Composite vs Wood Decking: Cost & Maintenance (2026)

Composite decking has taken over the market. Trex, TimberTech, and Fiberon now outsell pressure-treated wood on most new deck builds. But wood is still cheaper upfront, and cedar and ipe have loyal fans who love the look of real wood. Here is how the two stack up over a realistic 20-year ownership window.

Quick Answer: Go with composite if you do not want to mess with maintenance, plan to keep the deck 15+ years, or want something close to zero-upkeep. Go with pressure-treated wood if budget is the top concern or you only need the deck to last 10-15 years. Go with cedar or ipe if you want the look and feel of real wood and are willing to do seasonal maintenance. For most homeowners, composite wins on 20-year total cost of ownership.

Installed Cost by Material

MaterialInstalled CostTypical Lifespan Pressure-treated pine$4-$8/sqft10-15 years Cedar$7-$12/sqft15-20 years Ipe / tropical hardwood$15-$25/sqft25-40 years Entry composite (Trex Enhance, Fiberon Good Life)$8-$14/sqft25-30 years Premium capped composite (Trex Transcend, TimberTech AZEK)$14-$20/sqft25-50 years

For a 300 sqft deck, that translates to:

Add $500-$2,000 for footings, railings, and stairs. The deck building calculator will price your specific plans. Also check deck costs in your state for regional pricing. And do not skip the deck permit question — most places require a permit for any deck more than 30 inches off the ground.

20-Year Total Cost of Ownership

This is where composite's case gets strong. Using typical contractor maintenance rates:

Cost over 20 yearsPressure-TreatedCedarEntry Composite Initial install (300 sqft)$1,800$2,850$3,300 Staining/sealing (every 2-3 yrs)$2,400-$3,600$2,400-$3,600$0 Board replacement$600-$1,200$300-$600$0-$300 Full replacement at year 12-15$2,000-$2,500$0$0 20-year total$6,800-$9,100$5,550-$7,050$3,300-$3,600

Staining is figured at $1.50-$3/sqft DIY materials or $2-$4/sqft paid to a pro, every 2-3 years. Composite drops that line to zero.

One honest note: if you DIY the staining with basic box-store materials, pressure-treated drops to roughly $3,000-$4,500 over 20 years — still competitive. You just give up a weekend every other summer for it.

Maintenance

Pressure-treated pine and cedar need to be cleaned and re-stained or re-sealed every 2-3 years. Skip that and the wood goes gray, splinters start lifting, boards cup, and the ground-contact points eventually rot. Cedar's natural oils stretch the cycle a bit but do not eliminate it.

Ipe is dense enough that you can skip staining — it weathers to a nice silver-gray on its own. If you want to keep the reddish-brown color, plan on an oil once a year.

Composite needs nothing beyond occasional soap-and-water cleaning and a broom. Capped composites (the ones with a polymer outer shell) resist food and grease stains well. Uncapped composites can mildew in shady, damp spots.

Heat Retention

This is a fair knock on composite. Dark-colored composite can hit 140-160°F in full sun — uncomfortable on bare feet. Light-colored composite runs 20-30°F cooler. Wood runs 10-20°F cooler than dark composite in the same conditions.

If your deck bakes in the sun and you walk on it barefoot, go light-colored composite or a wood species. This matters more than most sales reps will mention.

Fade, Scratch, and Stain Resistance

Premium capped composites from the major brands carry 25-50 year fade and stain warranties. Color change over the warranty period is typically less than 5 Delta-E units — the eye cannot see the difference.

Entry composites and uncapped composites can fade and stain more noticeably. Early composites from before 2010 had some mold and fading problems that gave the category a rough reputation. The modern capped products have largely fixed that.

Wood weathers visibly without maintenance — pressure-treated goes gray-green, cedar goes silver, ipe goes silver-gray. That is fine if you like the patina, less fine if you want a fresh-looking deck every year.

Resale Value

Remodeling magazine's Cost vs Value Report consistently lists deck additions among the stronger ROI projects:

Wood wins on percentage because it is cheaper. Composite wins on absolute dollars added. Buyers in 2026 generally understand the low-maintenance case for composite, so the gap has closed some.

Environmental Considerations

Pressure-treated uses copper-based preservatives (MCA or CA-C). The modern treatments are a lot safer than the old CCA (arsenic) wood phased out in 2003. The wood itself is a renewable resource.

Cedar and ipe are natural wood. Ipe has real sustainability concerns — look for FSC certification so you are not buying illegally harvested tropical hardwood.

Composite is typically 30-95% recycled content (waste wood fiber and recycled plastic). It keeps material out of landfills, but at end of life composite itself is not easily recyclable in most markets.

What I Would Pick

For most homeowners building a deck in 2026:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install composite boards over my existing pressure-treated frame?

Do composite decks get hot enough to burn you?

How long do composite railings last?

Is composite slippery when wet?

Do I need a permit for a new deck?

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*Get an estimate for your project with the deck calculator, or find a local builder in the deck contractor directory.*