Decks, Fences & Outdoor costs

Decks, patios, fences, driveways and the rest of the yard.

• Deck cost by state$30 to $65per sq ftA pressure-treated deck costs $38 a square foot in Arkansas and $53 in Illinois. On a 300 square foot deck that is $11,400 against $15,900 for identical work.
• Deck repair cost$500 to $3,000per projectRepairing a deck costs $500 to $3,000, typically $1,400. The question is not the boards. It is the ledger where the deck meets the house, which is where nearly every deck failure begins.
• Deck staining cost$2 to $5per sq ftStaining a deck costs $1.50 to $4.00 a square foot, putting a 300 square foot deck at $450 to $1,200. The cost is not the stain; it is the preparation, and skipping it is why finishes fail in a year.
• Deck railing cost$30 to $150per linear ftDeck railing costs $30 to $150 a linear foot installed. It is frequently a third of the cost of a small deck, because a small deck has almost as much perimeter as a large one.
• Concrete patio cost$8 to $26per sq ftA concrete patio costs $8 to $26 a square foot installed. It is the cheapest hard surface per square foot and the one where the base under it decides whether it lasts twenty years or cracks in three.
• Asphalt driveway cost$7 to $13per sq ftAn asphalt driveway costs $7 to $13 a square foot installed. Concrete costs a little more and lasts longer; asphalt is cheaper up front and needs sealing. The choice depends more on climate than preference.
• Gravel driveway cost$2 to $6per sq ftA gravel driveway costs $2 to $6 a square foot installed. It is a third the price of asphalt and it is not maintenance free: regrading every year or two and topping up every three to five.
• Driveway repair cost$300 to $3,000per projectRepairing a driveway costs $300 to $3,000, typically $900. What decides which repair you are doing is not the surface. It is whether the base underneath is still there.
• Sod installation cost$1 to $3per sq ftSod costs $1.00 to $2.50 a square foot installed against $0.10 to $0.30 for seed. Sod is an instant lawn at ten times the price, and whether that is worth it depends on erosion and timing.
• Sprinkler system cost$2,500 to $10,000per projectAn in-ground sprinkler system costs $2,500 to $8,000 for a suburban lot, or $700 to $1,500 a zone. The number of zones is decided by water pressure, not by garden size.