How Much Does a Deck Cost in Melbourne? (2026 Price Guide)

Most Melbourne homeowners spend between $15,000 and $60,000 on a new deck, fully installed. For a standard 20–30 m² backyard deck, a realistic budget is $12,000–$25,000 in Merbau, or $16,000–$32,000 in composite.

Per square metre, a simple ground-level timber deck typically costs $450–$650 per m² installed. Elevated, composite or architecturally detailed decks usually run $700–$1,200+ per m². Those figures cover labour, framing, footings, boards and fixings, but not extras such as pergolas, lighting or permits.

Prices have risen roughly 20–30% since 2021 because timber, steel and trade labour all cost more. Any guide quoting $200–$300 per m² is usually showing board supply only, not a finished deck.

Treated pine: $400–$550 per m². This is the most budget-friendly option. It suits painted decks or decks out of the weather, but it needs more upkeep and won't last as long as hardwood.

Merbau: $500–$750 per m². Merbau is Melbourne's most popular decking timber: dense, stable, with a rich red-brown tone. New boards bleed tannins for the first few months.

Spotted Gum and Blackbutt: $600–$850 per m². These are premium Australian hardwoods with excellent durability. Spotted Gum meets BAL-29 bushfire requirements, which matters in Eltham, Warrandyte and the hills.

Composite (Trex, Ekodeck, Modwood): $650–$1,000 per m². Composite costs more upfront, but there's no oiling, sanding or splinters, so over 10–15 years it often costs about the same as hardwood.

A ground-level deck on a flat block is the cheapest type to build. Once a deck rises above about 800mm, costs climb quickly. It needs deeper concrete or steel footings, engineered bracing, stairs and a compliant balustrade, and it usually needs a building permit.

Expect an elevated or second-storey deck to cost $900–$1,500+ per m². Sloping blocks in suburbs like Templestowe, Eltham and Warrandyte often fall into this bracket.

Balustrades: about $250–$450 per linear metre for timber, and $500–$900 for frameless glass.

Stairs: about $1,500–$4,000 depending on width, height and landings.

Demolition of an old deck: about $1,500–$4,000 including disposal.

Building permit, drawings and engineering: about $2,500–$5,000 where required. As a registered builder, we handle this for you.

Pergola over the deck: about $8,000–$30,000+ depending on size and roof type.

Lighting, built-in seating and privacy screens: usually $1,500–$8,000 combined.

Keep the shape simple. Rectangles use boards efficiently, while angles and curves add cutting time and waste. Standard board lengths and a sensible joist layout also reduce cost.

Choose material by exposure. Use hardwood or composite where the sun and rain hit hardest. Always get a fixed-price written contract that lists the scope, materials and permit costs, so there are no surprise variations.

The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest deck. Undersized footings and poor fixings are the main reasons Melbourne decks fail early.