How do I price a deck per square metre?

Add up boards, subframe, fixings and labour into a rate per square metre, then put stumps, balustrade and stairs on separately. Karven's deck calculator builds those lines from the deck size.

Can the customer choose between merbau and blackbutt?

Yes. Set the boards as a pick-one choice and they choose on their phone. The total updates as they pick.

Does a deck need council approval?

It depends on the height, the size and your council. Raised decks often need approval and engineering. If it applies, add it as its own line.

Should oiling be in the deck price?

Make it clear either way. Many deck builders add the oil as a line by the litre, two coats, so the customer can see it.

Can I see how I priced a decking quote months later?

Yes. Open the quote and download Your private breakdown (PDF). It is never sent to the customer.

What does Karven cost for deck builders?

It is free for 21 days with no card needed. Then Starter is $29/mo inc GST with unlimited quotes. Card deposits cost Stripe's fee plus 0.5% to Karven.

Decking quote software: Deck quotes customers can say yes to, with the numbers behind them kept private.

Enter the deck size and the calculator works out boards, joists, bearers, stumps and labour. Customers can compare merbau and blackbutt before they accept.

Start free, no card Free decking quote template

Free for 21 days from the day you set up, with no card needed. Then $29/mo inc GST.

Deck builder screwing down hardwood decking boards on a new backyard deck — Type "deck" and Common for Decking brings up boards, oil and the old deck tip-off, each at your cost per square metre or litre.

What your customer opens on their phone

This is the real Karven quote for a sample decking job, with 20% profit on top. Your customer gets the same quote as a link and a PDF.

Decking at 14 Banksia Avenue

Prices ex GST

Deck

Build a new deck. Size: 3m x 2.4m. Boards: Merbau. Treated pine subframe on concreted stumps. Stainless fixings throughout. Finished to suit the boards: decking oil for timber decks. Site left clean, offcuts removed.

Decking boards supplied, merbau

7.2 m² × $192.00

$1,382.40

Subframe: joists + bearers

7.2 m² × $36.00

$259.20

Screws + fixings

7.2 m² × $8.40

$60.48

Decking oil supplied + applied, 2 coats

2 litres × $72.00

$144.00

Labour: build + lay

7.2 m² × $138.00

$993.60

Demolish old deck + tip

7.2 m² × $42.00

$302.40

Includes all work and materials listed above.

Subtotal (ex GST)

$3,142.08

GST (10%)

$314.21

Total inc GST

$3,456.29

A $345.63 deposit (10% of the total) is due when you accept.

The customer sees boards, subframe, fixings, oil and labour by the square metre, GST once, the deposit, then Accept.

Decking at 14 Banksia Avenue

Prices ex GST

Deck

Build a new deck. Size: 3m x 2.4m. Boards: Merbau. Treated pine subframe on concreted stumps. Stainless fixings throughout. Finished to suit the boards: decking oil for timber decks. Site left clean, offcuts removed.

Decking boards supplied, merbau

$1,382.40

Decking boards supplied, blackbutt

$1,555.20

Subframe: joists + bearers

7.2 m² × $36.00

$259.20

Screws + fixings

7.2 m² × $8.40

$60.48

Decking oil supplied + applied, 2 coats

2 litres × $72.00

$144.00

Labour: build + lay

7.2 m² × $138.00

$993.60

Demolish old deck + tip

7.2 m² × $42.00

$302.40

Stumps + footings

$60.00

Includes all work and materials listed above.

Subtotal (ex GST)

$3,374.88

GST (10%)

$337.49

Total inc GST

$3,712.37

A $371.24 deposit (10% of the total) is due when you accept.

Your price$3,712.37Review and accept →

Merbau or blackbutt as a pick-one, plus stumps and footings as an extra. They can see what the hardwood upgrade costs before they ask.

Two sides of every quote

The decking quote they see, and the breakdown only you see

Your customer sees the Full breakdown, Section totals or Total only. You keep every cost and your profit in a private breakdown.

Decking at 14 Banksia Avenue

Prices ex GST

Deck

Build a new deck. Size: 3m x 2.4m. Boards: Merbau. Treated pine subframe on concreted stumps. Stainless fixings throughout. Finished to suit the boards: decking oil for timber decks. Site left clean, offcuts removed.

7.2 m² Decking boards supplied, merbau
7.2 m² Subframe: joists + bearers
7.2 m² Screws + fixings
2 litres Decking oil supplied + applied, 2 coats
7.2 m² Labour: build + lay
7.2 m² Demolish old deck + tip

$3,142.08

Subtotal (ex GST)

$3,142.08

GST (10%)

$314.21

Total inc GST

$3,456.29

A $345.63 deposit (10% of the total) is due when you accept.

What Sam sees at Section totals: what each part covers and costs, with one total inc GST.

RD-2026-014-reference.pdfYour private breakdown (PDF)

Private: your costs and profit

Ridgeline Decks · Quote RD-2026-014 · for Sam Nguyen · 20 Oct 2026

Only you see this. Don't send it to your customer.

Deck

Decking boards supplied, merbau (m²) × 7.27.2Your cost$1,152.00Customer pays$1,382.40Your profit$230.40
Subframe: joists + bearers (m²) × 7.27.2Your cost$216.00Customer pays$259.20Your profit$43.20
Screws + fixings (m²) × 7.27.2Your cost$50.40Customer pays$60.48Your profit$10.08
Decking oil supplied + applied, 2 coats (litres) × 22Your cost$120.00Customer pays$144.00Your profit$24.00
Labour: build + lay (m²) × 7.27.2Your cost$828.00Customer pays$993.60Your profit$165.60
Demolish old deck + tip (m²) × 7.27.2Your cost$252.00Customer pays$302.40Your profit$50.40

Your cost: $2,618.40
Your profit (20% on top of cost): $523.68
Customer price ex GST: $3,142.08
GST (10%): $314.21
Total inc GST: $3,456.29
Deposit (10%): $345.63

Your customer sees section totals only.

Private note

Measured up on site with Sam. Supplier prices as at the day I quoted.

Reference copy · not for customer · RD-2026-014 · Ridgeline Decks

When a customer asks the next spring about a re-oil and an extra step, the breakdown shows the boards, the subframe and the oil you allowed last time.

It is on the quote page as Your private breakdown (PDF), and it never appears in the customer's link, PDF or email.

What a good decking quote needs

Deck size in square metres and how high it sits off the ground.
Board species or composite, and the colour.
Subframe, stumps and footings, and what the deck ties into.
Balustrade by the metre and stairs by the step.
Oiling: how many coats, and whether it's in the price.
Old deck demolition, and permits or engineering for raised decks.

For a step-by-step guide, read how to write a quote customers say yes to.

On every decking quote

Licence: Include on the quote: Contractor licence number (where your state requires one).; Whether you need a licence depends on your state and what the job is worth. In NSW you need a contractor licence and a written contract for residential building work over $5,000 inc GST. In Queensland a QBCC licence is needed for building work valued over $3,300. Other states set their own rules, so check your regulator before you quote.
Compliance: Raised decks often need council approval and engineering. If it's needed, it goes on its own line.; Deposits on home building work are capped by state law: 10% in NSW; in Victoria 10% under $20,000 and 5% at $20,000 or more; and in WA builders can't ask for more than 6.5% on contracts from $7,500 to $500,000.
GST: If you are registered for GST, Karven adds 10% once and shows one total inc GST. If you are not registered, there is no GST line. More in GST on quotes.
Deposit: Hardwood is ordered the day they say yes, so the deposit pays for the timber. Set your % once (within your state's cap for home building work); card through Stripe, or your bank and PayID details after they accept.; Example: the sample job above is $3,456.29 inc GST, so the 10% deposit is $345.63.
Variations: Old stumps turn out to be rotten when the boards come up? Add a variation on the accepted quote with the new stumps and the price. The customer signs it on the link before you pour.

Sources, checked 23 Oct 2026

General information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check your own regulator.

Common decking items and their starting costs

These appear as you type. Starting costs are ex GST, with your profit added on top, and you can change any of them in My items. These are starting costs, not customer prices. Your profit goes on top: at 20% profit, a cost of $160 for “Decking boards supplied” is $192 to your customer.

Deck

Decking boards supplied$80 to $250 / m²
Subframe: joists + bearers$30 / m²
Stumps + footings$50 to $170 / each
Screws + fixings$7 / m²
Decking oil supplied + applied, 2 coats$60 / L
Labour: build + lay$115 / m²
Demolish old deck + tip$35 / m²

Balustrade & stairs

Balustrade supplied$220 / lm
Balustrade install$75 / lm
Stairs$335 / step

Following up and getting the deposit

A deck is a summer project people start dreaming about in spring. They open the quote, show the family and go quiet. Karven tells you who's looked at it again and has the nudge written at 3 days and 7 days. You tap Send or skip.

Karven writes them and you tap Send
Or turn on Send automatically
Deposits by card, bank transfer or PayID

Follow up with Sam

To sam.nguyen@example.com. Change anything you like, then send.

Subject

Following up on your quote from Ridgeline Decks

Message

Hi Sam, Just checking in on the $3,456.29 quote I sent through. Happy to talk it over or change anything that doesn't suit. Cheers, Jordan Ridgeline Decks

This is the whole message. Under it they get a button to open their quote, then your phone number.

CancelSend

The follow-up Karven writes for you. Nothing goes until you tap Send.

How deck builders usually price a job

Decks are priced per square metre for boards, subframe and labour, with stumps and footings each.
Balustrades go per lineal metre and stairs per step.
Board choice is the biggest swing in price, so show the options side by side.
Demolition of the old deck is per square metre with the tip included.

Read more on how to price a job and what to charge per hour (a free calculator).

Plus the full decking calculator

Enter the measurements and it works out the quantities for you. It is optional.

Try the free deck cost calculator

Decking questions

Common questions

How do I price a deck per square metre?
Add up boards, subframe, fixings and labour into a rate per square metre, then put stumps, balustrade and stairs on separately. Karven's deck calculator builds those lines from the deck size.
Can the customer choose between merbau and blackbutt?
Yes. Set the boards as a pick-one choice and they choose on their phone. The total updates as they pick.
Does a deck need council approval?
It depends on the height, the size and your council. Raised decks often need approval and engineering. If it applies, add it as its own line.
Should oiling be in the deck price?
Make it clear either way. Many deck builders add the oil as a line by the litre, two coats, so the customer can see it.
Can I see how I priced a decking quote months later?
Yes. Open the quote and download Your private breakdown (PDF). It is never sent to the customer.
What does Karven cost for deck builders?
It is free for 21 days with no card needed. Then Starter is $29/mo inc GST with unlimited quotes. Card deposits cost Stripe's fee plus 0.5% to Karven.

Decking quote software: Deck quotes customers can say yes to, with the numbers behind them kept private.

What your customer opens on their phone

The decking quote they see, and the breakdown only you see

What a good decking quote needs

On every decking quote

Common decking items and their starting costs

Deck

Balustrade & stairs

Following up and getting the deposit

How deck builders usually price a job

Plus the full decking calculator

Common questions

Keep reading

Other trades

Your next decking quote: clear for them, all there for you.