Deck cost in Philadelphia, PA
$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 Philadelphia, PA is indexed to the BLS construction-and-extraction occupations mean hourly wage for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD of $34.78 (May 2025), applied to the 50% labor share.
Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) is the issuing office. The typical permit fee recorded from L&I PG_012_INF 1/1/2025 + EZ permits page, retrieved 2026-09-01, is $83. Fee model: flat.
The national typical for this job is $45. Materials stay at the national figure while labor is wage-indexed for Philadelphia, PA.
Walking surface only. A 16 by 20 deck is 320 sqft.
Typical all-in
$15,261
Job cost plus the recorded local permit fee at this size.
- Low
- $10,189
- Typical
- $15,261
- High
- $20,320
Breakdown
| Labor (allocated) | $7,589 |
|---|---|
| Materials (allocated) | $7,589 |
| Job subtotal | $15,178 |
| Permit | $83 |
| All-in typical | $15,261 |
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
- $83
- Range
- $71 – $83
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-01
- New accessory structure, first 500 sf — $75Included as typical.
- Surcharges — $8Included.
- Porch/deck flooring ≤200 sf — $63Low path.
Typical new ≤500 sf: $75+$7.50=$82.50. Flooring-only ≤200 sf: $63+$7.50=$70.50.
Fee is by area, not assumed dollars. Under 500 sf the $8k/$12k/$19.2k valuations do not change the fee. Zoning permit is often required; zoning dollars not extracted. Roof decks are excluded from the 216 sf EZ standard.
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.
- L&I PG_012_INF 1/1/2025 + EZ permits page Retrieved Aug 31, 2026. Fee is by area, not assumed dollars. Under 500 sf the $8k/$12k/$19.2k valuations do not change the fee. Zoning permit is often required; zoning dollars not extracted. Roof decks are excluded from the 216 sf EZ standard.
- BLS OEWS construction wages — Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD BLS OEWS construction-and-extraction mean hourly wage / national same vintage, applied to laborShare only. Not a city-specific bid survey.