Deck Cost Guide Jonesboro, AR | Real Pricing by Size & Material

Deck pricing is quoted in a lot of different ways, per square foot, per project, "starting at," which makes it hard to compare one number to another. Here's the actual breakdown by size and material, plus a calculator that adjusts for your specific project.

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Cost by material (installed, per square foot)

Material	Installed cost/sq ft	Maintenance
Pressure-treated pine	$25-50	Restain every 1-3 years (Jonesboro's humidity pushes toward the shorter end)
Cedar	$30-47	Reseal roughly annually to every other year in this climate
Composite	$35-70, often more for premium lines	Occasional washing, no staining or sealing

Cost by size (pressure-treated pine, ground-level, no railing)

Size	Square feet	Estimated range
10x12	120 sq ft	$3,000-$6,000
12x16	192 sq ft	$4,800-$9,600
16x20	320 sq ft	$8,000-$16,000

These ranges are planning-level, drawn from the same per-square-foot rates as the estimator above, not a firsthand quote. Elevated decks and railed decks run higher, the estimator adjusts for both.

What changes the number beyond size and material

Elevation. An elevated deck needs a full code-required guardrail system and stairs once the floor is more than 30 inches above grade, that's a real cost add, not optional.
Railing. Adds cost whether or not the deck is elevated, ground-level decks can skip it if the design allows.
Footing depth and soil. Craighead County isn't one kind of ground, Delta clay and the loess soil on Crowley's Ridge behave differently underground, and digging conditions affect labor time.
Permit fees. Separate from construction cost, and they vary by which of the towns we serve your address falls under. See our permit guide.

Other cost factors beyond size and material

Stairs. Any deck more than a step above grade needs a compliant stair run, adding real material and labor cost beyond the flat deck surface itself.
Demolition. Replacing an existing deck adds teardown and disposal cost on top of new construction, this isn't included in the ranges above, which assume building on a clear site.
Multi-level designs. A deck with more than one level, or anything past 14 feet of depth from the house, needs an engineered design reviewed before construction, adding both cost and time.
Built-ins. Benches, planters, or lighting worked into the structure add cost beyond the base per-square-foot rate, since they're custom carpentry rather than standard framing.

Already have a deck that needs work instead of a new one?

Repair and refinishing carry their own separate cost logic, not a fraction of new-construction pricing. A single joist repair or replacement typically runs $100-350 per joist, sistering a weakened joist runs $300-1,200 or more per section, and full structural repair (joists, beams, and ledger together) commonly runs $1,500-5,000. Nationally, deck repairs average around $1,465, with most falling between $570 and $2,600. See our deck repair and deck staining and refinishing pages for the full breakdown.

National context: does a deck pay for itself?

The 2025 Cost vs Value report puts the national average wood deck addition at $18,263, recouping about 94.9% of that at resale, roughly $17,323 back. Composite runs higher upfront, about $25,096 on average, recouping about 88.5%, or roughly $22,199. Both outperform most interior remodeling projects on resale recoup, wood slightly more as a percentage, composite adding more in absolute dollars.

FAQ

Is the estimator's number a real quote?

No, it's a planning-level range based on current market per-square-foot rates. A real quote depends on your specific site, soil conditions, and design, and that's what a follow-up conversation is for.

Why does the same size deck cost so much more in composite?

Material cost is the main driver, composite boards themselves cost more than pressure-treated lumber. You're trading a higher upfront number for skipping years of staining and sealing labor.

Does the estimator include permit fees?

No, permit fees are separate and vary by town, the estimator shows a permit contact note once you select your town, but the fee itself isn't folded into the cost range since it isn't a construction cost.

Deck Cost in Jonesboro, AR: Real Pricing by Size and Material