You have probably heard the pitch: composite decking costs more up front, but it pays for itself in ten years because you never stain it. It sounds airtight. It is also only sometimes true, and whether it is true for you comes down to two numbers most people never actually run: how much you will spend maintaining wood, and how long you will stay in the house.
So let us do what the marketing brochures will not. Run the real numbers.
The upfront gap is real, and it is big
Start with what you pay on day one. In 2026, installed costs look roughly like this. Pressure-treated wood runs about $15 to $35 per square foot installed, materials and labor together. Composite runs about $30 to $60 per square foot installed, with mid-grade boards in the $35 to $55 range and premium brands like Trex pushing $50 to $70. Across the board, composite costs roughly 40 to 60 percent more up front than pressure-treated wood.
Put that on a real deck. Take a common 300 square foot deck. Pressure-treated wood at about $28 per square foot is roughly $8,500. Mid-grade composite at about $45 per square foot is roughly $13,500. That is a $5,000 head start the wood deck gets to keep, and the composite deck has to make it back through lower maintenance before it comes out ahead.
The maintenance gap is also real, and it runs the other way
Here is where composite earns its reputation. Pressure-treated wood needs to be cleaned, then stained or sealed every one to three years to keep it from graying, cracking, and rotting. A professional staining runs about $300 to $800 per application depending on deck size and your area. Do it yourself and materials run more like $75 to $150 a time, plus a weekend.
Composite needs almost nothing. Soap, water, and a brush a couple of times a year. No stain, no seal, no sanding. Call it $5 to $15 a year.
So the wood deck spends the next decade slowly giving back its upfront savings, and the composite deck sits there costing nothing. The whole question is whether wood gives it all back within the time you actually own the deck.
The real 10-year math
Run our 300 square foot example out ten years, using professional staining every two and a half years.
The wood deck: about $8,500 up front, plus roughly four stainings at about $500 each, so about $2,000 in maintenance. Ten-year total, about $10,500.
The composite deck: about $13,500 up front, plus roughly $100 in cleaning supplies. Ten-year total, about $13,600.
At the ten-year mark, the composite deck has still cost about $3,000 more, not less. This is the part the “pays for itself in ten years” pitch quietly skips. Under normal maintenance assumptions, composite usually has not caught up by year ten.
Now change one assumption and watch it flip. If you would pay for staining every year instead of every two and a half, or you live somewhere with harsh sun or an HOA that requires a well-kept deck, wood maintenance can run $450 to $850 a year. At that rate, ten years of wood upkeep is $4,500 to $8,500, and the composite deck breaks even somewhere between year seven and year ten. Same two decks, completely different answer, driven entirely by your maintenance number.
That is the real lesson. Composite versus wood is not a fixed rule. It is a break-even that moves with your assumptions.
The lifespan question changes everything past year 15
Cost per year is only half the story. The other half is how long each deck lasts before you replace it.
A pressure-treated wood deck typically lasts about 10 to 20 years, and closer to the low end if maintenance slips. Composite typically lasts 25 to 30 years or more. That gap matters, because a wood deck you keep for 20 years usually needs a rebuild inside that window, and a rebuild is not a stain, it is another $8,500.
So the honest picture is a curve, not a single number. In the first ten years, wood is almost always cheaper. Somewhere around year 12 to 18, depending on your maintenance and whether the wood needs replacing, composite pulls even. Past that, composite wins and keeps winning, because it is still standing while the wood deck is on its second life.
So which should you actually buy?
Forget the slogans and answer two questions.
How long will you stay? If you plan to be in the home 15 years or more, composite usually wins on total cost, and you get the no-weekends-lost bonus for free. If you might move within 10 years, pressure-treated wood is almost always the cheaper choice, and the next owner inherits the maintenance.
How much will you really maintain? Be honest. If you know you will stain every couple of years like clockwork, wood stays cheap. If you know that deck will go gray because life gets busy, you are either paying a pro or letting it rot, and composite starts looking a lot smarter.
There is no universally right answer here, only the right answer for your timeline and your habits. A budget-conscious homeowner planning to sell in five years and a stay-forever family should not buy the same deck.
Run your own version with our Deck Cost Calculator to price both materials for your exact size, and use the Deck Stain Calculator to see what a decade of keeping wood looking good will actually cost you.
The bottom line
Composite decking is not a scam, and it is not a guaranteed ten-year money-saver either. It is a long-hold, low-effort investment that pays off if you stay long enough and would have spent real money maintaining wood. Pressure-treated wood is the better buy if your horizon is short or your budget is tight today. The slogan picks one answer for everyone. Your numbers pick the right one for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is composite decking actually cheaper than wood over time?
Sometimes. Composite costs about 40 to 60 percent more up front and almost nothing to maintain, while pressure-treated wood is cheaper to build but needs staining every one to three years. Composite usually does not break even until somewhere around year 12 to 18, so it wins for long-term owners and loses for people who move within about ten years.
How much does a composite deck cost versus pressure-treated wood in 2026?
Installed, pressure-treated wood runs about $15 to $35 per square foot and composite about $30 to $60 per square foot. On a 300 square foot deck, that is roughly $8,500 for wood versus about $13,500 for mid-grade composite, a difference of around $5,000 up front.
How often do you have to stain a pressure-treated wood deck?
Every one to three years, depending on climate, sun exposure, and wear. Professional staining runs about $300 to $800 per application, or roughly $75 to $150 in materials if you do it yourself. Skipping it leads to graying, cracking, and eventually rot.
How long does each type of deck last?
Pressure-treated wood typically lasts about 10 to 20 years with regular maintenance. Composite typically lasts 25 to 30 years or more with almost no upkeep. The replacement cost of a wood deck is a big reason composite pulls ahead over the long run.
Does composite decking add more home value than wood?
Both can add value, but neither returns its full cost at resale, like most improvements. Composite can be a selling point for buyers who do not want maintenance, while a well-kept wood deck still shows nicely. If you are selling soon, the cheaper wood deck usually makes more financial sense.
Related calculators
- Deck Cost Calculator : price your deck by size and material
- Deck Stain Calculator : estimate stain, coverage, and what upkeep costs
- Deck Board Calculator : how many boards your deck needs
Sources and methodology: Installed cost ranges, lifespan, and maintenance figures reflect 2026 industry cost guides and decking retailers, cross-referenced across multiple sources. All figures are national ranges for estimation only. Your actual cost depends on deck size and height, board grade and brand, regional labor rates, site conditions, and how diligently a wood deck is maintained. This article is general educational information, not a quote. Get itemized estimates from local contractors before you build.