Deck Building Cost in Knoxville, TN (2026)
Updated October 2026 · Knoxville, TN · index 0.91
How much does it cost to build a deck in Knoxville? For a 300 sq ft deck with pressure-treated wood, homeowners in Knoxville, TN pay about $10,200 on average, and most quotes land between $7,100 and $13,400 — $24 to $45 per sq ft. The price covers plans and the permit, footings, a framed and flashed structure, the deck boards, railing, one set of stairs, fascia and cleanup.
The deck building price in Knoxville runs 9% below the U.S. average: construction labor in the Knoxville area runs 15% below the national mean, materials 1% below. The same job averages $11,300 nationally and about $10,400 at the Tennessee statewide index.
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Deck building price in Knoxville by decking material
What a 300 sq ft deck costs in Knoxville with each decking material, installed:
| Option | Average · range |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated woodtreated pine or fir boards, stained and sealed$34 per sq ft | $10,200$7,100 – $13,400 |
| Capped compositehidden fasteners and a picture-frame border$41 per sq ft | $12,300$8,750 – $15,800 |
The least expensive option in Knoxville is pressure-treated wood, at about $10,200; capped composite averages $12,300, 1.2 times as much.
Cost to build a deck in Knoxville by size
With pressure-treated wood, priced for Knoxville, TN:
| Size | Average · range |
|---|---|
| A 200 sq ft deck$37 per sq ft | $7,350$5,050 – $9,700 |
| A 300 sq ft deck$34 per sq ft | $10,200$7,100 – $13,400 |
| A 400 sq ft deck$33 per sq ft | $13,100$9,150 – $17,100 |
Some costs stay the same whatever the size — plans, permit and layout, one set of stairs (4 steps), final inspection and cleanup — so a bigger job costs less per unit: $33 per sq ft for a 400 sq ft deck against $37 for a 200 sq ft deck.
What a deck building in Knoxville includes
Line by line, the $10,200 average for a 300 sq ft deck breaks down like this: 47% labor, 53% materials and equipment.
| Line | Low – high |
|---|---|
| Plans, permit and layout | $330 – $1,000 |
| Ground prep, fabric and gravel | $200 – $500 |
| Footings below the frost line | $380 – $750 |
| Flashed ledger on the house | $230 – $440 |
| 6x6 posts | $250 – $500 |
| Beams | $230 – $440 |
| Joist framing with hangers | $1,300 – $2,200 |
| Deck boards | $1,200 – $1,800 |
| One set of stairs (4 steps) | $470 – $940 |
| Railing | $1,750 – $3,000 |
| Fascia and skirting | $330 – $780 |
| Final inspection and cleanup | $130 – $330 |
| Stain and seal, two coats | $300 – $700 |
Each line is the price book's U.S. rate for that step, scaled by 0.74 to the installed price published sources give for the whole job (see how these prices are built), times Knoxville's index of 0.91; permit fees are not scaled.
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What affects deck building prices in Knoxville
Labor and materials in Knoxville
Construction wages in the Knoxville area run 15% below the U.S. mean (BLS, May 2025), and materials in its ZIP codes price 1% below the national average. Together they give Knoxville a construction cost index of 0.91.
Where Knoxville sits in Tennessee
Knoxville is the 6th most expensive of the 6 Tennessee cities in our index, against a statewide index of 0.92. Nashville is the dearest at 0.96; no Tennessee city in it costs less.
Against the rest of the country
Of the 306 U.S. cities in JobFlex's index, Knoxville ranks 256th from the most expensive. The job that averages $10,200 here averages $11,300 at the national rate.
Frost depth in Tennessee
Deck footings go below the frost line, or they heave by the second spring. The typical code frost depth in Tennessee is about 12 in.. Your building department sets the exact figure.
The deck code in Tennessee
Decks here are built to the Tennessee residential code (2018 IRC, adopted by the State Fire Marshal's Office; a city may adopt its own). Guards are required at 36 in. where the deck is more than 30 in. up, and stair risers can be up to 7.75 in. Nashville has enforced the 2024 IRC since July 16, 2025; Knox County the 2018 IRC.
What decks are built of in Tennessee
Most used on decks in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee: treated pine, then capped composite, then cedar.
Sales tax in Tennessee
Tennessee's base state sales tax is 7%, and cities and counties can add their own. How it applies to a home-improvement contract varies, so ask whether a quote includes it. Prices on this page are before tax.
What a Knoxville contractor will ask before quoting
- Reuse the frame or rebuild?
- Height, railing style and stairs
- Board brand and color
Deck building cost in other Tennessee cities
A 300 sq ft deck with pressure-treated wood averages $10,200 in Knoxville; $10,500 in Memphis, $10,500 in Chattanooga, $10,500 in Murfreesboro.
| City | Average · range |
|---|---|
| Memphis, TN2% more | $10,500$7,250 – $13,700 |
| Chattanooga, TN2% more | $10,500$7,250 – $13,700 |
| Murfreesboro, TN2% more | $10,500$7,250 – $13,700 |
| Franklin, TN5% more | $10,800$7,450 – $14,100 |
| Nashville, TN5% more | $10,800$7,450 – $14,100 |
deck building price in Knoxville: questions
How much does it cost to build a deck in Knoxville, TN?
About $10,200 for a 300 sq ft deck with pressure-treated wood, and most Knoxville quotes fall between $7,100 and $13,400. That is 9% below the U.S. average, where the same job averages $11,300.
What is the deck price per square foot in Knoxville?
$24 to $45 per sq ft, about $34 on average with pressure-treated wood. Smaller jobs cost more per unit, because the fixed costs are spread over less.
How much is a 400 sq ft deck in Knoxville?
$9,150 to $17,100, about $13,100 on average, with pressure-treated wood — $33 per sq ft.
Do you need a permit for deck building in Knoxville?
Yes — a new deck needs a permit nearly everywhere, Knoxville included. In Tennessee, decks follow the Tennessee residential code (2018 IRC, adopted by the State Fire Marshal's Office; a city may adopt its own). The prices on this page carry $330–$1,000 for plans, permit and layout.
Does the price include sales tax in Tennessee?
No. The prices here are before tax; Tennessee's base state rate is 7%, plus any local rate.
What decking do people choose in Tennessee?
Most used on decks in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee: treated pine, then capped composite, then cedar.
Other home projects in Knoxville
Deck building cost in Tennessee
How these prices are built
Every price on this page comes from JobFlex's contractor price book: what a homeowner pays a licensed contractor for each step of the job, as a U.S. national average per unit, with the contractor's overhead and profit included and sales tax left out. The deck building is priced step by step, then multiplied by Knoxville's construction cost index of 0.91.
Where the price book's steps for an option add up to more than 20% over the installed price a published source gives for the whole job, every step but a permit fee is scaled down to the middle of that range: pressure-treated wood × 0.74 (HomeGuide 2026: $25–$50 per sq ft); capped composite × 0.80 (Ergeon 2026: $30–$60 per sq ft).
The index weighs local construction wages (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) at 60% and the area's material prices (Craftsman ZIP-area factors) at 40%. Published indices for Knoxville, each on its own base: HUD 0.89, Craftsman 1.03. Treat any city figure as about ±5%; a contractor's quote for your house is the number to plan with.
Contractors in Knoxville build quotes like these with JobFlex's Deck Studio.
- HomeGuide 2026: pressure-treated deck $25-$50/sqft installed, labor $15-$30/sqft
- Ergeon 2026: composite deck $30-$60/sqft installed
- HomeGuide 2026: composite railing $25-$60/lf, aluminum $50-$200/lf installed