25 years of deck,
costed.
The lifecycle decision tool — PT vs cedar vs composite vs PVC vs IPE on one 25-year cost curve. Install, maintenance, refinish cycles and replacement reveals, all inflation-compounded. No quote calls, no signup.
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- IRC 2021 verified
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Adjust size, state, horizon, inflation and sell-year below — all five material curves and the winner repaint instantly.
Inputs
Deck dimensions
Time horizon
0 = forever home (default). Otherwise triggers Remodeling 2024 recoup at that year: PT 58% · Cedar 62% · Composite 72% · PVC 75% · IPE 78%.
Region + scope
Northeast · 1.22× labor
25-Year Lifecycle
192 sqft · PA (Northeast) · 25-yr horizon · 2.5% inflation
$9,372 total over 25 years. $2/sqft/yr amortized — the lowest per-year-cost across all 5 materials. No stain/seal needed. Cleaning maintenance only. 80-95% recycled content. TCO crosses below PT around year 16-18 because PT replacement cost hits.
Cumulative cost over 25 years
Each line = one material. Solid dots mark replacement years (PT typically y15). Winner has thicker stroke + glow. Lines starting low + stair-stepping up = wood (refinish/replace events). Lines starting high + flat = composite/PVC (zero events).
Crossover years (when higher-install materials beat PT)
- Western red cedar beats Pressure-treated lumberat year 15 · gap $5,842
- Capped composite beats Pressure-treated lumberat year 15 · gap $5,585
- Full PVC (cellular vinyl) beats Pressure-treated lumberat year 15 · gap $3,817
- IPE Brazilian hardwood beats Pressure-treated lumberat year 22 · gap $216
Crossover = the year the comparison material's cumulative cost dips below PT's cumulative cost. Composite typically beats PT around year 16-18 (after PT's first replacement); PVC around 18-22; IPE around 22-28.
- Install (year 0)95%$8,901
- Maintenance5%$471
- Where the money goes over 25 years — Capped composite (lifecycle winner).
All 5 materials side-by-side
| Material | Install | Maint | Refinish | Replace | 25-yr total | $/sqft/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated lumber | $5,153 | $130 | $3,995 | $7,475 | $16,753 | $3.5 |
| Western red cedar | $7,027 | $211 | $3,154 | $12,114 | $22,506 | $4.7 |
| Capped composite | $8,901 | $471 | — | — | $9,372 | $2 |
| Full PVC (cellular vinyl) | $10,775 | $269 | — | — | $11,044 | $2.3 |
| IPE Brazilian hardwood | $13,586 | $304 | $2,823 | — | $16,713 | $3.5 |
Install = mid-tier installed $/sqft × area × regional labor. Refinish = wood/IPE re-stain/oil events per cycle. Replace = full re-install at end of lifespan (PT yr 15 only). Per-sqft-per-year normalizes across the horizon and is the best comparison metric. 2026-Q1 pricing.
How to use
How to use the deck calculator in 5 steps.
- 1
Enter deck size + horizon
Length × width in feet, shape (rect / L-shape). Horizon slider 5-50 yr — defaults to 25 yr to match RSMeans + Remodeling Magazine reporting. Use 15 yr if you're planning to sell within that window; use 30+ yr if it's a forever home.
- 2
State + inflation
2-letter state for regional labor multiplier (NE 1.22× / W 1.28× / S 0.92× / MW 1.00×). Inflation slider 0-10% — defaults to 2.5% (CPI 10-yr average). Inflation compounds maintenance + refinish + replacement events at the year they occur, not at year 0.
- 3
Sell at year (optional)
0 = keep forever (default). 5-50 = trigger Remodeling 2024 recoup at that year. PT recoups 58%, cedar 62%, composite 72%, PVC 75%, IPE 78% of total cost-to-that-year. Sell-at-year affects rankings — a 15-year hold favors PT/cedar (cheaper install dominates), a 25-year hold favors composite/PVC (cumulative wins).
- 4
Read the 5-line chart
Each material gets one color-coded line. Slopes flatten for composite/PVC (no refinish events) and stair-step for PT/cedar/IPE (visible refinish + replacement bumps). Crossover years are highlighted — that's when composite/PVC pull ahead of PT cumulatively. Typical crossover: PT vs composite at year 16-18; PT vs PVC at year 18-22.
- 5
Read the rankings
Three different winners almost always: (1) Cheapest install = PT. (2) Cheapest per-sqft-per-year = composite or PVC, depending on horizon. (3) Cheapest total lifecycle = composite or PVC over 25 yr. Decision: if you're keeping the deck 8+ years AND the home, composite/PVC are mathematically optimal despite the install premium.
How we calculate
How DeckMath calculates this — IRC 2021 sources.
The 25-Year Deck Cost Calculator is the lifecycle decision tool — it overlays cumulative cost curves for PT vs cedar vs capped composite vs full PVC vs IPE hardwood on a single chart, year-by-year. Captures install (year 0), annual maintenance with inflation, periodic refinish events (every 2-4 yrs for wood + IPE), and replacement reveals (PT typically year 12-15). Surfaces the cumulative crossover years where higher-install / lower-maintenance materials beat the cheapest-install baseline. Includes optional sell-at-year for recoup adjustment per Remodeling Cost vs Value 2024 (PT 58%, cedar 62%, composite 72%, PVC 75%, IPE 78%). Closes with cheapest-install vs cheapest-per-year vs cheapest-total ranking — three different winners almost always. Pairs with the Deck ROI Calculator (resale-focused) and Composite vs PVC Calculator (cap-class decision).
IRC references
- RSMeans 2026-Q1 — Residential deck install indices
- Remodeling Magazine Cost vs Value Report 2024 — recoup percentages
- BLS CPI 10-yr CAGR — 2.5% baseline inflation default
- IRC 2021 R507 — Deck construction (frames assumption that replacement = full re-install)
- AWPA U1-22 — Pressure-treatment standards (drives PT 15-yr lifespan baseline)
RSMeans 2026-Q1 residential deck install indices. Remodeling Magazine Cost vs Value Report 2024 for recoup percentages. BLS CPI 10-yr CAGR (2.5%) baseline inflation default. Material lifespan baseline: PT 15 yr / cedar 22 yr / composite 28 yr / PVC 40 yr / IPE 50 yr. Refinish cycles: PT 2 yr / cedar 3 yr / IPE 4 yr / composite + PVC 0. Annual maintenance: $0.04-0.07/sqft/yr depending on material porosity.
Build a year-by-year array. Year 0 = install only. Years 1-N = annual maintenance ($0.04-0.07/sqft/yr) inflated to that year + refinish event if y % refinishCycle === 0 + full replacement if y === lifespanYears. Inflation factor = (1 + inflationPct/100)^year, compounded.
PT every 2 yr ($1.20/sqft strip + restain). Cedar every 3 yr ($1.40/sqft). IPE every 4 yr ($1.65/sqft penetrating oil). Composite / PVC = 0 (no refinish ever — cleaning only). Composite buyers often don't realize they're skipping ~$2,400 of refinish cost over 25 years on a 200-sqft deck vs PT.
PT lifespan ~15 yr → replacement event year 15, full install at inflated $/sqft. Cedar ~22 yr (often no replacement before horizon). Composite ~28 yr (no replacement before 25-yr horizon). PVC ~40 yr (none before 25). IPE ~50 yr (none). This is why PT's cumulative cost curve doubles at year 15 — homeowners forget this when they buy PT 'because composite is too expensive'.
Remodeling Cost vs Value Report 2024 baseline. PT 58% (often deemed depreciated). Cedar 62%. Composite 72%. PVC 75%. IPE 78%. Higher-quality materials recoup more because (1) appraisers value them, (2) buyers pay premium for known long-life, (3) photos look better. Net lifecycle cost = cumulative_at_sale − recoup. The further out you sell, the smaller the recoup advantage matters.
Best comparison metric across decks of different sizes / horizons. Typical 25-yr per-sqft-per-year: PT $4.50-5.50, cedar $3.50-4.50, composite $2.50-3.50, PVC $2.20-3.00, IPE $3.20-4.00. PVC's per-year cost can be lower than PT's because PT replacement at year 15 doubles its total. This metric reveals the real lifetime cost a homeowner pays per sqft of deck per year of ownership.
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People also ask
Deck calculator questions, answered.
For a 192-sqft (16×12) deck in the Northeast (1.22× labor), 25-yr total lifecycle cost with 2.5% inflation: PT ~$22,800 (install + 12 refinishes + 1 replacement at year 15). Cedar ~$17,400 (install + 8 refinishes, no replacement). Composite ~$14,200 (install + cleaning only). PVC ~$15,500 (install + cleaning only). IPE ~$19,600 (install + 6 oilings, no replacement). Composite is the 25-yr winner for a typical deck — its zero-refinish, near-replacement-free curve beats PT's stair-stepping install + restain + replace pattern.
Year 16-18 typically. PT cumulative cost catches up to composite around year 18 even without inflation: PT install $4,200 + 9 restains ($240 each × 9 = $2,160) + replacement at year 15 ($4,200 × 1.40 inflation = $5,880) = $12,240 by year 18. Composite install $7,300 + 18 yrs of cleaning ($0.07 × 192 × 18 = $242 + light inflation = $260) = $7,560 by year 18. The composite owner is $4,680 ahead by year 18. By year 25, the gap widens to $8,000+.
Only if you value 50-year lifespan + tropical-hardwood aesthetics + Janka 3,680 lb (5× harder than oak). IPE's 25-yr cost (~$19,600) beats PT but exceeds composite + PVC. Where IPE wins: 50-yr ownership horizons (composite needs replacement around year 30, IPE doesn't until year 50), high-traffic commercial decks (only IPE shrugs off chair-leg dents), and luxury homes where the wood-on-wood aesthetic is the point. Avoid IPE if you'll sell within 15 years — install premium ($58/sqft vs composite $38) won't recoup fully.
Significantly. At 2.5% (CPI baseline), a $5/sqft restain at year 0 costs $9.20/sqft at year 25. A PT replacement at year 15 inflates from $4,200 to $6,090. Across all materials, inflation adds 18-22% to total 25-yr cost vs zero-inflation case. The composite/PVC advantage GROWS with higher inflation because they have fewer events to inflate. Set inflation to 4-5% (recent post-COVID) and PVC's 25-yr lifecycle lead over PT can hit $11,000+.
Yes for PT (every 12-15 yr). Maybe for cedar (every 22-25 yr if no annual care). Almost never for composite (28-yr lifespan often stretches with care to 35). Never within a 25-yr horizon for PVC (40+ yr) or IPE (50+ yr). The replacement reveal is the silent killer of PT economics — homeowners buy PT for $2,800 install, forget about it, then year 15 it's $6,000 to rip and replace. The calculator surfaces this with a vertical bump on the PT line.
Per Remodeling Magazine Cost vs Value Report 2024: PT deck 58% (often appraised as depreciated, especially if 10+ yr old). Cedar 62%. Composite 72%. PVC 75%. IPE 78%. The higher recoup rates reflect (1) appraisers' material recognition, (2) buyer willingness to pay for long-life signal, (3) visible quality photographs. Decks more than 15 yr old recoup ~10pp less than the report baseline. PT decks at year 14+ often appraise at $0 (replacement scheduled).
Composite ($14,200 25-yr for a typical 192-sqft deck). PVC ($15,500) close second. PT ($22,800) is the most expensive long-term despite cheapest install — refinish every 2 yr + replacement at year 15 stack up. Cedar ($17,400) middle. IPE ($19,600) middle-high. The composite/PVC vs PT delta is 8K-10K over 25 yr — enough to buy a Trex/AZEK upgrade on a future smaller deck.
Indirectly. Dark composite/PVC absorbs 6-10°F more heat → higher cap fatigue over decades → slightly shorter lifespan (1-2 yr). Dark stains on PT/cedar UV-degrade faster → restain cycle drops from 3 yr to 2 yr. The calculator uses mid-tier color defaults; for dark deep-grain composites or solid black PVC, add ~3% to total lifecycle cost.
Material costs ±10% (RSMeans is national average, regional retail varies). Lifespan ±15% (climate-dependent — Phoenix sun shortens; Pacific Northwest moisture shortens differently). Refinish cycle is the most homeowner-variable — diligent owners stretch to 4-yr cycles; lapsed owners cut to 1.5 yr. Use the calculator output as the directional ranking + magnitude, not point-prediction. The composite/PVC vs PT lifetime advantage is robust across reasonable assumption sets.
Selling in 5 years: PT wins because install cost dominates and you haven't hit replacement. PT 5-yr cost ~$3,800 minus 58% recoup = net $1,600. Composite 5-yr cost ~$7,500 minus 72% recoup = net $2,100. PT saves $500 on a 5-yr horizon. Keeping 25 years: composite wins decisively (no recoup factor since you keep). Composite $14,200 vs PT $22,800 = $8,600 saved. The sell-at-year input flips the rankings — use it to model your actual ownership horizon.
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