CostInMyCity

Des Moines, IA / Deck

Deck cost in Des Moines, IA

$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 Des Moines, IA is indexed to the BLS construction-and-extraction occupations mean hourly wage for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA of $31.49 (May 2025), applied to the 50% labor share.

City of Des Moines Permit and Development Center is the issuing office. The typical permit fee recorded from City of Des Moines Permit and Development Center Permit Fees -- New Fees 1-1-26, retrieved 2026-09-01, is $77. Fee model: flat.

The national typical for this job is $45. Materials stay at the national figure while labor is wage-indexed for Des Moines, IA.

Walking surface only. A 16 by 20 deck is 320 sqft.

Typical all-in

$14,491

Job cost plus the recorded local permit fee at this size.

Low
$9,687
Typical
$14,491
High
$19,296

Breakdown

Labor (allocated)$7,207
Materials (allocated)$7,207
Job subtotal$14,414
Permit$77
All-in typical$14,491

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
$77
Range
$77
Retrieved
2026-09-01

Typical/low/high = $77.25. Documented 200/320/400 sf does not change this flat.

City of Des Moines. Official line: decks, fences, retaining walls, swimming pools, hot tubs, and other accessory structures $77.25.

City of Des Moines Permit and Development Center Permit Fees -- New Fees 1-1-26

Citations

  1. 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.
  2. City of Des Moines Permit and Development Center Permit Fees -- New Fees 1-1-26 Retrieved Aug 31, 2026. City of Des Moines. Official line: decks, fences, retaining walls, swimming pools, hot tubs, and other accessory structures $77.25.
  3. BLS OEWS construction wages — Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA BLS OEWS construction-and-extraction mean hourly wage / national same vintage, applied to laborShare only. Not a city-specific bid survey.

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