The material-deep estimator for cedar decking. Pick a species — Western Red, Eastern White, or Alaskan Yellow — pick a grade (Knotty / A&Better / Clear / FOHC), board size (5/4×6 / 2×6 / 1×4 accent), pattern, and finish strategy (let-it-weather / oil-stain / semi-trans / solid). Stainless screws specified — galvanized stains cedar.
IRC R312 requires 36″ guardrail above 30″.
Oil-based penetrating stain (recommended) adds $0.45/sqft/yr × 192 sqft = $86/yr in finish materials over 25 years.
40 lf cedar 2× rails + 2×2 balusters at $32-60/lf installed.
Galvanized fasteners react with cedar's natural tannins to create rust streaks. 305 or 316 stainless is required for a clean cedar finish (316 within 5 mi of saltwater). $0.55/sqft.
Premium decking species — straight grain, rich red-brown, naturally rot-resistant. Most common cedar deck choice in the US. Recommended finish: oil stain.
Cabot Australian Timber Oil, Penofin Blue, or similar. Penetrates cedar deeply, preserves color, recoat every 2 years.
Cedar pricing 2026-Q1. Stainless deck screws (305/316) required — galvanized stains cedar.
Photoreal 3D · plan view · framing breakdown.
Read the 25-year TCO analysis in the Composite vs Wood Decking guide — break-even years for every common product.
Estimates use 2026-Q1 national-median pricing. Cedar regional pricing varies (Western Red ~20% premium in the Midwest/Northeast). Stainless fasteners are non-negotiable for cedar — galvanized stains the wood with rust streaks.
How to use
Western Red (PNW, $3.40/lf, 25-yr life — most popular US deck cedar), Eastern White (Northern WI/MI/Eastern Canada, $2.85/lf, 20-yr life — cheaper in the Midwest/Northeast), Alaskan Yellow (specialty $5.20/lf, 35-yr life — premium hardness for deck and exterior trim).
Knotty (rustic, cabin-style, -20% pricing — most-stocked at big-box), A&Better (architectural, baseline — most popular for residential), Clear (premium, +50% pricing — formal modern), FOHC (Free of Heart Center, +75% pricing — wide-plank stable boards).
5/4×6 (most popular, 16″ joist max), 2×6 (heavier, longer span — 24″ joist o.c. allowed), 1×4 accent (perimeter banding / picture-frame edge).
Let it weather (cedar silvers to grey in 6-12 months, $0 maintenance), oil-stain (Cabot Australian Timber Oil, recoat every 2 years, $0.45/sqft/yr), semi-trans stain (3-yr recoat, $0.40/sqft/yr), solid stain (5-yr recoat, $0.30/sqft/yr but harder to maintain).
Stairs, railing (cedar wood-baluster), permit, demo. Pattern (parallel / picture-frame / diagonal). State for labor multiplier.
Boards × effective $/lf, stainless screws (NEVER galvanized — they stain cedar), framing, 25-yr TCO snapshot. Save link, export PDF.
Material guide
Three honest paths. Composite wins the 25-year math for most homeowners, wood wins on upfront cost, and PVC is unbeatable around water. Each card below answers in one glance — recalculate the bill of materials by clicking a brand in the picker above.
How we calculate
The Cedar Deck Calculator is the material-deep estimator for the homeowner who has decided on cedar — Western Red Cedar (the most popular US deck cedar), Eastern White Cedar (cheaper in the Midwest/Northeast), or Alaskan Yellow (premium dense cedar with 35-yr lifespan). Pick a grade (knotty / A&Better / clear / FOHC), board size (5/4×6 / 2×6 / 1×4 accent), pattern, and finish strategy (let it weather to grey, oil-stain to preserve color, semi-trans, or solid stain). DeckMath returns a permit-ready BoM with stainless screws (galvanized stains cedar), real per-LF prices reflecting 2026-Q1 retail, and a 25-year TCO snapshot showing the actual cost difference between letting cedar weather (zero maintenance, $0/yr) vs annual oil-stain ($0.45/sqft/yr).
Cedar pricing 2026-Q1: Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) + WCLIB / WWPA grade rules. Stain coverage from manufacturer install manuals. Labor multipliers from RSMeans 2026-Q1.
Western Red 5/4×6 A&Better baseline = $3.40/lf. Knotty grade × 0.80, Clear × 1.50, FOHC × 1.75. 2×6 board × 1.30, 1×4 accent × 0.65. Eastern White species × 0.84, Alaskan Yellow × 1.53.
Rows = ceil(width × 12 ÷ (board_width + 0.125)). 5/4×6 board face = 5.5″ + 1/8″ install gap = 5.625″ per row.
Cedar requires 305 or 316 stainless screws — galvanized stains the wood with rust streaks. Stainless costs ~2.5× galvanized but is non-negotiable for a clean cedar finish.
Let-it-weather: $0/yr maintenance. Oil-stain: $0.45/sqft/yr. Semi-trans: $0.40/sqft/yr. Solid: $0.30/sqft/yr. Recoat count = floor(25 ÷ recoat_interval).
Cedar uses face-screw install — 10% slower than PT (premium aesthetic), but 12% faster than composite (no hidden-fastener clip system). Pattern + shape + region multiplers compound.
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