Just got a price for a simple low level (approx 12 inches off the ground) decked area, approx 34ft long by 8ft wide with no balustrades, just a single step up to three sides – all constructed of basic treated posts, joists and standard treated wood decking.

Had a quote at £3,000 which I thought was about £1,000 too much – am I off in my expectation of costs or am I being charged “Harrogate Tax’?

34ft is a lot of timber to be fair!

About 25square metres, so over £100 per sqm? Sounds very expensive to me.

Approx material cost is £1500 according to https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/pages/Decking-Calc/decking-calc.aspx

No one knows what postcrete is or why you would need 126 of them.

Rectangular Decking

Surface area: 25264994
Board type: Standard
Board Direction: Front to back
Boards (3.6m): 74 £473.60
Joists (3.0m): 25 £257.50
Posts: 63 £245.70
Fascias boards: 8 £51.20
Extras:
Screw Packs (200 in pack) 7 £136.50
Screw Packs (500 in pack) 0 £0.00
Nail Packs (1kg) 1 £4.25
Weed Suppressant Membrane 12m x 1m 0 £0.00
Weed Suppressant Membrane 50m x 1m 1 £32.20
2 Tread Decking Stringer 0 £0.00
3 Tread Decking Stringer 0 £0.00
4 Tread Decking Stringer 0 £0.00
5 Tread Decking Stringer 0 £0.00
Regular Decking Board (3.6m) 0 £0.00
Postcrete 126 £554.40
Jakcure End Grain Preservative 1 £5.50
Discount: £179.67
Total £1581.18

Postcrete – 2 bags per post for setting those 63 posts you need to get the deck 12 inches of the ground.

Digging those post holes takes time. Setting those posts takes a while too.

Doesn’t seem unreasonable, could easily take 2 blokes a couple of days to get that done. Not sure what labour costs in your neck of the woods though…

Edit: Why not do it yourself – you get to hire one of these bonkers contraptions – http://www.hss.com/hire/p/1-man-post-hole-borer-2-stroke

Potcrete is the readymixed post cement to go in each of the post holes, dig the hole, insert post, tip in Postcrete, add a bucket of water, check for verticality/level, leave to set.
It looks as though they’ve allowed 2 bags per post based on those figures.

Maybe a little much but better to have a bit spare than run out

EDIT too slow

Postcrete is essential, 63 posts isnt essential, its mental. If your decking is 1 ft above ground, then you only need 1ft below ground. You can therefore get 3 posts from just 1 6ft post. Please dont buy 63 posts!
Also, a bag and a half of postcrete per post will be fine. B and Q is the cheapest place at £4.10 per bag.
By the way, i’m a landscaper, and i’ve just finished a deck!!
I reckon it should take 4 days (2 guys) if your having it nicely finished with picture rail edges, 3 otherwise.
The price is probably about right, there will be profit in there, but there’s nothing wrong with that!!

Well I asked the guy to break down his costs as I couldn’t understand how he got to his total and he came back with:

£995 + vat for materials and £1280 + vat for labour for the decking installation

I also got another estimate in which came back at £2,500 and he also allowed for a weed membrane (which this price *may* include but he hasn’t specified) – it all seems a bit pricy to me.

For way of comparison we are having a bay window fitted and a builder is digging out footings, 6 courses of bricks around a 3ft deep x 6ft long opening, extending roof line slightly, knocking through into the house, insulating to current regs, plastering and making good etc and the price is £1860 inc VAT (not including the window itself of course) which seems much more in line with what I’d expect to be paying (if not slightly cheap even).

I think £3k is cheap. A lot of labour involved and they are allowed to make a modest profit on working.

Just DIY it.

Seems to be a national sport round here. Only difficult bit is getting the materials from the trailer to the site of the deck.

Did mine about 6-7 years ago, took a couple of weekends and 2 or 3 evenings.

Materials seems about right, plus a couple of blokes for a few days of moderately physical and skillful work. Seems ok if at the upper end. Only annoying bit to me would be the ex vat quote. Why do trades do this, it’s not like you can claim it back?

Its a good option for a diy job as you can easily do it in stages and take your time or get some kates in and blitz it.

+1 for mates.

Helped someone out with theirs a while ago. Fetching and carrying from the pile of materials, digging holes, aligning stuff and suchlike. It’s *far* easier with two pair of hands. More than twice as fast.

Loads of stuff online with people who have used old scaffold boards, could be a cheaper option?

Coming round to the idea of doing it myself – it’s just that with a young family I find that time is a bit precious and would I rather be doing something with my family or working my ass off in the garden?

Depends if you like doing it – DIY, if not pay someone to do it. I’ve just finished a big 30m2+ deck with some steps up to the garden, this took me about 5 12 hour days to do on my own. Most of that time was spent doing the steps and making the sub frames.

Look upon the DIY option as an opportunity. Gives you the chance to justify an impact driver to yourself! Makes it such a quicker/easier job.

Oh yeah if you do DIY get an 18v impact driver – you’re looking at literally 1000’s of screws

Rather than post holes I dig pads to take blocks then concrete and lay a 1/2 flat. If you were to use a 9″ main joist over 4.8 spacing would be plenty at ends and centre with one end doubling up to be used twice.
Far easier for a novice (no offence) to then sit on to block than lining individual posts bang on. There is nothing worth than a bouncy deck!

“Bloke ‘ere wants decking” etc.

Since the materials will cost something, the only thing you’re then paying for is someone else’s skill and time.

DIY is enjoyable, but having the thing completed and not losing several weekends will also be appreciated by you and your family..!

And use these – cracking screws, lost heads get hidden in the wood and the tolerance on the heads is incredibly tight, great quality.

http://www.tradefixdirect.com/nails-screws-fixings/screws-accessories/nails-screws-fixings/spax-countersunk-pozi-screws/spax-decking-screws-wirox?gclid=CLCo8-Lf1MwCFW8o0wodVLcENg

And use these – cracking screws, lost heads get hidden in the wood and the tolerance on the heads is incredibly tight, great quality.

http://www.tradefixdirect.com/nails-screws-fixings/screws-accessories/nails-screws-fixings/spax-countersunk-pozi-screws/spax-decking-screws-wirox?gclid=CLCo8-Lf1MwCFW8o0wodVLcENg
I needed 6000 for my deck. I didn’t buy those 😯
I have used them for small jobs and they’re very lovely.

It is amazing how much fixings cost. A cardboard box full of fixings can cost more than a lorry load of timber.

I did my own. 4m by 3 m. Total cost was nearly 1k (plus a crate of beers for my mate) but i did it properly with lots of drainage and top quality deckboard. 3k for yours sounds reasonable tbh…

Johndoh – PM Dickson timber based in Pannal are really cheap for decking and will deliver for free. I bought from them and the timber was reasonable quality and you can go to the yard and pick your own if you wish. I did mine myself and i also have a very young family so it was just a case of a few hours every night while its light and if your kids are old enough they can help dig the holes which they may like. It doesnt take as long as you think and i dont think it requires a lot of skills,just knowledge.

Yeah I use Dickinsons lots (bought a potting shed from them, all my fencing at my last place and a shit load to replace an entire 6ft high and 80ft long set of panels down the ginnel at the side of my current place). Would certainly buy from them if I do DIY 🙂

And they aren’t in Pannal, nearer Burn Bridge at Nab Hill 😉