What a Composite Deck Costs in Ottawa
$45 to $95 per square foot installed
Published prices from 5 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 composite deck run about $45 to $95 per square foot installed, read in September 2026 from five builder pages. The spread is wide, and some published packages leave out railings and steps.
Compare deck materials for your size
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Composite | $45 to $95 | 25- and 30-year limited product warranties (manufacturer); a warranty is not a lifespan | Follow the manufacturer's care guide; we found no neutral interval. |
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
Manufacturers publish 25- and 30-year limited product warranties, with fade and stain warranties, on capped composite lines. A warranty is not a lifespan, and we found no government or standards-body lifespan for composite decking. We found no neutral cleaning or upkeep interval either: follow the manufacturer's care guide. In Ottawa, decking other than conventional lumber needs a CCMC or BMEC material testing report with the permit application.
Ottawa rules that apply
Ottawa's sundeck submission list asks for a CCMC or BMEC material testing report where the proposed decking is other than conventional lumber, so a composite deck's permit application carries one for the board you choose. Manufactured guard systems outside the Code's prescriptive rules also need the manufacturer's information and attachment details. 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 composite board line, by name
- The CCMC or BMEC report for that board
- The framing underneath, and the foundation
- Guards and stairs, or a line saying they are extra
- The warranty document for that board
Ask before you sign
- Which board line, and where its CCMC or BMEC report is
- What the manufacturer's care guide asks of you
Questions
Is a composite deck worth it over wood in Ottawa?
Composite starts higher on published prices (about $45 to $95 per square foot, against about $25 to $65 for pressure-treated) and comes with manufacturer warranty terms instead of a finishing schedule. Follow the manufacturer's care guide; we found no neutral upkeep interval.
Does a composite deck need a special report for the Ottawa permit?
Yes. The City asks for a CCMC or BMEC material testing report where the proposed decking is other than conventional lumber.
Deck IQ answers behind this page
Service: Composite & PVC Decks
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