Plenty of Palmerston North homes have a deck that has done 20 or 30 years. The question is whether it needs some attention or a full replacement. The answer almost always comes down to the frame underneath, not the boards on top.
Straight up: Rowdy Builders builds new decks, including full replacements of old ones. We do not do repairs or re-boarding on old frames. For small repairs, like a few boards or a loose step, a local handyman or carpenter is the better call.
If it is only the surface of the boards that is worn, a good clean and oil may be all it needs. See the deck care guide. If the frame is going, replacing the boards alone is wasted money.
A well-built deck frame in H4 and H3.2 treated timber should last decades. Boards vary: treated pine boards often last 10 to 20 years with maintenance, kwila 25 years or more, and good composite boards carry 20 to 25 year warranties. Decks that were under-built, poorly ventilated or never maintained fail much sooner.
Deck replacement cost is the cost of a new deck plus removing the old one. Removal is included in our quoted price, and indicatively adds around $20 to $60 per m² depending on size, height and how the old deck was built.
| Decking | Indicative installed price | Example: 20m² ground-level deck |
|---|---|---|
| H3.2 treated pine | $300 – $550 per m² | $6,000 – $11,000 |
| Kwila & hardwood | $450 – $850 per m² | $9,000 – $17,000 |
| Composite | $550 – $1,000 per m² | $11,000 – $20,000 |
These are indicative ranges only, not a quote. They are a rough guide based on typical New Zealand deck pricing, set deliberately wide. Height off the ground, ground conditions, access, board and fixing choice, stairs, balustrade, removal of an old deck and whether consent is needed all move the final number, sometimes a long way. The only price that counts is the fixed written price we give you after measuring up on site. Prices include GST.
Small repairs, like replacing a few boards or a step, are cheap compared with a rebuild, but only worth doing if the frame is sound. Once the frame needs work, a full deck rebuild is usually the better long-term spend.
Replacing deck boards with composite on an old timber deck usually means a new frame too, because composite needs closer joist spacing than most old timber decks were built with. Budget for a full composite deck at our indicative $550 to $1,000 per m², plus removal. See composite decking and the deck cost guide.
No. We build new decks, including pulling out and replacing old ones. For small repairs, a handyman or carpenter is the better option.
Indicatively the cost of a new deck, about $300 to $1,000 per m² depending on material, plus around $20 to $60 per m² to remove the old one. You get a fixed written price after we measure up.
Only if the frame is sound and spaced for the new boards. Composite usually needs a new frame because it needs closer joists.
Push a screwdriver into the joists, bearers and piles, especially near the ground and where the deck meets the house. If it sinks in easily, there is rot.
Yes. When we replace a deck, removing and carting away the old one is included in the price we quote.
Free on-site quote. Fixed written price within 48 hours.
