Deck cost in Chicago, IL
$30–$60 per sq ft; average job $8,316 (range $4,340–$12,652). A 16×20 (320 sf) table is $12,800–$19,200. Pressure-treated is the low end; second-story / high-end wood / custom is the high end.
Labor for Deck in Chicago, IL is indexed to the BLS construction-and-extraction occupations mean hourly wage for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN of $40.87 (May 2025), applied to the 50% labor share.
Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) is the issuing office. The typical permit fee recorded from Chicago 2026 Amended Building Permit Fee Tables; Table 14A-12-1204.2; EPP porch instructions, retrieved 2026-09-01, is $602. Fee model: flat.
The national typical for this job is $45. Materials stay at the national figure while labor is wage-indexed for Chicago, IL.
Walking surface only. A 16 by 20 deck is 320 sqft.
Typical all-in
$17,176
Job cost plus the recorded local permit fee at this size.
- Low
- $11,350
- Typical
- $17,176
- High
- $22,701
Breakdown
| Labor (allocated) | $8,287 |
|---|---|
| Materials (allocated) | $8,287 |
| Job subtotal | $16,574 |
| Permit | $602 |
| All-in typical | $17,176 |
Labor is adjusted for construction wages in this metro. Materials stay at the national figure. This is an estimate, not a contractor quote.
Permit fee
- Fee model
- Flat fee
- Typical fee
- $602
- Range
- $300 – $602
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-01
- Stand-alone new deck ≤6 ft (Table 14A-12-1204.2) — $300Zoning fee also required; amount not in DOB tables. Live Express still excludes new structures.
- Plan-based minimum (2026 Amended Tables) — $602Included as typical. CF×RF×A for a 300 sf Type V deck is $66, so the $602 floor applies.
Low $300 = Table 14A-12-1204.2. Typical/high $602 = plan-based minimum. Valuation unused.
Typical new attached deck needs a permit. Code lists $300 stand-alone for new ≤6 ft decks, but Express still sends new structures to plan-based review ($602 minimum). Cosmetic board replacement with no violation is exempt.
Chicago 2026 Amended Building Permit Fee Tables; Table 14A-12-1204.2; EPP porch instructions
Citations
- How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck? [2026 Data] Retrieved Aug 12, 2026. Average $8,316; $4,340–$12,652; $30–$60/sf; labor $15–$35/sf.
- Chicago 2026 Amended Building Permit Fee Tables; Table 14A-12-1204.2; EPP porch instructions Retrieved Aug 31, 2026. Typical new attached deck needs a permit. Code lists $300 stand-alone for new ≤6 ft decks, but Express still sends new structures to plan-based review ($602 minimum). Cosmetic board replacement with no violation is exempt.
- BLS OEWS construction wages — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN BLS OEWS construction-and-extraction mean hourly wage / national same vintage, applied to laborShare only. Not a city-specific bid survey.