Composite Decking Price Guide

Introduction

There are a variety of composite decking boards available on the market, and these differ in price due to their properties. You can purchase different core structures (hollow or solid) and various designs, such as capped, uncapped, wood grain, and grooved. It’s important to know that even though boards may look similar, different manufacturing processes mean they will not perform the same over time.

We classify these properties into low, mid, and high-quality levels. The lower-quality boards, for example, often use LDPE plastics. This is a key point to remember: not all composite decking is created the same.

In this guide, we’ll review the different types of boards and another key factor in the overall cost: where you choose to buy them.

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A Detailed Breakdown of Decking Board Costs

At a Glance: Where to buy

Factor 1: Capped vs. Uncapped Technology

As mentioned, there are different types of composite decking in the U.K. market, these types are broken down into capped and uncapped decking boards. In relation to design the main two sold in the U.K. market are reversible wood grain and reversible grooved. Wood grain composite decking in our experience is the most popular but there are two types of this which entered the U.K. market embossed which is a manufactured wood grain and print which is a print on wood grain in which will disappear in time. Below we look at each of them and their prices in the U.K. market.

Capped vs. Uncapped: The Technology

In our expect analysis, customers normally fall into two options when starting their search with costs opting for uncapped or capped, so on a cost and performance, simple question: does it have a protective outer shell?

Factor 2: Wood Grain vs. Grooved Finish

If you’re driven by cost and opted for uncapped boards your next choice is between the woodgrain finish or the classic grooved. From strength point and cost woodgrain are almost always more expensive and they come in array of colours and design now with advances in technology. They are stronger than a grooved board in more cases due to the structural outer walls being thicker compared to a grooved but remember these boards have been around for a decade now they tried and tested, and there are a lot of them, even though they look similar remember composite decking isn’t made the same so check reviews and quality from samples. Let look at the cost of these two popular boards.

This choice often comes down to the aesthetic you want to achieve in your garden. Both are excellent options, but they cater to slightly different priorities.

Factor 3: Solid vs. Hollow Core

The debate between hollow and solid core boards often comes down to balancing cost against strength. The price difference is significant because composite decking is priced by weight; solid boards use more material, so they cost more. While solid boards are excellent for high-traffic commercial areas, for the average homeowner, modern hollow boards offer much better value for money. If strength is a key concern, we recommend choosing a board with a circular hollow core design for enhanced rigidity and longevity.

Subframe & Clips Cost

When discussing the price of composite decking, we have decided to bring in the additional cost from our research customers sometimes take or require to complete their full project. Here we review clips, subframe, fitting (if you opt for of course) and optional extra so people take why? As this are genuine costs that should be considered on an overall project costs of composite decking, as the boards are one part of the process of completing your full project

Clips

When it comes to clips there are several types of clips which you can purchase, these types are plastic clips, ultra clip and slim clip. You can avoid these by purchasing a solid non grooved board but drilling into composite decking you must do with caution and have an understanding of material.

Finishing touches that may increase your project

In our experience, many customers, upon calculating the cost of composite decking, can forget the add-ons. On top of installation costs, you may also have additional costs to consider. These additional costs could be for clips, decking accessories, or maintenance equipment. You may also choose to add finishing touches and features to your decking design.

Project Case Study: The True Cost of a 10m² Deck

To bring all these costs to life, let’s break down the total price for a standard 10 square metre (e.g., 4m x 2.5m) decking project in the UK.

Now, let’s review the total cost for installing different types of our composite decking boards.

Conclusion

There is a wide variety of composite decking on the market all price for different reasons, yes you may find cheaper options on the likes of EBAY, Market place but it’s key as explained before that even though they are similar not all composite decking is made the same.

For an entry level cost of a hollow composite decking boards built for value you’re looking at least £33.10. The classic get most popular wood grain boards are from £37.10 upwards and the ultimate capped with add fade and stain resistance starts at £54.30 for a good quality product.

The option is down to your personal preference and requirements when purchasing so now you have great understanding browse our full composite decking collection today.