How much does decking cost in Teesside? (2026)

What is actually in a square metre

On a typical deck, the boards and fixings are only part of the price. The rest is the frame, footings, labour and waste. That split explains why the cheapest quote in a set of three is nearly always cheap in the same place: the frame.

Three worked Teesside examples

• Thornaby semi, 20m² flat composite deck off the patio doors. Level ground, wheelbarrow access down a side path, two-riser step, no balustrade.
• Marton 1930s garden, 28m² softwood deck with a small raised section. Modest fall across the plot, one 600mm raised level, 6m of balustrade, one flight of three risers.
• Guisborough plot falling away from the house, 32m² across two composite levels. Deep footings, bracing, 14m of balustrade, two flights of steps, some spoil removed.

The cost drivers nobody mentions on the phone

• Access: a garden reachable only through the house or via a 700mm alley adds labour to every tonne of aggregate and every board.
• Ground: Teesside boulder clay holds water and digs heavy. Old concrete bases, tree roots and made ground all add hours before a single joist is cut.
• Board layout: diagonals and picture-frame borders need joists at 300mm centres and generate more cuts and waste, commonly 10 to 20 per cent on the total.
• Height: every 300mm of lift adds posts, bracing, footings and eventually balustrade, which is why raised work is a different rate, not a surcharge.
• Waste: spoil from digging out and old decking taken away are real skip and tip costs, and should appear as their own line.

Repair versus replace

The rule of thumb: if more than a third of the frame is soft, or the deck flexes when several people stand on it, put the money into a new subframe. Detail on both routes is on the repair and refurbishment page.

Next: composite versus timber over 25 years, or designing decks for sloped gardens.