Seattle, Washington · Deck Building
Deck Repair and Replacement in Seattle
A tired deck can often be saved if the frame is sound, and when it can't, tearing it out is a small part of the bill: three Seattle-area contractors put removal at $3–$8 per square foot. Our vetted local deck pro can look at the framing and tell you whether you need boards, a rebuild or a new deck.
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Typical price in Seattle: Removing an old deck$3–$8 per sq ft of deckSource: 3 Seattle-area contractor price pages, price data from September 17, 2026
- Price ranges from sourced dataUpdated September 17, 2026
- 6towns covered in Seattle
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Reviewed by: Patrik Lorentzson, Editor, Seattle Quality Decks · Last reviewed
General information only, not advice for your project. Seattle Quality Decks does not advise on, design or manage projects; the contractor you choose does.
Repair, re-deck or replace?
Re-deck if the frame is sound, at $55–$75 per square foot; replace the whole deck if it isn't. Three jobs hide under the word repair:
- Fixing parts. Loose boards, a wobbly rail or a failed stair tread. Seattle deck repairs ran around $500 to $5000 in 2025, depending on how much work the deck needs.
- Re-decking. New surface boards and railings on a frame that is still sound. This runs $55–$75 per square foot, compared with $70–$95 for a new composite deck.
- Full replacement. Removal plus a new build. Most Washington deck replacements cost between $7,000 and $30,000.
What does it cost to tear out an old deck?
Removal is quoted per square foot. Demolition of an existing deck adds $3–$8 per sq ft in Seattle; one Snohomish County builder charges $5–$8 per square foot to tear off, haul and dump a typical deck, and an Everett builder gives $2 - 4 / sqft depending on height and site conditions. Height and access explain most of the difference: a deck high off a hillside takes longer to take apart safely. The full breakdown is in the deck cost guide.
Does a deck repair need a permit?
It depends on the city and on what gets replaced. In Bellevue, repairing or replacing existing deck structural framing falls under the city's addition permit. Edmonds requires a permit for the construction, repair, replacement, relocation, enlargement or alteration of decks. In Seattle, the permit rules for decks start at more than 18 inches above the ground; the permit guide has the details, and the pages for Renton and Bothell cover those cities.
What should be checked before new boards go on?
The ledger, the joists and beams, the posts and footings, the guardrails and the stairs. Ask the company to look at the parts you can't see from the patio:
- The ledger board where the deck meets the house, and the flashing above it
- Joists and beams for soft spots, especially where water sits
- Post bases and footings
- Guardrail posts: Seattle requires guardrails at least 36 inches tall on decks more than 30 inches above adjacent surfaces
- Stairs: Seattle requires a handrail for stairs with four or more risers
If the frame fails, compare a new composite deck with cedar.
Sources
- Orca Roofing & Construction: Seattle deck cost guide (2026), September 17, 2026
- Orca Roofing & Construction: Cost to replace a deck in Washington, September 17, 2026
- GP General Corp: Composite deck cost, Snohomish County, September 17, 2026
- GP General Corp: Deck builder Edmonds, September 17, 2026
- Tool and Trade: Deck cost in the Everett area, September 17, 2026
- Redrra: Deck building in Seattle cost (2025), September 17, 2026
- City of Bellevue: Single-Family Addition permit, September 17, 2026
- City of Edmonds: B21 Residential Decks handout, September 17, 2026
- Seattle SDCI: Decks (permits and code requirements), September 17, 2026
- Washington L&I: Hire Smart step by step, September 17, 2026
Planning a deck?
Send one request and we pass it to our vetted local deck pro in Seattle for a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep the old footings?
Only if they are sound and in the right place for the new frame. That is a judgment for the deck company, and for an engineer on a steep lot. Ask for it in writing.
Who should apply for the permit on a rebuild?
Usually the contractor. The state lists a contractor asking you to get the building permit as a warning sign, because in most instances the contractor is required to take out the permits.