Composite Decking Prices & Cost

In this article, we will fully break down everything you need to know about the price of composite decking. This includes the prices of various composite decking boards, the installation costs, the price of accessories and any additional costs. Furthermore, we will go into depth about the properties of various types of composite decking, allowing you to understand in more detail the composite boards on the market and their costs.

Composite Decking Price Guide

There are a variety of composite decking boards available on the market, and these differ in price due to their different properties. For example, you can purchase different core structures hollow or solid, you can purchase different designs which consist in the U.K. market of capped, uncapped, wood grain and grooved.

As well as different designs and types there are a number of manufacturing process, due to this even through the boards may look similar they will not perform the same over time. These properties we have listed into low, mid and high quality levels. Here is a brief explanation of the quality and their differences below.

 

Price Of Composite Decking & Types Of Boards

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 popularly but there are two types of this in 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 take a look at each of them and their prices in the U.K. market.

Hollow Composite Decking Boards

We will now look at the cost of hollow composite decking boards. The costs of these boards differ depending on quality and design. Hollow composite decking boards are available in square hollow and circular hollow. You can purchase these composite decking boards with different surface designs, such as grooved and wood grain. These boards are available as capped and uncapped.

Hollow composite decking boards usually cost around £19.99 to £35 for a 3.6-metre board; solid boards usually cost between £35 and £50 for a 4-metre board.

A hollow composite decking board is designed with, as it states, a hollow core. These boards are made with less material than a solid-core board. enabling it to be a more cost-effective product for homeowners. Please note that we direct this to homeowners in particular because square hollow boards have been created with homeowners in mind and not commercial customers. Commercial projects with above-average footfall would require a circular hollow or solid board, as these are stronger.

Take a look below at the prices and types of hollow boards currently available.

Solid Composite Decking boards

Solid boards have no material removed from their core; the core is left completely solid. This offers maximum strength and maximum performance throughout the years.

Solid boards are available as capped or uncapped. Uncapped solid composite decking boards cost around £57.48 per square metre, whereas capped solid composite decking boards cost around £68 to £107.20 per square metre.

Take a look at the types and prices of solid boards on offer today.

Additional Costs For Composite Decking

Like any project you take on there are additional cost to be aware of when opting to build composite decking. These additional charges with budling a deck are clips, subframe and labour, if you opt for a fitter of course.

Clips

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

Subframe

In relation to subframe similar to both clips and composite decking there are a couple of options in which you can opt for traditional timber joists, composite battens or composite joists. These types of subframe do differ in price the key benefits is time. Composite joists are an excellent option if you are looking to make use out foyour deck for over 10 years, below 10 years we would recommend timber joists.  Below we table a quick look at these to give you an idea on prices.

It is important to remember that the cost of your overall purchase is dependent on the size of your project, the materials you are purchasing and the installation process you are using.

Labour

Optional Accessories For Composite decking

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.

 

More Detail Review Of Composite Decking Based On 10m2

If you were to use uncapped solid composite decking boards for a 10-square-meter decking area, then you can expect to pay around £570 for your composite decking. If you were to use capped solid composite decking boards for a 10-square-meter decking area, then you can expect to pay around £680 for your boards.

To provide a more detailed guide to the prices of composite decking, we have looked at a project of 10m2. We understand that every project is different in size—some smaller and some larger. We chose 10m2 to enable customers to use this to compare or increase easily based on an even number.

On average, composite decking costs £36 to £100 per square metre and between £20 and £80 per board. You’ll notice at this stage that there is a wide gap between the board’s price and an increase in price doesn’t mean better quality in our professional view.

Our boards are very cost-effective, according to customer feedback and a similar or like-for-like could be double in price, so not always does a price increase mean better quality.
For a project with an area of 10m2, the average price, including labour and materials, is £1472.60-£2112.60. The price depends on which board and fitter you pick. For the cost below, we have used an average of £70 per sqm for a fitter and £36.10 sqm for boards.

The breakdown of this is as follows: this price is taken with the view that the average day rate for labour is £300 per day and a fitter on average can fit 10 sqm of a subframe in one day and 10 sqm of boards and clips per day.

To provide this figure, price, and time frame, we spoke with over 50 fitters around the country to determine price and time. Please note that some fitters may encounter unforeseen issues during the process of installation and this could increase or decrease the time.

Lets Take A Look At Each Board Cost: An Example Price Of All The Different Decking Boards

In this segment, we will be reviewing the total cost of installing 15 square metres of different types and brands of composite decking. Here is a breakdown of the different costs.

Please note that you need a pack of starter clips for every 25 square metres of decking; these are £14.99 per pack of 50. It is also important to note that these are average prices, and the installation costs will differ from £300 per day depending on the project’s complexity.

We have put the cost of clips at £134.95 for a 15m2 deck. The breakdown of this is £119.96 for the composite decking clips and £14.99 for a pack of starter clips. 4 packs of hidden fasteners are required, as each pack of hidden fasteners covers 4 square metres, and we are looking at a deck size of 15m2. Only one pack of starter clips is required, as one pack covers 25m2.

Conclusion

To conclude, composite decking comes in various designs, profiles, and lengths. For homeowners, hollow composite decking is the favourite choice due to its price starting at as low as £19.99 per 3.6-meter length.

For those looking for minimal colour change and ease of maintenance with added resistance to stains, capped composite decking would be the recommended choice. In terms of labour costs, the average fitter will charge £300 per day.

During the day’s work, it is expected that fitters can complete 10 square metres of subframe or 10 square metres of composite decking board installation.

As each project is different, prices will alter depending on factors such as your location and the complexity of the composite decking design.