What does deck resurfacing cost in Boise, ID?

Resurfacing means two different jobs

Contractors use "resurfacing" for two jobs with very different prices. Re-decking pulls the old boards and screws new ones, usually composite, onto the existing frame. Refinishing keeps the boards you have and cleans, sands and re-stains them. Re-decking costs several times more and lasts much longer. Make sure every quote you collect is for the same one.

What does it cost to put new boards on an old deck frame?

Expect roughly $25–$50 per square foot installed by a deck contractor. Decks.com's 2026 price guide splits it into composite boards at $5–$15 per sq ft for materials and labor that depends on who does the work: $10–$20 per sq ft for an independent carpenter, $20–$35 per sq ft for a professional deck contractor and $35–$50-plus per square foot for a general builder or remodeler. Adding materials to each labor band gives the table below.

Those totals leave out railing, fasteners, disposal, frame repair and permits. Decks.com prices the common extras separately: $1–$2 per sq ft for hidden fasteners, $2–$4 per sq ft for picture framing or a diagonal layout, $100–$800 to clean up and haul away the old boards, $200–$500 for minor frame repairs once the boards are off, and $100–$500 for permits and inspections where they apply.

Compare that with building new. Our 2026 market ranges put a new raised 300-square-foot composite deck at $11,000–$21,000 before railing and stairs, against $7,500–$15,000 to re-deck the same footprint with a deck contractor. Most of the saving comes from keeping footings, posts and beams. That saving is only real if those parts will last as long as the new boards.

Frame work that comes with re-decking

Often, yes, and joist spacing is the most common reason. Many older wood decks were framed with joists 24 inches apart, which suited thick wood decking. Composite boards span less: the 2018 IRC (Table R507.7) leaves composite spacing to the manufacturer, and Trex's installation guide lists 16 inches on center for residential decks. A frame at 24 inches needs added joists before composite goes on.

On a 300-square-foot deck with joists at 24 inches, added joists alone come to $300–$900 at Decks.com's rate. That still leaves re-decking well below a new deck. A soft ledger or shallow footings are different: those are reasons to stop and look at whether to repair or replace before buying boards.

What does it cost to refinish a wood deck?

HomeAdvisor's June 2026 data puts refinishing at $3–$7 per sq ft including materials and basic labor, with a 200-square-foot deck at $900–$2,720 and an average of $980. The same page also gives a lower figure it calls resurfacing a 200-square-foot deck, $500–$1,400 with a $1,000 average; in HomeAdvisor's usage that means refinishing the existing boards, not new ones. Pressure washing averages $0.40 per square foot, and many pros charge a $100–$250 minimum.

HomeAdvisor also notes that repairs found during refinishing run $850–$3,500 when needed. If a board is soft enough to push a screwdriver into, stain will not save it; that board is a repair, and several of them suggest re-decking instead. Our deck repair cost guide prices the board and joist work separately.

Is refinishing or re-decking cheaper over ten years in Boise?

In the Treasure Valley, the answer depends on how often the finish fails. Boise averages about 55 days a year at 90°F or hotter, with long cloudless stretches in summer, and penetrating stains on south- and west-facing boards commonly need redoing every two to three years. At HomeAdvisor's rate, each refinish of a 300-square-foot deck costs $900–$2,100. Three to five of those in ten years adds up to $2,700–$10,500, plus repairs as boards wear.

Re-decking the same deck with capped composite costs $7,500–$15,000 once, and capped boards need washing rather than staining. On a young, sound frame that usually wins over a decade. On an older frame that will need rebuilding within a few years, refinishing is the cheaper bridge. Our Boise deck maintenance guide covers stain timing, and the composite vs wood guide covers the material trade-off.

Freeze-thaw adds to the case for doing it once. Boise sees 108 freezing nights a year but only 16 days that stay frozen (NOAA 1991–2020), so water in checks and old fastener holes freezes and thaws over and over. Weathered wood with open checks takes up that water fastest, which is why refinishing intervals shorten as a deck ages.

Does deck resurfacing need a permit in Boise?

Refinishing does not. Re-decking on a sound frame is less clear: Boise requires a permit for decks more than 12 inches above grade, but its residential brochure does not address board-only replacement directly. If the job adds joists, replaces posts or touches the ledger, treat it as structural work. Call the building division at 208-608-7070 with your scope before you order material. Decks.com budgets permits and inspections at a few hundred dollars where they apply.

A checklist for resurfacing quotes

1. Which job it is: re-decking or refinishing, in writing.
2. Measured joist spacing and the board manufacturer's required spacing for the product quoted.
3. Joist condition after the boards come up, with a unit price per joist or per square foot for added framing.
4. Ledger flashing checked and priced, since this is the cheapest moment to fix it.
5. Board brand, product line and color, plus the fastener system.
6. Disposal of old boards as its own line.
7. Railing scope: kept, repaired or replaced, and priced per linear foot if replaced.

If you want the frame checked before deciding, our deck resurfacing service starts with pulling a few boards to look at joists and the ledger. You can also request an estimate and we will tell you which of the two jobs your deck actually needs.