Decks, Fences & Outdoor costs

Decks, patios, fences, driveways and the rest of the yard. Page 2 of 3.

• Tree removal cost$400 to $2,500per eachRemoving a tree costs $400 to $2,500, typically $1,000. The price is not about the tree. It is about what is under it and how the pieces get to the ground.
• Landscaping cost$3,000 to $25,000per projectLandscaping costs $3,000 to $25,000 for a typical suburban garden, typically $8,000. Hardscaping is 60 to 80% of a full budget; plants are cheap by comparison and get all the attention.
• Outdoor kitchen cost$5,000 to $40,000per projectAn outdoor kitchen costs $5,000 to $40,000, typically $15,000. The utilities separate the brackets: gas, water, waste and power to a point in the garden is $2,000 to $8,000 before any cabinetry exists.
• Fire pit cost$300 to $5,000per eachA fire pit costs $300 to $5,000, typically $1,200. The gas line separates the two price brackets, and it is the thing most people have not budgeted for.
• Inground pool cost$35,000 to $100,000per projectAn in-ground pool costs $35,000 to $100,000 installed, typically $55,000. The pool is not the whole number: decking, fencing and utilities add $15,000 to $40,000, and running it costs $1,500 to $5,000 a year.
• Above ground pool cost$3,000 to $15,000per projectAn above-ground pool costs $3,000 to $15,000 installed, typically $6,500. A tenth the price of an in-ground pool and a different product: 10 to 20 years of life, and it does not add value to the house.
• Patio cover cost$15 to $60per sq ftA patio cover costs $15 to $60 a square foot installed. The structural attachment to the house decides both the price and whether it leaks in ten years.
• How long does a deck last$30 to $100per sq ftA pressure-treated deck lasts 15 to 25 years and composite decking 25 to 30, on a frame that is usually still pine. What ends a deck is almost never the boards you walk on.
• Deck cost$30 to $100per sq ftBuilding a deck costs $30 to $100 per square foot, so a 300 square foot deck is $9,000 to $30,000. The boards are the part everyone shops for and the smallest part of the price.
• Composite deck cost$40 to $100per sq ftA composite deck costs $40 to $100 per square foot installed, typically $60. Re-decking a sound existing frame is $20 to $45, less than half the cost of building new.