The cost of building a deck comes down to 3 basic components. The material you select will have the greatest overall influence on the eventual price of building a deck. The three components are of course the material cost, the cost of the hardware, and the cost of the labor.
The least expensive deck board is going to be a Southern Yellow Pine that you can buy at a Lowe’s or Home Depot. There are however better grades of Southern Yellow Pine and you’ll want it to be pressure-treated to avoid rot and that adds to the cost while still being affordable. Then you can jump to Brazilian Hardwoods like IPE and Tigerwood and these are on par cost wise with many of the composite decks on the market. Today, people are also opting for stone on their deck. This is the most expensive option and requires additional structure to the deck to support the additional weight. For great photos and more information on these options, go to charlotte.archadeck.com