What decking costs to build
Per square metre rates for composite and timber, worked out for typical garden sizes, and what clay ground does to the price.
Composite decking typically costs £200–£250 per m² supplied and fitted, and softwood timber £110–£140 per m². A 15–20m² composite deck usually comes to £3,000–£5,000. The same 20m² in softwood works out at £2,200–£2,800. Raised decks with balustrades and steps cost more. We measure and design it on a free visit, then confirm a fixed price in writing.
- Composite, fitted
- £200–£250 per m²
- Includes
- Supply, fitting and clearing up
- Design visit
- Free
- Guarantee
- 5 years, in writing
Updated October 2026. Guide prices, not a quote. Your fixed price comes in writing after the free design visit.
Decking guide prices (supplied and fitted)
| Deck | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Composite decking, per m² | £200–£250 |
| Softwood timber decking, per m² | £110–£140 |
| 15–20m² composite deck | £3,000–£5,000 |
| 15m² softwood deck (15 × £110 to 15 × £140) | £1,650–£2,100 |
| 20m² softwood deck (20 × £110 to 20 × £140) | £2,200–£2,800 |
| Raised deck with balustrades and steps | More than a ground-level deck; priced on the visit |
What is included in the price
The per square metre rate covers the whole build, not just the boards. That means clearing the area, setting posts or pads on firm ground, a braced sub-frame in treated timber or aluminium, joists spaced to suit the boards you pick, a weed membrane, drainage underneath, and the boards themselves fixed and finished.
Edge details, hidden fixings and step lights can be added where you want them. For decks that sit higher off the ground, steps and balustrades are priced on top of the area rate.
What makes it cost more or less
- Board choice: composite sits at the higher rate, softwood at the lower one.
- Height: a deck built up off a slope needs taller posts, bracing, steps and a balustrade.
- Shape: curves, angles and cut-outs round trees mean more cutting and waste.
- Finishing touches such as picture-frame edges, hidden fixings and LED step lights.
- Ground that needs digging out or levelling before the frame goes down.
- Access for materials and taking away spoil.
Decking on Milton Keynes ground
Across most of Milton Keynes the subsoil is slow-draining Oxford Clay that swells when wet and shrinks in a dry summer. A deck frame set on shallow pads in that clay can lift and drop unevenly, so we take posts down to firm ground and keep water from sitting under the frame. That is part of the area rate, but very wet or soft spots can add work. Bletchley is similar, while gardens on the Greensand around Woburn Sands and Bow Brickhill drain better. Many estate gardens slope away from the house, which can turn a ground-level deck into a raised one that needs planning permission.
What to check in any quote
- The area in square metres and the rate behind it.
- What the frame is made of and how far apart the joists are.
- How the posts or pads are founded and how deep they go.
- Whether a weed membrane and drainage are included under the deck.
- The finished height, and whether it stays under the height that needs planning permission.
- Whether steps, balustrades and lighting are in the price or extra.
Composite & timber decking: how we build it
See composite & timber decking for the specification, planning rules and the finish we build, or pick your town.
- Composite & timber decking in Milton Keynes
- Composite & timber decking in Bletchley
- Composite & timber decking in Wolverton
- Composite & timber decking in Stony Stratford
- Composite & timber decking in Newport Pagnell
- Composite & timber decking in Woburn Sands
- Composite & timber decking in Bow Brickhill
- Composite & timber decking in Aspley Guise
- Composite & timber decking in Cranfield
- Composite & timber decking in Woburn
- Composite & timber decking in Hanslope
- Composite & timber decking in Olney
- Composite & timber decking in Leighton Buzzard
- Composite & timber decking in Winslow
- Composite & timber decking in Towcester
- Composite & timber decking in Ampthill
“Connor and the team recently completed our resin driveway in Bletchley. From going through the design with us and even making pictures so we could see how it looked, to the install and the aftercare, it has all been perfect. Thanks again.”
Resin driveway — Bletchley
“Milton Keynes Driveways & Landscaping have just finished our full garden makeover in Milton Keynes. We had a porcelain patio, composite decking and raised sleeper beds. They arrived on time, kept my home clean and the garden looks terrific. They are coming back to do our block paved driveway soon.”
Full garden makeover — Milton Keynes
Things people ask us
What is the cheapest decking option?
Is composite decking worth the extra cost?
What are the running costs of a deck?
Do I pay anything before the deck is built?
How long will my decking price stay fixed?
Free design, free visit, free samples
We measure up, talk it through and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.