There are excellent decking builders in Perth charging less than us. There are also some absolute shockers charging more. Price tells you almost nothing on its own. What it tells you, when you read it properly, is what kind of deck you're being sold and what kind of business is selling it to you.
This is the bit nobody in the trade wants to write because it gives away how the game works. I'd rather you hire us with full information than hire us because you didn't have any.
How much does a deck cost in Perth?
Most decks we build land somewhere between $20,000 and $60,000. A small timber deck on a clean site might come in around $18–25K. A standard 30–45m² composite build — the size most western suburbs homeowners are after — typically sits between $35K and $55K. Larger builds, complex sites, or premium materials push past that.
Wide range, and it should be. The number depends on what you're building, how it's built, and who's building it.
The three numbers in every quote
Every quote breaks into three buckets. Some builders hide them. Some bundle them into a single number. The maths is always the same.
Materials, labour, margin. Get familiar with what each one is and you can read any decking quote in Perth.
Materials — the boards are the big swinger
Materials are usually 35–45% of the total. Two parts to it: the boards and the substructure underneath.
The boards are where pricing varies wildly. Composite pricing in particular can swing more than $150/m² between products. Pioneer and Evalast Infinity are both sold as "premium composite" — they're not the same product, and the supply cost difference is substantial. Confirm the specific product on every quote, not just the category.
The substructure is the funny one. Generic decking subframe runs around $75/m² across most Perth builders. Ours sits closer to $85–95/m² because we use H4 bearers (the highest treatment level for ground contact, not the H3 most builders use), more concrete per footing, joist tape on every joist, and we reduce the spans. None of this shows up on day one. It shows up in year ten when other decks in your suburb have started to fail and yours hasn't.
Labour — and why we don't race to the bottom
Labour is 30–40% of the total. This is where pricing models genuinely diverge between builders, and where philosophy matters more than any other line.
A lot of builders price labour to win the quote. Once that line is priced thin, the temptation to cut corners arrives on day one. You can't take five days to do what's been priced for three without losing money. So things get rushed.
We don't ask "what's the lowest we can charge to win." We ask "what do we need to charge to give us the space to work."
Think about getting ready for dinner. There's a version where you're running late — skip the shower, throw on whatever's clean, deal with your hair in the car. You'll have a fine night. There's another version where you've got plenty of time — proper shower, clothes ironed, hair done. Same dinner, completely different experience. The second isn't lazy. It's what space gives you.
We've costed over 120 decks. We know how long things take. The labour line reflects that, not a number designed to win the meeting.
Margin — what it's actually paying for
Margin is two things, not one. Profit is what the business keeps. Overhead is everything that supports the build but doesn't show up on a single job — the staff, the systems, the services around the work.
A two-person team running their own quotes, doing their own designs, ordering their own materials, has very low overhead. They can run lean margin and still take home good money. The work might be spectacular. The trade-off is that everything happens in their head and on the back of an envelope, which works until it doesn't.
We run differently. Our overhead pays for designer-drawn plans with 3D renders, a project consultant who runs the design conversation properly, an oil finish included on every timber deck plus a Deckcare follow-up at 12 months, and the systems that catch mistakes before they reach you. That's a cost. It's also the reason you don't get surprises in week three.
Healthy margin for a premium specialist Perth builder is 25–35%. Below 20% and the business is running on fumes. Above 40% and either the service is genuinely premium or someone's getting taken.
Landcruiser vs Hilux
Both are Toyotas. Both are good. The Hilux is built for getting work done — lighter, simpler, cheaper. The Landcruiser is built for going further, lasting longer, handling worse conditions. Different vehicles for different jobs. The Landcruiser isn't a better Hilux.
Decking is the same. There's a version of your deck that gets built lean, gets the job done, and probably lasts a decade if you maintain it well. There's another version built to a 20-year structural standard with premium materials, full design documentation, and a service relationship after handover. Both are real. Both have buyers.
We're a Landcruiser. Other Perth builders are excellent Hiluxes. The question isn't who's best — it's which version is right for what you're trying to do.
Three questions to ask every builder
Including us.
One. "Walk me through your substructure spec — treatment level, joist spacing, fixings, clearance, water management." A real builder answers in detail. A vague answer is information.
Two. "What's not included in this quote?" Council, electrical, demolition, structural engineering. If they say "everything's included," ask about each specifically. The quote that surprises you in week three is the most expensive one.
Three. "If I get another quote significantly different to yours, what's likely to be different about the build?" An honest builder will tell you exactly where the gap is. A defensive answer is a flag.
Get to the three numbers, ask the three questions, and you'll be making a decision with the information that actually matters.