If you are pricing a deck for a garden in Dundalk, the honest starting point is that nobody can give you an exact figure without seeing the garden. What we can give you are realistic local ranges and the real total costs for the kinds of gardens we actually build in around here. So here is what decking costs in Dundalk in 2026, in plain figures, with the things that move the price up or down for a typical Louth garden spelled out.
Decking Cost in Dundalk: The 2026 Ranges
Decking is priced per square metre for supply and fit, with the structural subframe included. These are the ranges we work to for a straightforward, ground-level deck in a Dundalk garden:
| Decking type | Per m² (supply and fit) |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated softwood | €80 to €130 |
| Hardwood timber | €120 to €190 |
| Standard composite | €150 to €220 |
| Premium capped composite | €220 to €290+ |
The per square metre figure is only useful once you turn it into a real total for a real garden, and if you want the detail on how to read a price per square metre and use it to sense-check quotes, that is covered in full elsewhere. For the common Dundalk garden sizes, here is roughly what those rates add up to:
- A small town or terraced back garden, around 12m²: roughly €1,000 to €1,560 in softwood, or €1,800 to €2,640 in standard composite.
- An average semi-detached garden, around 20m²: roughly €1,600 to €2,600 in softwood, or €3,000 to €4,400 in standard composite.
- A larger garden, around 30m²: roughly €2,400 to €3,900 in softwood, or €4,500 to €6,600 in standard composite.
These assume a level deck with no steps, no railings and decent access. Extras are costed on top and listed separately, never sprung on you at the end.
What Changes the Price in a Dundalk Garden
Two gardens of the same size can come back with quite different quotes, and around Dundalk and the Louth towns these are the usual reasons.
- Size, and the small-garden effect. Smaller decks often cost a little more per square metre than larger ones, because the fixed parts of any job, the setup, the delivery, the cutting in, are spread over fewer metres. A compact Dundalk town garden will not be as cheap per metre as a big open garden out the county.
- Slope and levels. Gardens around Carlingford and the higher ground often slope, and a sloped garden needs decking built up over it on posts, with extra timber and sometimes steps. That adds cost, but it is still usually cheaper than levelling the ground for a patio.
- Access. A terraced house with no rear access, where every board and bag has to come through the hall, takes longer and sometimes needs floor protection. Difficult access quietly adds to any trade quote.
- Ground conditions. A boggy, uneven, or freshly cleared new-build garden may need levelling or extra ground preparation before the frame goes down.
- The extras. Steps add roughly €300 to €800 per run, and railings, lighting and removing an old deck are all real line items. The fair approach is to list them so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
Why a Local Dundalk Quote Beats a Dublin One
A lot of the bigger decking outfits chasing Louth work are based in Dublin and cover half of Leinster. When a firm is travelling up from Dublin, that time has to be paid for somewhere, and it usually finds its way into the price or into how often they can call back if something needs sorting. We are a Dundalk father-and-son team. There is no travel premium loaded into the figure, the work comes by word of mouth across the Louth towns, and if you need us back, we are ten minutes down the road, not an hour and a half. For a local trade, that accountability is worth as much as the price itself.
Getting an Exact Figure for Your Garden
The only way to a firm number is a quick look at the garden. We come out, measure up, talk through timber or composite, and put a written, itemised price in your hand with everything listed. There is no charge for that and no obligation. It is also the moment to follow the standard consumer advice: the CCPC recommends getting a written quote and comparing a few before you commit, and a clear local quote makes that easy. If you want the wider picture first, our guide to how decking is priced walks through the whole cost question.
We build decks right across Dundalk, Blackrock, Carlingford, Ardee, Castlebellingham and the rest of County Louth, and we quote the same way every time: in person, in writing, with nothing hidden. Call Seamus on 085 168 5170 or message us on WhatsApp for a free local quote, and he will call out and get a clear price back to you.