Deck Addition

Cost vs. Value
Deck Addition

2001 Cost vs. Value home

Project (average cost recouped, national)

Minor kitchen remodel (88%)

Bathroom remodel (85%)

Major kitchen remodel (81%)

Family room addition (80%)

Deck addition (77%)

Master suite (75%)

Attic bedroom (74%)

Siding replacement (73%)

Window replacement (69%)

Home office (55%)

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2002 Cost vs. Value Report

2000 Cost vs. Value Report

More than 30 million American homes have decks, and about 3 million new decks are built every year. Philadelphia real estate pro Tom Lombardi says it’s hard to go wrong adding one. “They motivate buyers. It’s like adding an extra room for the warm weather.” Decks extend indoor areas outside and provide a space for recreation, dining, even gardening. In cities, decks take the place of yards.

“If it’s the difference between a deck and no outdoor space at all, it’s very valuable,” says Deborah Solo, of Solo Realty, also in Philadelphia, who sells houses and condominiums in the downtown Center City area. She estimates that, in her market, decks recoup about 70 percent of cost because they offer outdoor access and “they’re not terribly expensive.”

The cost of the deck in our project description ranges from a low of just over $5,000 (Sioux Falls, S.D.) to $8,280 (San Francisco). Decks bring back an average of 77 percent nationwide.

Design Tips for Consumers

Design the deck as something other than a rectangle.—Kurtz
Consider using a laminated safety glass instead of pickets for the railing, so as not to block the view.—Porter
Add decorative posts with pre-made copper-topped finials or post caps.—Freysinger

Project Description
Add a 16-by-20-foot deck of pressure-treated pine supported by 4-by-4 posts set into concrete footings. Include a built-in bench, railings, and planter, also of pressure-treated pine.

Region or City	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped
East Average	$6,227	$4,943	79%
Albany, N.Y.	5,547	2,875	52
Baltimore	5,652	3,209	57
Boston	7,210	10,000	139
Burlington, Vt.	5,196	3,718	72
Garden City, N.Y.	7,427	8,350	112
Hartford, Conn.	6,128	5,125	84
Lancaster, Pa.	5,985	4,667	78
Nashua, N.H.	5,437	1,875	34
New Haven, Conn.	6,374	8,352	131
Passaic, N.J.	6,729	4,667	69
Philadelphia	6,423	4,542	71
Pittsburgh	6,154	3,750	61
Providence, R.I.	6,015	4,104	68
Westchester, N.Y.	7,173	3,750	52
Wilmington, Del.	5,951	5,163	87
South Average	$5,294	$4,007	76%
Atlanta	5,932	6,500	110
Birmingham, Ala.	5,724	4,750	83
Columbia, S.C.	4,834	2,854	59
Dallas-Ft. Worth	5,496	2,619	48
Houston	5,704	2,750	48
Jacksonville, Fla.	4,806	3,760	78
Knoxville, Tenn.	4,277	2,556	60
Louisville, Ky.	5,994	4,599	77
Miami	5,094	5,625	110
New Orleans	5,111	2,592	51
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.	4,585	3,734	81
Richmond, Va.	5,379	3,000	56
Tampa, Fla.	5,325	2,700	51
Tulsa, Okla.	5,276	5,560	105
Washington, D.C.	5,879	6,500	111
Midwest Average	$5,640	$3,992	71%
Chicago	6,453	5,400	84
Cleveland	5,969	2,750	46
Columbus, Ohio	5,291	5,750	109
Des Moines, Iowa	5,492	2,600	47
Detroit	5,874	4,775	81
Fargo, N.D.	4,634	2,981	64
Grand Rapids, Mich.	5,139	3,800	74
Indianapolis	5,995	3,250	54
Kansas City, Mo.	5,721	3,875	68
Madison, Wis.	5,881	4,416	75
Milwaukee	6,001	5,667	94
Minneapolis	6,237	3,400	55
St. Louis	5,904	4,900	83
Sioux Falls, S.D.	5,096	2,560	50
Wichita, Kan.	4,913	3,755	76
West Average	$6,300	$5,051	80%
Albuquerque, N.M.	5,277	2,769	52
Boise, Idaho	5,457	4,001	73
Colorado Springs, Colo.	6,203	2,420	39
Denver	6,234	3,833	61
Honolulu	7,866	9,967	127
Las Vegas	5,997	2,750	46
Los Angeles	6,670	5,250	79
Phoenix	5,269	2,250	43
Portland, Ore.	6,185	4,000	65
Sacramento, Calif.	7,204	4,300	60
Salt Lake City	5,277	3,125	59
San Diego	6,269	9,800	156
San Francisco	8,280	12,200	147
Seattle	6,494	6,000	92
Spokane, Wash.	5,813	3,100	53
National Average	$5,865	$4,498	77%

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