Open every day 7:30 AM to 11:30 PM | Call (613) 920-4558 for a free estimate
Pressure-Treated to Composite Permit Over 60 cm, Footings Below Frost

Deck Building in Toronto

Renovator Toronto builds decks across Toronto. Installed, pressure-treated lumber runs $35 to $60 per square foot, cedar and thermally modified wood $60 to $105, composite $65 to $95 and capped polymer $80 to $130. A standard 200 square foot deck lands at $8,000 to $20,000. Toronto requires a building permit once the deck sits more than 60 cm above grade.

Pressure-treated $35 to $60 per square foot installed
Composite $65 to $95, cedar $60 to $105
Permit required over 60 cm above grade, footings below frost

Get a deck estimate

Send the deck size, the height above grade, and the decking material you are considering.

What can we help with?

So the right crew reviews your project.

Footings, framing, decking and railing itemized. HST at 13 percent shown.

What decides a deck price

Height above grade

Under 60 cm needs no building permit. Over it does. Height also drives framing, posts, bracing and railing, so a deck raised to 6 ft runs $12,000 to $24,000 against $8,000 to $20,000 at standard height.

Footings below frost

Toronto sees about 134 days a year at or below freezing and 65 freeze-thaw cycles. Footings have to bear below frost penetration, and a deck on shallow piers lifts and racks within a few winters.

Decking material

Pressure-treated at $35 to $60 per square foot is the value choice. Composite at $65 to $95 costs more up front and removes annual sanding and staining. Both sit on the same frame, so the frame is not where to save.

Scale and structure

How the size and height change the job

A 100 square foot ground-level deck is $5,000 to $9,000 and needs no permit if it sits under 60 cm. A standard 200 square foot deck is $8,000 to $20,000, and in pressure-treated that is $8,000 to $16,000 while composite takes it to $14,000 to $22,000. Raise the same 200 square feet to 6 ft above grade and it becomes $12,000 to $24,000, because posts get longer, lateral bracing becomes structural, guards become mandatory and stairs get added. A second-storey deck is $20,000 to $40,000, and a multi-level deck over 300 square feet runs $25,000 to $60,000. Two things to plan for separately: a permit once you pass 60 cm, and the tree protection zone, since a permit is required to remove or injure a private tree 30 cm or more in diameter at breast height and the protection radius starts at 2.4 m, which can move a footing line.

$35-$60 Pressure-treated per square foot installed
$65-$95 Composite per square foot installed
60 cm Height above grade that triggers a building permit
2.4 m Tree protection radius for a 30 to 40 cm tree

Deck configurations we build in Toronto

Six configurations, quoted by measured area and height.

Under 60 cm, no permit

Ground-level deck

Low deck on footings below frost, no guards required, the simplest and cheapest configuration.

$12,000 to $24,000 at 6 ft

Raised deck

Longer posts, lateral bracing, mandatory guards and stairs, built under a permit.

$20,000 to $40,000

Second-storey deck

Structural attachment to the house or free-standing framing, with the load path designed rather than assumed.

$25,000 to $60,000

Multi-level deck

Over 300 square feet across levels, with the stair runs and guard transitions detailed properly.

$65 to $130 per sq ft

Composite and capped polymer

Composite at $65 to $95 and capped polymer at $80 to $130, with hidden fasteners and expansion allowed for.

Existing decks

Footings and frame repair

Replacing failed footings or a rotted frame under a deck whose surface is still sound.

What we settle before building a deck

Four checks that decide whether the deck is a permit job and whether it will still be level in five years.

Height above grade, measured

Sixty centimetres is the line. We measure at the highest point of the deck surface above the ground below it, because that is the measurement that decides whether a permit is required.

Footing depth and bearing

Footings bear below frost penetration on undisturbed soil. On fill, or near a foundation where the soil has been previously excavated, that depth changes, and that is worth knowing before a price is set.

Protected trees in the footing line

A permit is required to remove or injure a private tree 30 cm or more in diameter at breast height, and the protection zone starts at 2.4 m of radius and reaches 3.6 m at 51 to 60 cm. A footing inside that zone has to move.

How the deck meets the house

A ledger fixed into a rim joist has to be flashed so water cannot sit against the sheathing, and where the existing framing is not suitable the deck is built free-standing instead. Getting that wrong rots the house, not the deck.

Deck building rates by decking material

Published Canadian ranges current in 2026, installed. Figures are before HST at 13 percent.

Most popular

Pressure-Treated

$35 – $60 / sq ft

  • 200 sq ft: $8,000 – $16,000
  • 100 sq ft ground level: $5,000 – $9,000
  • Needs annual cleaning and periodic staining
Get a written quote

Cedar or Thermally Modified

$60 – $105 / sq ft

  • Better appearance and stability than pressure-treated
  • Still a wood maintenance cycle
  • Thermally modified moves less seasonally
Get a written quote

Composite

$65 – $95 / sq ft

  • 200 sq ft: $14,000 – $22,000
  • No sanding or staining cycle
  • Hidden fasteners and expansion gaps designed in
Get a written quote

Capped Polymer or Hardwood

$80 – $150 / sq ft

  • Capped polymer: $80 – $130
  • Exotic hardwood: $95 – $150
  • Hardwood needs specific fasteners and oiling
Get a written quote

By Configuration

$8,000 – $60,000

  • Standard 200 sq ft: $8,000 – $20,000
  • Raised to 6 ft: $12,000 – $24,000
  • Second storey $20,000 – $40,000, multi-level $25,000 – $60,000
Get a written quote
Our Process

How a deck build runs

1

Measure, check height and trees

Size and height above grade measured, tree protection zones mapped, soil and bearing considered, then an itemized quote.

2

Permit where required

Over 60 cm above grade the deck is permit work, so drawings are prepared and filed with Toronto Building before excavation.

3

Footings and frame

Footings dug and poured below frost on undisturbed bearing, then beams, joists and ledger or free-standing posts, flashed at the house.

4

Decking, guards, stairs

Decking laid with correct gapping and fastening, guards and stairs built to the required dimensions, inspection closed out, then handover.

Deck building feedback from Toronto yards

5/5

We had a great experience with the team from the initial estimate to the final walkthrough. Communication was clear, the schedule was well managed, and the results look fantastic.

Christopher T.

Direct Client

Direct Client

5/5

Renovator Toronto transformed our outdated kitchen into a functional and modern space. The team kept us informed at every stage, and the finished work exceeded our expectations.

Michael D.

Direct Client

Direct Client

5/5

We hired the team for a bathroom renovation in our Toronto home. They handled the demolition, tile work, and finishing details professionally and kept the work area organized.

Jennifer R.

Direct Client

Direct Client

Deck building questions about permits and footings

How much does a deck cost in Toronto?

Installed, pressure-treated runs $35 to $60 per square foot, cedar $60 to $105, composite $65 to $95 and capped polymer $80 to $130. A standard 200 square foot deck is $8,000 to $20,000, raised to 6 ft it is $12,000 to $24,000, and a second-storey deck $20,000 to $40,000.

Do I need a permit for a deck in Toronto?

Yes once the deck sits more than 60 cm above grade. Under that height no building permit is required, though the City is explicit that zoning compliance still applies. Enclosing a deck or porch needs a permit at any size.

Is composite worth the extra cost?

It depends on how you value maintenance. Composite at $65 to $95 per square foot against pressure-treated at $35 to $60 costs roughly double up front and removes the sanding and staining cycle entirely. On a deck you intend to keep for fifteen years the arithmetic usually favours composite.

How deep do deck footings need to be?

Below the local depth of frost penetration, bearing on undisturbed soil. Toronto sees about 65 freeze-thaw cycles and 134 days at or below freezing a year, and a deck on shallow piers lifts and racks within a few seasons.

Can a tree stop my deck being built where I want it?

It can move it. A permit is required to remove or injure a private tree 30 cm or more in diameter at breast height, and the protection zone is 2.4 m of radius at 30 to 40 cm, rising to 3.6 m at 51 to 60 cm. Excavating a footing inside that zone triggers the permit, so we map it first.

Get your Toronto deck quoted by material

Send the size and height above grade. We confirm the permit position and map the tree protection zone.

Request a Free Estimate Call (365) 360-7014
Back to top