, Bellingham is 0% below the Washington figure.
Other Washington metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 2,086,210 jobs | $8,600 – $17,200 | $12,900 | +1% |
| Spokane, WA | 255,820 jobs | $7,850 – $15,800 | $11,800 | −7% |
| Olympia, WA | 130,300 jobs | $7,950 – $16,000 | $12,000 | −6% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $8,050 – $16,100 | $12,100 | −5% |
| Yakima, WA | 97,010 jobs | $7,900 – $15,900 | $11,900 | −7% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $8,050 – $16,200 | $12,100 | −5% |
Cities with a workforce like Bellingham's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Bellingham against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $8,050 – $16,200 | $12,100 | −5% |
| Panama City, FL | 90,610 jobs | $6,850 – $13,800 | $10,300 | −19% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $8,400 – $16,800 | $12,600 | −1% |
| St. George, UT | 90,500 jobs | $6,800 – $13,600 | $10,200 | −20% |
Wood deck: what moves the price in Bellingham
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.
Bellingham: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Bellingham 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
$8,450 to $11,900
Pressure-treated pine, low to the ground, simple rectangle
Standard
$11,000 to $14,400
Cedar or upgraded pine, stairs and a railing
Premium
$13,600 to $17,000
Hardwood decking, multi-level, built-in features
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x12 (120 sq ft) | $3,400 – $4,800 | $4,450 – $5,850 | $5,500 – $6,900 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $4,100 – $5,750 | $5,350 – $7,000 | $6,600 – $8,250 |
| 16x20 (320 sq ft) | $9,050 – $12,700 | $11,800 – $15,400 | $14,500 – $18,100 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $11,300 – $15,800 | $14,700 – $19,200 | $18,100 – $22,600 |
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 $11,000 to $14,400 for Bellingham, WA is attached.
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Multi-page report for Bellingham, WA: 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 Bellingham: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a wood deck in Bellingham?
For 300 sq ft, expect $8,450 to $17,000 in the Bellingham area. A standard-spec job lands at $11,000 to $14,400. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for wood deck in Bellingham?
About $28 to $56 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $50 to $160 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $25 to $50.
+Is wood deck cheaper in Bellingham or Bremerton?
Bremerton is 90 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $12,100, which is 5% less than Bellingham ($12,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Bellingham?
About 47% at the midpoint, or $6,000 out of $12,700. Materials are 52% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 44%.
+What would 16x20 (320 sq ft) cost in Bellingham?
$9,050 to $18,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does wood deck need a permit in Bellingham?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $160 for fees in the Bellingham area (our national range of $50 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Bellingham expensive for wood deck compared with the rest of Washington?
Bellingham is 0% below the Washington statewide estimate ($12,700 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Washington; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Bellingham?
The BLS median is $35.22 an hour in the Bellingham area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $29.17 to $46.22.
+What do basic and premium wood deck work cost in Bellingham?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $8,450 to $11,900 and premium work $13,600 to $17,000. Basic means: pressure-treated pine, low to the ground, simple rectangle. Premium means: hardwood decking, multi-level, built-in features.
+Is there a bad season to build a wood deck in Bellingham?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
+What does "add stairs" add in Bellingham?
$1,600 to $2,950, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Wood deck near Bellingham
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