Deck cost in Seattle, WA
$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 Seattle, WA is indexed to the BLS construction-and-extraction occupations mean hourly wage for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA of $42.11 (May 2025), applied to the 50% labor share.
Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) is the issuing office. The typical permit fee recorded from Seattle SDCI 2026 Fee Subtitle Tables D-1 and D-2, retrieved 2026-08-13, is $1,059. Fee model: valuation.
The national typical for this job is $45. Materials stay at the national figure while labor is wage-indexed for Seattle, WA.
Walking surface only. A 16 by 20 deck is 320 sqft.
Typical all-in
$18,334
Job cost plus the recorded local permit fee at this size.
- Low
- $12,530
- Typical
- $18,334
- High
- $24,290
Breakdown
| Labor (allocated) | $8,424 |
|---|---|
| Materials (allocated) | $8,424 |
| Job subtotal | $16,848 |
| Permit | $1,486 |
| All-in typical | $18,334 |
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
- Based on project value
- Typical fee
- $1,486
- Range
- $1,298 – $1,826
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-13
- Plan review (100% of DFI) — $501Included. Simple/prescriptive decks may qualify as STFI (40% plan review) — that path is cheaper.
- Technology fee (5%) — $50Included.
- WA State Building Code Council fee — $7Included.
Typical $12,000: DFI $501.0 × 2.0 + 5% + $6.50 = $1058.6.
Decks over 30 inches above grade generally need a building permit. Totals assume full plan review (200% of DFI) + 5% tech + $6.50. Ground-level/STFI decks would be ~140% of DFI instead.
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.
- Seattle SDCI 2026 Fee Subtitle Tables D-1 and D-2 Retrieved Aug 12, 2026. Decks over 30 inches above grade generally need a building permit. Totals assume full plan review (200% of DFI) + 5% tech + $6.50. Ground-level/STFI decks would be ~140% of DFI instead.
- BLS OEWS construction wages — Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA BLS OEWS construction-and-extraction mean hourly wage / national same vintage, applied to laborShare only. Not a city-specific bid survey.