What a Cedar Deck Costs in Ottawa
$45 to $80 per square foot installed
Published prices from 2 Ottawa and Ontario builder pages, read September 2026. Not a quote. Reviewed 2026-09-30. How we set these ranges
Published Ottawa and Ontario builder prices for a cedar deck run about $45 to $80 per square foot installed, read in September 2026 from two builder pages that give a cedar figure. The spread is wide, and some published packages leave out railings and steps.
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Published Ottawa and Ontario builder prices (read September 2026), multiplied by your deck size as an illustration. Not a quote: some published packages leave out railings and steps.
| Material | Per sq ft installed | Years | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated | $25 to $65 | about 20 years for wood decks in a 2007 US industry survey | semitransparent stain: every 2 to 3 years on new boards and 3 to 6 years on weathered ones (USDA Forest Products Laboratory, US data; expected life depends on climate and exposure) |
| Cedar | $45 to $80 | about 20 years for wood decks in a 2007 US industry survey; the USDA Forest Products Laboratory says naturally durable and treated woods last quite comparably as deck boards | semitransparent stain: every 2 to 3 years on new boards and 3 to 6 years on weathered ones (USDA Forest Products Laboratory, US data; expected life depends on climate and exposure) |
Permit fee: the City's formula is $12.75 per $1,000 or part thereof of the construction value, with a $117 minimum. The City values the work, not us. No dollar total over time is shown: we found no sourced upkeep prices, and a warranty is not a lifespan.
What to know
The USDA Forest Products Laboratory says the service lives of naturally durable and preservative-treated woods are quite comparable for decking boards, and that for posts and anything in ground contact you use preservative-treated wood or the dark heartwood of a naturally durable species. We found no government lifespan figure for cedar decking on its own.
Ottawa rules that apply
For cedar, the Ottawa permit and inspections are the same as for any wood deck: footings, framing and final. The FPL's advice for posts in ground contact is treated wood or the heartwood of a naturally durable species, and the drawings show what the posts are. Zoning is a separate check: for applications deemed complete on or after March 11, 2026, both Zoning By-law 2008-250 and By-law 2026-50 apply, with the most restrictive provisions winning.
What a fair quote includes
- The cedar species and grade, by name
- What the posts are: treated wood or cedar heartwood
- Guards and stairs, or a line saying they are extra
- Removal of any old deck
- Permit drawings and the permit application
Ask before you sign
- What the posts in the ground are made of
- Whether a first finish is included
Questions
Does a cedar deck last longer than pressure-treated?
The USDA Forest Products Laboratory says the service lives of naturally durable and preservative-treated woods are quite comparable for deck boards. The FPL adds that wooden decks are most commonly replaced because of checking and splitting, not decay.
Does cedar need a finish?
The same FPL finish intervals apply to wood decking: semitransparent stain 2 to 3 years on new boards and 3 to 6 years on weathered ones (US data). Penetrating finishes are recommended over film-forming ones.
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Service: New Deck Building
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