What a deck actually costs in Portland
As of September 2026, a professionally built deck in the Portland metro runs $20 to $80+ per square foot installed depending on material. The two most common choices here, western red cedar and mid-range composite, land at $30 to $50 and $35 to $60 per square foot, so a standard 12 by 16 foot deck costs roughly $6,000 to $12,000 before railing upgrades and stairs. A mid-size deck with railing, stairs, and new footings commonly lands between $15,000 and $25,000 all in. Portland prices sit above national averages because of labor rates and because wet-soil footings here are specced deeper.
Price per square foot, installed
| Material | Per sq ft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $20 – $35 | Cheapest; needs sealing every few years |
| Western red cedar | $30 – $50 | The Portland default; ages to grey, needs stain |
| Mid-range composite (Trex, TimberTech) | $35 – $60 | No staining; no moss; most common upgrade here |
| Premium composite / PVC | $55 – $80+ | Top-tier boards, hidden fasteners, long warranties |
| Hardwood (ipe, tigerwood) | $50 – $90+ | Beautiful, heavy, specialist labor |
What adds to the number
| Tear out and haul old deck | $1.50 – $3 per sq ft |
| Wood railing | $60 – $150 per linear ft |
| Aluminum or cable railing | $150 – $300 per linear ft |
| Stairs to grade | $800 – $2,500 per run |
| Second-story height | adds 15 to 30 percent |
| Roof or cover over the deck | $8,000 – $20,000+ |
| Built-in bench, planters, lighting | $500 – $5,000 |
Cedar or composite, the Portland version
Cedar wins on day one: cheaper, and it is the look most Portland houses were built around. Composite wins over ten wet winters: no staining, no moss, no checked boards. Most local builders will tell you the price gap between the two has narrowed, and the choice is really about whether you want to stain a deck every two or three years. Ask each bidder to price both. The comparison costs them nothing and tells you a lot about how they think.
Permits
In Portland, a deck attached to the house or more than 30 inches above grade generally needs a building permit from the Bureau of Development Services. Low freestanding platforms often do not. Setbacks from the property line apply either way. Any contractor bidding the job should include the permit in the price and pull it themselves; a bid that skips it is not cheaper, it is incomplete.
Why two quotes for the same deck differ by $3,000
Footing depth and soil, demo included or not, ledger and flashing work where the deck meets the house, composite tier, railing choice, height, stairs, and each crew’s backlog. None of it shows in a price chart, including this one. The only real number is competing written bids on your deck, with photos of what is there now. That is the entire reason HouseRules exists: post the deck once, license-verified contractors bid on it, and you compare real prices side by side without giving out your phone number.
Get real bids on your deck, free
Post your projectRanges are a survey of published Portland-metro builder pricing as of September 2026, quoted wide on purpose; real bids on a real deck are the only exact numbers. Also useful: what a fence costs in Portland and how to verify a contractor’s license.