Composite vs. wood deck
The choice between composite and wood decking is really a choice between upfront cost and long-term upkeep. Composite costs about twice as much to build but never needs staining and lasts decades. Wood is cheaper and looks natural, but demands regular sealing and wears out sooner. Here's the full comparison.
The quick verdict
- Choose composite if you want a deck you can wash and forget, you'll keep the home long-term, or you'd rather spend more once than maintain wood every year.
- Choose wood if upfront budget matters most, you love the look and feel of real lumber, or you don't mind a cleaning-and-sealing weekend every year or two.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Composite | Wood (pressure-treated) |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | $30–$60 / sq ft | $15–$25 / sq ft |
| Lifespan | 25–50 years | 10–15 yrs (PT); 15–20 (cedar) |
| Maintenance | Wash occasionally | Clean & seal every 1–2 years |
| Rot / splinter / warp | Resists all three | Prone over time |
| Heat in sun | Can get hot (esp. dark) | Stays cooler |
| Refinishing | Can't sand; color is fixed | Can sand, re-stain, recolor |
| Look & feel | Uniform; near-wood | Natural, warm, varied grain |
| Warranty | Often 25–50 years | None on the boards |
Cost compared
Wood wins on the upfront number — about $15–$25 per square foot installed versus $30–$60 for composite. The gap is in the boards: composite decking costs several times more per square foot than pressure-treated lumber, though the joists and beams underneath are the same treated wood in both builds. The long game tells a different story. Wood's lifetime cost includes stain and sealer plus a weekend of labor every year or two, and a full replacement in 10–20 years — while composite asks for little more than an occasional wash over a 25–50-year life. Add it up and composite often narrows or erases the gap. For numbers by size and material, see our cost to build a deck guide.
Size up your deck
The deck calculator gives boards and screws for any deck footprint with an editable cost, so you can price the same layout in composite and in wood side by side.
Open the Deck CalculatorMaintenance is the real difference
If you take away one thing, make it this: wood is a commitment, composite is not. Pressure-treated and cedar decks need washing and a fresh coat of stain or sealer every one to two years to fight rot, fading, and splintering — skip it and the deck ages fast. Composite is capped in a protective shell, so it resists rot, insects, fading, and stains, and a rinse or soapy scrub is usually all it ever needs. The trade-off is that you can't sand or refinish composite — its color is permanent — whereas a tired wood deck can be sanded and re-stained a different shade. Planning to seal a wood deck? Size the stain with our deck stain calculator.
Looks, feel & heat
Wood still wins many people on character — real grain, natural warmth, and a surface that stays cooler underfoot in summer sun. Modern composite has closed much of the gap with realistic embossing and multi-tone coloring, but it can run hot in direct sun, especially in dark colors; lighter shades and heat-mitigating caps help. Wood gives you the look now and the freedom to change it later; composite gives you a consistent, knot-free surface that looks the same in year 20 as on day one.
Which should you choose?
- Low maintenance, long horizon → Composite. Build once, basically forget it.
- Tight upfront budget → Pressure-treated wood, every time.
- You love real wood → Cedar or redwood — natural beauty, with upkeep.
- Full-sun deck, barefoot use → Wood, or a light-colored composite.
- You might restyle later → Wood — it can be sanded and recolored.