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Wood Deck Cost Calculator
Price a wood deck by species, grade and finish — and see what it will cost to keep looking that way for ten years on a salt-air lot.
Why your estimate is what it is
What drives wood deck costs in La Jolla
A wood deck is cheaper to build than composite and more expensive to own. How much more depends almost entirely on the finish schedule you actually keep to, which is why this calculator prices the first coat and then the ten years after it. Species matters too: pressure-treated, cedar, redwood and ipe are four quite different propositions on a coast this hard on timber.
Species
Pressure-treated is the cheapest board. Cedar and redwood cost more and look better. Ipe costs the most, lasts the longest and is the slowest to install because every fastener is pre-drilled.
Lumber grade
Grade decides how many knots there are, how straight the boards run and how much the crew throws away. On redwood especially, heart grade and common grade are different products.
Finish
On this coast the finish is structural, not cosmetic — it is what keeps UV and salt out of the board. Clear sealer wants redoing about every eighteen months, semi-transparent stain every two years, solid stain every four.
Height above grade
Over 30 inches means a permit, a 42-inch guard and heavier framing. Elevated decks run 25% to 70% more per square foot.
Board layout
Diagonal and herringbone patterns waste more board and need tighter joist spacing. Straight runs are cheapest.
Hardware
Standard galvanised connectors corrode within a few years this close to the ocean. Stainless or heavy-coated hardware costs more and is not optional here.
What could push your price higher
- Clear or heart-grade lumber instead of construction grade
- Ipe or another tropical hardwood
- Herringbone, diagonal or parquet board patterns
- Plugged fastening with no visible screw heads
- Elevated or multi-level framing
- Cable or glass railing on a wood deck
What could bring it down
- Pressure-treated framing and boards at construction grade
- Straight board runs with face-screwed fasteners
- Keeping the deck under 30 inches above grade
- Wood railing rather than metal, cable or glass
- Choosing a solid-colour stain, which needs recoating half as often as clear sealer
Turn the estimate into a real number
This calculator works from published 2026 cost figures for coastal San Diego. It cannot see your framing, your flashing, how a crew would reach the work, or what is behind the siding at the ledger — and those are exactly the things that decide a real price. We will come out, measure, and give you a written scope with no pressure attached.
Book a free site visitFrequently asked questions
How much does a wood deck cost in La Jolla?
A small pressure-treated deck under 200 square feet typically runs $6,000 to $11,000, and 200 to 400 square feet runs $11,000 to $20,000. Cedar or redwood over the same 200 to 400 square feet runs $18,000 to $34,000, and large or multi-level wood decks over 400 square feet run $28,000 to $55,000 and up. Installed, that works out at roughly $35 to $70 a square foot.
Which wood is best for a deck near the ocean?
Ipe, if the budget allows — it is dense enough to resist rot, insects and salt for decades and is the only wood that competes with composite on lifespan. Of the softwoods, redwood heart grade holds up best in San Diego, followed by cedar. Pressure-treated is treated against rot and insects but not against weather, so on the coast it depends entirely on being kept sealed.
How often do I need to reseal a deck in San Diego?
More often than inland. Clear penetrating sealer wants redoing roughly every eighteen months on a sunny coastal deck, semi-transparent stain about every two years, and solid-colour stain every three to four. West-facing decks and anything within sight of the water go at the shorter end of those intervals.
Is wood or composite cheaper in the long run?
Wood is cheaper to build, composite is cheaper to own, and the crossover on a La Jolla lot usually falls somewhere around year ten to twelve. The calculator above works out the ten-year figure for both on your actual deck, including recoats, washing and the boards you will replace along the way.
What happens if I never seal a wood deck?
It goes silver-grey within a season, then starts checking and cupping within two or three years. Weathered grey is a legitimate look and some people prefer it, but the trade-off is real: the surface gets splintery underfoot, individual boards fail sooner, and the deck's useful life shortens by several years.
Can I stain a deck that was just built?
Not straight away with pressure-treated lumber — it usually needs a few weeks to dry out enough to take a finish, and some suppliers say longer. Cedar, redwood and kiln-dried material can generally be finished sooner. Ask whoever supplies the boards, because it varies by how the lumber was stored.
Related calculators
Planning the whole project? Start at the La Jolla deck cost calculator hub, or read more about our Wood Deck Construction service.