How much does a 400 sq ft deck cost in Knoxville, TN?
| Typical total$30 per ft² of deck | $11,860 |
|---|---|
| Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this | $8,985 – $17,970 |
| Labor portion55% of the job — this is the part that moves by city | $6,523 |
| Material portion45% — bought at national prices | $5,337 |
| Carpenters pay near Knoxvilleabout $26/hr · Knoxville, TN metro | $53,520/yr |
| U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 47-2031 | $65,630/yr |
| Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs −18.5% against the U.S. mean | −$1,340 |
Notes
- Where the number comes from. The national price for a pressure-treated deck build is $33 per ft² of deck — pressure-treated deck pricing published for 2026, $25–$50 per ft² installed. Labor is about 55% of that. Carpenters near Knoxville, TN average $53,520 a year against a U.S. mean of $65,630 — a factor of 0.815 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Knoxville, TN metro area, SOC 47-2031.
- Why the city matters, not just the state. Trade pay moves inside a state as much as it does between states. Crews do not commute across a state to bid a job, and materials ship at national prices either way — so a metro wage is the honest input here and a state average quietly rounds four different cities into one number.
- What is in the price: footings, framing, pressure-treated decking, fasteners, a code-compliant railing, and labor.
- What is not: stairs beyond two steps, permits, ledger repair on the house, and any grading work. These are the lines that turn a $11,860 quote into a $14,825 invoice, so ask about each one before signing.
- Use this as a bid check, not a quote. It prices an average job in average condition. Difficult access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a per-unit average.
a pressure-treated deck build in Knoxville, TN
$11,860 is the typical number, and three bids on the same scope normally land between $8,985 and $17,970.
That is $1,340 less than the same job priced at the national average.
Why the city changes the number
About 55% of this job is labor — $6,523 of the $11,860 above. Labor is the only part that moves locally; a bundle of material costs what it costs wherever it is nailed down.
Carpenters near Knoxville average $53,520 a year, against a U.S. mean of $65,630. That is a factor of 0.815, so the labor half is scaled by it and the material half is not.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Knoxville, TN metro area, SOC 47-2031.
What the quote should include
The lines that turn a quote into an invoice
Ask about each of them before you sign. On a job this size they are the difference between $11,860 and something a quarter higher.
Use it as a bid check, not a quote
This prices an average job in average condition. Access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a national average.
If a bid lands outside $8,985 – $17,970, that is not automatically wrong — but it is the question worth asking out loud.
Nearby sizes
Read more
- Deck Cost by State — Priced From BLS Carpenter PayDeck quotes vary more within a town than between states, and this table shows why: carpenter pay ranges 45% across the country but only lands on 55% of the bill.
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- Cost to Replace Deck Boards Only: When Resurfacing Beats RebuildingResurfacing saves roughly half the cost of a rebuild, provided the frame underneath has more life left than the boards you are about to screw to it.
- Deck Board Gap: Why Wet Lumber and Composite Need Opposite NumbersThere is no single correct gap. There is a correct gap for a board that is going to shrink and a different one for a board that is going to grow.