A homeowner posted on boards.ie that they had been quoted close to ten grand for a 23 square metre composite deck with railing, and asked the obvious question: is that normal? The honest answer is that nobody could tell them, because a total price on its own means nothing. The number that actually lets you compare one deck against another is the decking cost per square metre. Get that figure, understand what sits inside it, and a confusing pile of quotes turns into a like-for-like comparison. This guide gives you the 2026 Irish per square metre ranges and, more usefully, shows you how to read them.
What “Per Square Metre” Actually Means (And Why Online Prices Mislead)
There are two completely different numbers floating around when people talk about decking by the square metre, and mixing them up is where most of the confusion and most of the price-shock comes from.
The first is the board-only price. That is what you see on a supplier’s website: a composite board sold per square metre, often somewhere between €35 and €90 depending on the grade. It is a real number, but it is only the timber or composite you walk on. It does not include the frame underneath, the posts, the joists, the fixings, the labour, the waste, or anything else that turns a stack of boards into a deck you can actually stand on.
The second is the supply-and-fit price, sometimes called supply-and-install. This is the all-in figure for a finished deck, including the structural subframe that everything sits on. This is the only number worth comparing quotes against, and it is the one we mean for the rest of this guide.
The gap between the two is exactly why a homeowner can see boards for €55 per square metre online, then get an installer’s quote of €180 per square metre and assume they are being robbed. They are not comparing the same thing. One is a single ingredient, the other is the whole job, built and finished. For a fuller breakdown of how the pricing fits together, see what decking costs in Louth.
Decking Cost Per Square Metre in Ireland: The 2026 Figures
Here are realistic supply-and-fit ranges for Ireland in 2026, including the subframe, for a straightforward ground-level deck with no steps, no railings and reasonable access.
| Decking type | Per m² (supply and fit, inc. subframe) |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated softwood timber | €80 to €130 |
| Hardwood timber (iroko, ipe) | €120 to €190 |
| Composite, standard range | €150 to €220 |
| Composite, premium capped boards | €220 to €290+ |
To put that into a real garden, a typical 20 square metre back garden deck works out at roughly:
- Pressure-treated softwood: €1,600 to €2,600
- Standard composite: €3,000 to €4,400
- Premium composite: €4,400 to €5,800+
Timber sits lower because the material is cheaper, but it carries an upkeep bill that composite does not, since it needs cleaning and re-coating to stop it greying and going slippery. Composite costs more per square metre upfront and earns it back over the years with very little upkeep. If you are weighing the two, our composite decking in Louth page covers where the higher rate is worth paying and where it is not.
What an Honest Per-Square-Metre Rate Should Include
Two installers can quote wildly different per square metre figures and both be telling the truth, because they have drawn the line in different places. A fair, comparable rate should already cover:
- The structural subframe, properly spaced and ventilated, which is the part that decides how long the deck lasts
- The decking boards, fixed and finished
- A weed membrane under the deck
- Basic site cleanup
Some things are legitimately costed on top, and that is fine as long as they are listed rather than buried. Steps are the big one, and each step run typically adds €300 to €800 depending on width and material. Railings and balustrades, integrated lighting, perimeter fascia boards, and removal of an existing deck are the other usual extras. None of these should appear as a surprise at the end. They should be itemised at the quote stage so you can see them, which is the whole point of an itemised quote. We go deeper on this in are there hidden costs with decking.
This is also where the State’s consumer watchdog is blunt. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission advises getting a written quote rather than a verbal estimate, because a written quote gives you stronger rights if the final bill does not match what you were told. The CCPC’s guidance on hiring tradespeople is worth two minutes before you commit to any garden job, not just decking.
Why the Lowest Per-Square-Metre Price Is Often the Most Expensive
Once you have your quotes converted to a per square metre figure, the temptation is to circle the smallest one. Resist it. The same CCPC guidance is clear that the lowest quote is not automatically the best value, and decking is a textbook example of why.
A suspiciously low rate usually means a corner has been cut somewhere you cannot see. The most common one is the subframe: thinner timber, posts spaced too far apart, no proper ventilation underneath. The boards look grand on day one, then the frame holds damp, the deck starts to move, and within a couple of winters you have the grey, soft, slightly bouncy deck that gives decking its bad name in Ireland. A low rate can also mean untreated or poorly treated timber, no allowance for removing your old deck, or no waste disposal, all of which land back on you later.
The figure that matters is not the cheapest per square metre. It is the lowest honest per square metre for a deck built to last in our weather. That distinction is the entire reason the maintenance and replacement market exists, and it is why so much of our work across Dundalk, Blackrock, Carlingford and Ardee is ripping out a bargain deck that failed and replacing it with one built properly the first time. A deck quoted straight, with the subframe done right and the old deck taken away, costs more on paper than the rock-bottom option and far less over its life.
If you want a written, itemised price you can actually compare, that is exactly how we quote. You see the per square metre rate for the deck, with steps, railings and old-deck removal listed separately, and no surprises at the end. Call Seamus on 085 168 5170 or message us on WhatsApp and he will call out, measure up, and get a clear quote back to you.