Deck vs Patio Calculator

Cost and ROI comparison for outdoor living spaces.

Deck total cost ($)

$21,898.00

Patio total cost ($)

$9,939.00

Inputs

Outdoor area sq ft

Deck material (0-3)

Patio material (0-3)

Deck height (0-3)

Deck railing (0/1)

Deck stairs (0/1)

Years to compare

Home value ($)

Comparison

Deck cost/SF ($)

$72.99

Deck cost per square foot installed.

Patio cost/SF ($)

$33.13

Patio cost per square foot installed.

Deck annual maintenance ($)

$45.00

Yearly deck maintenance cost (staining, sealing, washing).

Patio annual maintenance ($)

$60.00

Yearly patio maintenance cost (sealing, weed control).

Deck total ownership ($)

$22,573.00

Deck cost + maintenance over comparison period.

Patio total ownership ($)

$10,839.00

Patio cost + maintenance over comparison period.

Deck resale value ($)

$14,891.00

Estimated value added at resale.

Patio resale value ($)

$5,963.00

Estimated value added at resale.

Deck lifespan (years)

Expected lifespan of deck material.

Patio lifespan (years)

Expected lifespan of patio material.

Savings choosing patio ($)

$11,735.00

Total ownership savings if choosing patio over deck (positive = patio cheaper).

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your desired outdoor area in square feet.
Select deck material (pressure-treated wood, composite, PVC, or hardwood) and deck height above grade.
Select patio material (concrete, stamped concrete, pavers, or flagstone) for comparison.
Toggle deck railing inclusion to add railing costs to the deck estimate.
Review and compare total cost, cost per square foot, and long-term maintenance estimates for each option.

How the result changes with Outdoor area sq ft

Outdoor area sq ft	Deck total cost ($)	Patio total cost ($)
195	$15,561.00	$6,586.00
558	$37,474.00	$18,087.00
993	$63,146.00	$31,699.00
1,355	$84,254.00	$42,968.00

What each input means

Outdoor area sq ft: Square footage of the outdoor living space.
Deck material (0-3): 0 = Pressure-treated ($8/SF), 1 = Cedar ($14/SF), 2 = Composite ($22/SF), 3 = Tropical hardwood ($30/SF).
Patio material (0-3): 0 = Poured concrete ($8/SF), 1 = Stamped concrete ($14/SF), 2 = Pavers ($18/SF), 3 = Flagstone ($25/SF).
Deck height (0-3): 0 = Ground level, 1 = Low (2-4ft), 2 = Elevated (4-8ft), 3 = High (8ft+).
Deck railing (0/1): 1 = Include railing (required by code if deck > 30 inches high).
Deck stairs (0/1): 1 = Include stairs from deck to ground.
Years to compare: Number of years for total cost of ownership comparison.
Home value ($): Current home value for ROI context.

What each result means

Deck total cost ($): Total installed cost of the deck.
Patio total cost ($): Total installed cost of the patio.
Deck cost/SF ($): Deck cost per square foot installed.
Patio cost/SF ($): Patio cost per square foot installed.
Deck annual maintenance ($): Yearly deck maintenance cost (staining, sealing, washing).
Patio annual maintenance ($): Yearly patio maintenance cost (sealing, weed control).
Deck total ownership ($): Deck cost + maintenance over comparison period.
Patio total ownership ($): Patio cost + maintenance over comparison period.
Deck resale value ($): Estimated value added at resale.
Deck lifespan (years): Expected lifespan of deck material.
Patio lifespan (years): Expected lifespan of patio material.
Savings choosing patio ($): Total ownership savings if choosing patio over deck (positive = patio cheaper).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Outdoor area sq ft = 300, Deck material (0-3) = 2, Patio material (0-3) = 2, Deck height (0-3) = 1 = 8 input(s) provided
Calculate Deck total cost
Deck total cost = deckMaterialTotal + deckLaborCost
21898 = $21,898
Calculate Patio total cost
Patio total cost = patioMaterialTotal + patioLaborCost
9939 = $9,939
Calculate Deck cost/SF
Deck cost/SF = round((deckTotalCost / max(1
72.99 = $72.99
Calculate Patio cost/SF
Patio cost/SF = round((patioTotalCost / max(1
33.13 = $33.13