Per-square-foot pricing is the metric every GTA homeowner uses to compare quotes, and the one most contractors quote in. The trouble is that “$45 a square foot” covers a wider range of actual builds than “between five and ten thousand dollars” does. A 12×12 PT platform at $45/sq ft is a fair price. A composite walkout at $45/sq ft is suspicious.
Below is what I’ve actually seen quoted across the GTA in 2026, organized by the variables that matter most: material, region, and build complexity. All figures are installed, in CAD, before HST, unless noted.
Pressure-treated decks
Pressure-treated (PT) remains the price floor. PT carries the cheapest material cost, the fastest install, and the simplest framing — so it’s the natural starting point for any comparison.
- Toronto core:$48–$68 per sq ft installed for a basic platform deck under 30″ high. Add $4–$8 if access is tight (narrow side yards, materials through the house).
- Mississauga / Brampton / Vaughan:$42–$58 per sq ft installed. Newer subdivision lots simplify access and shave a few dollars off the Toronto rate.
- Oakville / Burlington / Milton:$44–$62 per sq ft installed. Slightly above Peel because more builds here assume basic premium features (aluminum railing minimum).
- Durham (Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa): $40–$56 per sq ft installed. Durham labour rates run a touch below the rest of the GTA.
- Hamilton / Guelph:$40–$56 per sq ft for straightforward builds; mountain-edge Hamilton lots with grade changes can run $52–$68.
These ranges assume a simple rectangular layout, three steps to grade, basic pressure-treated railing with wood balusters, and standard 1.2 m sonotubes. No demolition. No lighting.
Cedar decks
Cedar pricing across the GTA is fairly consistent because the material has to ship in from BC and pricing has less regional variance than PT.
- Toronto core:$62–$85 per sq ft installed.
- Mississauga / Brampton / Vaughan / Markham: $58–$78 per sq ft installed.
- Oakville / Burlington / Milton:$60–$82 per sq ft installed.
- Durham:$56–$74 per sq ft installed.
- Hamilton / Guelph:$58–$80 per sq ft installed. Guelph trends slightly higher because cedar carries architectural premium in the heritage neighbourhoods.
Watch for clear vs. knotty grade in the quote. A “cedar deck” quote at the low end of the range is almost always knotty cedar; clear-grade cedar adds roughly $6–$10 per sq ft.
Capped composite (mid-tier: Trex Enhance, TimberTech Edge, Fiberon Sanctuary)
- Toronto core:$75–$96 per sq ft installed.
- Mississauga / Brampton / Vaughan / Markham / Richmond Hill:$68–$88 per sq ft installed.
- Oakville / Burlington:$72–$92 per sq ft installed. Oakville sits at the high end because premium railing packages are baked into most quotes here.
- Milton / Durham:$66–$84 per sq ft installed.
- Hamilton / Guelph:$66–$86 per sq ft installed.
Premium capped composite / PVC (Trex Transcend, TimberTech Legacy, Fiberon Concordia, AZEK)
- Toronto core:$92–$130 per sq ft installed.
- Vaughan / Markham / Oakville:$86–$120 per sq ft installed. The York and Halton high end is where premium material spending concentrates.
- Mississauga / Brampton / Richmond Hill / Burlington: $80–$112 per sq ft installed.
- Milton / Durham / Hamilton / Guelph: $76–$104 per sq ft installed.
What moves a quote inside its range
Three variables explain almost all of the inside-the-range swing on otherwise identical material specs:
- Railing type.Wood balusters vs. aluminum balusters vs. cable vs. glass can add $20–$80 per linear foot to the railing line. On a 30-foot run that’s $600–$2,400 of swing inside the same composite-deck quote.
- Site access & demolition.Materials carried through the house add labour hours. Demoing an old deck adds $4–$8 per sq ft. Both surface as “site conditions” lines but they’re material to the bottom-of-range pricing.
- Height off grade.Anything over ~5′ high shifts framing into 2×10 or 2×12 joists and may require diagonal bracing. Adds $5–$12 per sq ft over the comparable platform-deck rate.
A quote you can trust shows these line items
Any contractor pricing this work properly will break the quote down into at least these lines:
- Demolition (if applicable)
- Excavation and footings
- Framing (joists, beams, ledger, posts)
- Decking material + fasteners
- Railing + balusters (per linear foot or as a package)
- Stairs (per step or as a stair package)
- Permit + drawings (line-itemed, not buried)
- Disposal and cleanup
- Contingency or change-order rate (1–5% is normal)
If the quote arrives as a single number with a payment schedule, ask for it broken out before you sign. Most reputable GTA builders will provide this without complaint — the ones who can’t are usually the ones whose quote you most want to scrutinize.
What to do with these numbers
Use them as a sanity check, not as a contract. If a Toronto contractor quotes you $42/sq ft for a composite walkout, something is wrong — either the spec is being cut (cheap hardware, no flashing, no permit) or the bid is an undercut they’ll recover through change orders. If a quote comes in 30% above the top of the range, ask which line items justify the premium — sometimes there’s a real reason (engineered drawings, complex cantilever), sometimes there isn’t.
Three quotes is the working minimum, and they should all be on the same spec sheet so the numbers actually compare. The calculator is built to give you that spec sheet automatically. The cost guide walks through how each line adds up.