Please note that the price information in this article was based on data from 2018 and may now be outdated.
For the sake of calculations, let’s say that a small deck is a deck that is no more than 15 m2. Now, let’s keep in mind that the price of decking design and installation vary in different regions of Australia. This brings us to the following calculation:
| How Much Does It Cost to Build a Small Deck in Australia? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Region | Average price | Cost of 15 m2 deck |
| Western Australia | $170/m2 | $2550 |
| Queensland | $185/m2 | $2775 |
| Victoria | $190/m2 | $2850 |
| New South Wales | $200/m2 | $3000 |
These are just the rough estimates that take into calculations the averages of all factors that form the decking price. Besides the size, this includes the material used, the terrain on which the decking is constructed and the complexity of the decking design.
To get more accurate and more precise pricing for your decking project, contact the Australian decking professionals and go from there.
What makes the best decking material for your small decking depends on your needs, your decking design and the terrain on which you are building it. Your options are the timber decking, which also includes the treated pine, composite decking and the synthetic decking. All these options come in different prices and they have their pros and cons.
Again, let’s do some calculations based on the 15 m2 decking.
| Prices of Small Decking in Different Materials | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of material | Average price per m2 | Price for 15 m2 |
| Wooden decking | $250 – $360 | $3,800 to $5,400 |
| Treated pine decking | $200 – $330 | $3,600 to $5,200 |
| Composite decking | $100 – $400 | $1,500 to $6,000 |
Hardwood decking is a good choice for a small deck. Since you don’t need a lot of timber, you can choose some high quality material. In this case, it means ironbark, spotted gum, blackbutt and the like. There are also less durable options like merbau, stringybark and jerrah. Hardwood decking will need to be treated with oils and or stains. Moreover, that coating will have to be applied at least once a year.
Treated pine decking is another option for those who love the smell and the feel of natural wood. It is softwood that has been treated with preservatives to get the endurance and resilience of the hardwood. In case of fungi, insects and weather, the preservatives definitely do a good job.
However, they cannot improve the nature of the wood. Pine splits, twists and warps after some time, especially if it has not been treated well. Regular oiling and maintenance is essential.
Composite decking is another option if you don’t plan on spending more money and time of maintenance. It is a combination of plastic and wood, bound by adhesives and turned into a durable and sturdy material that offers a wide range of designs. Also, you don’t need to treat it, just hose it down and wash it twice a year.
As for the design and additional features, you can build your deck on the ground or raise it.
A ground level deck that is 15 m2 will cost you somewhere around $6000. This means that such a deck doesn’t have roofing and it doesn’t have to have the balustrade for safety reasons. Additionally, this same decking should be built on the flat terrain that doesn’t have to be prepared too much.
If there is a slope on your terrain, you should definitely expect to pay more. Not to mention, if the terrain is steep and rocky, it will add to your decking price.
Keep in mind that for every deck that is raised more than 60 cm, you need to have balustrade for safety reasons. Since this construction requires more time and more calculations it is usually pricier. For those deckings that are raised so much that the installers need to use scaffolding or ladders, the price will go higher, also.
Using our example, we can estimate that a raised decking of 15 m2 that has balustrade has to cost somewhere around $9,300. The balustrade is around $150 per linear metre. This means that for a rectangle 15 m2 with sides of 5m and 3m you have balustrade of 16 m. That brings us to the balustrade cost of $2,400.
That is the price of the balustrade made out of timber. However, for a fancier look, you may want to install glass balustrade. The price is then double. The 16 m of glass balustrade costs $4,800.
Decking roof will cost your somewhere around $200 per square metre. This includes both timber roofs and synthetic roofs. So, this brings us to the price of $3,000 for the roof on your 15 m2 decking.
That is the price of material. However, the price of installation is not something to be neglected. You can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $2000 for the labour. The total cost is then a minimum of $3,500 to $5,000.
You can still have a nice roof, even if you don’t want to build a real roofing construction over your decking. You can opt for a pergola that may be even a better choice. Your 15 m2 decking can have a pergola for as low as $2,500, but that size can vary wildly. There are pergolas that cost $2,700 per square metre.
You may notice that these price estimates have very wide ranges. That is due to all the factors that come into the price. Every project is specific and your small decking is not an exception. That is why you need to talk to several experts before starting your project.
Send your decking design to decking professionals at Service Seeking. Ask for quotes for your decking design and see how much you can expect to pay even before you start.