Composite decking installation cost

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How much does it cost to have composite decking installed?

Between about £65 and £220 per m², depending on the board, the frame and the source. Two UK guides are our main numbers:

Neither independent source says whether VAT is included.

What is the labour cost to lay decking?

Ultra Decking puts labour alone at £60 to £90 per m² for composite, and MyJobQuote says installers typically charge £200 to £250 a day. For timber, MyJobQuote gives specialists £200 to £300 a day, rising to £250 to £350 in London. The rest of an installed price is the frame (Ultra puts a timber subframe at £24.95 per m²), boards, and clips and screws at about £8.24 per m².

What should an installer follow?

The board maker’s installation guide, because the warranty depends on it. Look at what each maker says voids cover.

• Envirobuild excludes improper installation, including improper gapping.
• Composite Prime’s commercial warranty is void if joist spacing, gaps or fall are wrong, and covers replacement only on a sliding scale.
• Ecoscape says only its supplied T-clip screws, fastened at 90 degrees, keep the installation warranty valid.
• Millboard needs registration within 90 days and Durafix fixings.
• Eva-Last says warranty depends on proper installation and use, and claims may be inspected on site.

Ask any installer which guide they follow, who registers the warranty and who pays for a callout if something fails. Composite Prime recommends a professional installer for decks above 600 mm high.

What drives the price up?

Height, access, a long run of balustrade or steps, diagonal or picture-frame layouts that add waste, and a poor existing base. BestBuilders prices balustrades at £60 to £150 per metre and steps at £80 to £200 each. For the build to include steps, see the steps guide.

Can you get an itemised quote?

Ask for boards, frame, clips and screws, groundworks, disposal and labour as separate lines, and enter them in our decking calculator to see the cost per m² as a total.