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California · carpenters rank 3 of 50 · labor +25.3%
Deck building cost in California
A 320 sq ft deck in pressure-treated pine deck comes to about $8,900 to $17,800 in California when the national installed price keeps its materials and its labor part is scaled to what carpenters earn statewide. Permit fees are set by each city or town, not the state.
Wages and housing figures checked October 21, 2026 · sources
- 1Pressure-treated, 320 sq ft $8,900–$17,800
- 2CA labor index +25.3% vs US
- 3Median home value $734,700
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What carpenters earn in California
California's carpenters earn a median $36.50 an hour, far above the US median of $29.12. That ranks 3 of 50 states, among the ten best-paid states for the trade. Applied to the labor share of a 320 sq ft deck, that adds about $1,350 to the national midpoint.
The index is statewide. Wages inside California differ by metro area, and a contractor's price also depends on overhead, insurance, travel and how busy the season is, none of which a wage median captures.
Deck building prices in California by material
Each row starts from the installed price per square foot of deck that a national cost guide publishes and moves only the labor part by the California index. For 320 sq ft:
| Material | National | California | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine deck | $8,000–$16,000 | $8,900–$17,800 | $13,350 |
| Cedar deck | $9,600–$15,050 | $10,500–$16,800 | $13,650 |
| Composite deck | $12,800–$25,600 | $13,700–$27,400 | $20,550 |
By size
| Deck area (sq ft) | National | California |
|---|---|---|
| 144 sq ft | $3,600–$7,200 | $4,000–$8,000 |
| 240 sq ft | $6,000–$12,000 | $6,650–$13,350 |
| 320 sq ft | $8,000–$16,000 | $8,900–$17,800 |
| 400 sq ft | $10,000–$20,000 | $11,100–$22,250 |
Pressure-treated pine deck. The labor part of this job is $3,500–$7,050 at national rates and $4,400–$8,800 at California rates.
California homes and incomes
The median owner-occupied home in California is valued at $734,700 (US: $332,700), one of the ten highest state medians. The midpoint estimate here is 1.8% of that value. Against the state's median household income of $99,122, the same midpoint equals 1.6 months of income. 55.9% of California's occupied homes are owner-occupied (US 65.2%), so more of this work is ordered by landlords than in most states.
Permits in California
Building-permit fees are set locally. No California town schedule has been collected for this site yet, so this page shows no permit amount. The national cost guide puts deck permits at $50–$150; the local building department can give the real figure and say whether one is needed.
Other projects in California
| Project | Trade index | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement, 2,000 sq ft | Roofers +14.7% | $8,450–$12,900 |
| Siding replacement, 1,500 sq ft | Carpenters +25.3% | $6,750–$20,300 |
| Heat pump installation, 2,000 sq ft home | HVAC mechanics and installers +18.9% | $10,950–$21,900 |
States ranked next to California
Hawaii ($9,450–$18,850) · Illinois ($9,050–$18,150) · Massachusetts ($8,850–$17,700) · Washington ($8,800–$17,600) · Alaska ($8,750–$17,550)
More: all states · how contractors price a roof · comparing three quotes
Sources
- Installed price: HomeGuide: Cost to build a deck (Feb 10, 2026) — “Pressure-treated pine $25 – $50 (installed, per sq ft)”.
- Labor portion: HomeGuide: Cost to build a deck (Feb 10, 2026) — “The labor cost to build a new deck is $11 to $22 per square foot.”.
- Statewide wage: O*NET OnLine, Carpenters (47-2031), California local wages (BLS 2025 wage data).
- Housing and income: Census QuickFacts, California (ACS 2020-2024); US: QuickFacts, United States.
Checked October 21, 2026. Estimates are ranges built from published averages, not quotes. Cost by Town does not perform or arrange work.