Timber Decking Cost and Hardwood Choices in NSW

Price guides for 2026 put supply-and-install decking in Sydney at about $345 to $630 per square metre for merbau and $320 to $630 for composite. On the Central Coast most decks run $190 to $370 per m2. These are cost-guide figures, not quotes. Approval rules are not covered by our sources.

What the guides say

Item	Figure	Source
Merbau, Sydney	$345 to $630 per m2	Cost guide (2026)
Composite, Sydney	$320 to $630 per m2	Same guide
Central Coast, treated pine up to composite	About $190 to $735 per m2; most decks $190 to $370; average about $275	Cost guide (2026)
Wider range	$200 to $1,000 or more per m2	Yellow Pages article

Prices are supply and install, including GST, per the cost guides. Spotted gum is priced higher than merbau in the Sydney guide. Small decks cost more per square metre because setup, delivery and crew costs are spread over less area. The guides' authority is unverified and the Yellow Pages article starts from a higher figure, so treat the numbers as indicative.

What to check on a quote

One guide warns that if a quote looks unusually cheap, check whether the subframe is specified. Ask for the timber species, the board size, the subframe material and spacing, fixings, the finish and who handles any approvals.

Council approval, bushfire and licence rules

Our research did not find NSW approval rules for decks, so we do not give any. One Central Coast source notes many properties there are mapped as bushfire prone by the NSW Rural Fire Service, which can change what a building job must use. That is a flag to check, not a rule: ask your local council or the NSW Planning Portal whether your deck needs approval. On licensing, carpentry is a named licence category on the NSW Government list, but our sources do not say whether decking falls under it: see the NSW flooring licence guide.

Care

Timber decks need regular oiling: see how often to oil or sand a timber deck. For compared quotes see compare flooring quotes.

Find contractors

NSW Flooring lists 55 businesses with a confirmed decking service, from Google Maps, retrieved 22 October 2026. Examples: decking north shore & ryde, decking western sydney and decking central coast, or browse decking contractors in NSW. See the NSW Flooring methodology page.

Quick answers

Is composite cheaper than hardwood? In the Sydney guide the ranges overlap, so it depends on the product.

Does a deck need approval? We do not know for your site. Ask council.