Deck Labor Cost Calculator
458 lf of decking
26 rows × 16′ = 416 lf net (+10% waste). Joists: 13 at your spacing (this is a count only; sizing is a code-table question). ≈672 screws.
Typical crew rate for this trade: $43-$71/hr (modeled from BLS median wage × published burden/markup band). How we model costs.
- Decking rows = deck width ÷ (board 5.5″ + 0.25″ gap): board gap is a product spec (Trex specifies 3/16″ side gaps; wood convention ~1/4″).
- 10% decking waste for cuts/culls is a trade convention, labeled; diagonal decking runs 15%+.
- Joist count (not size) at 16″ on-center is spacing arithmetic; joist size and span are structural questions, so use your code's span tables (IRC R507-class) instead of a web calculator.
- ≈3.5 screws/sq ft (2 per board-joist crossing), a fastener-maker convention, labeled.
Want quotes from local pros for this project? We’re gauging demand for a pro-matching service. No contractor network exists yet: this is a get-notified list, not a quote request.
Why This One Is Different
This calculator isolates the labor side of a deck build so you can see what a fair hourly rate actually looks like, separate from lumber and hardware. Strip the materials out of a deck estimate and what's left is crew-hours times a rate, and the rate is the part most calculators fudge. This page starts from the BLS-published carpenter wage, runs it through the same burden and markup chain a real payroll and a real invoice both carry, and scales the result by the joist and decking quantities your footprint actually requires. What it won't do is manufacture a multiplier for height, railings, stairs, or demo: those genuinely add crew-hours, but by an amount specific to your site, not a constant this calculator can honestly print.
Where the Numbers Come From
- The BLS median carpenter wage is $59,310/year, derived to about $28.51/hour under the May 2024 OEWS vintage, published straight-time gross pay, with no overtime, bonuses, or benefits folded in. Source: BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Carpenters
- Burden and markup together typically land a charged hourly rate at roughly 1.5-2.5× the base wage, per NAHB's Cost of Doing Business survey data on realized builder and remodeler margins, a range this calculator shows as a band, not a point estimate. Source: NAHB Cost of Doing Business studies via Eye On Housing
- A single billed crew-hour costs more than most people expect once burden and markup are both stacked on, before a single board is counted: worked example, a $28.51/hr wage at the band's 1.5× low and 2.5× high produces roughly $43-$71 per billed crew-hour, so multiply by your project's hours to see how fast the labor line moves relative to materials. Source: worked example, closed-form arithmetic
- Joist count (spacing arithmetic, exact) scales the labor-hours estimate on this page; joist depth, deck height, stairs, and railings all add real crew time that isn't captured by a spacing count alone, and this calculator doesn't invent a multiplier for them. Source: engine convention, labeled
More Questions
Is this the total cost of building a deck?
No, this is the labor-only side. Materials (decking, joists, hardware) are priced separately elsewhere on this site; this page isolates crew-hours and wage so you can see what labor alone is doing to your budget.
Related Calculators
Formulas, waste factors, and cost models on this page follow the sourced conventions on our methodology page. Estimates only; verify with your supplier and local code.