Side by side
| Pressure-treated wood | Composite (wood-plastic) | PVC (all plastic) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence on life | Forest Service field tests: treated lumber, no failures after 39–45 years in ground contact at a severe site; untreated pine about 2 years | Manufacturer warranties only | Manufacturer warranties only |
| Warranty (examples we read) | None from the board maker in the sources here | Trex: 25 to 50 years. Fiberon: 25, 30, 40 or 50 years, or lifetime, by line | Fiberon PVC (Promenade, Paramount): lifetime performance, 50 years stain and fade |
| What wears out first | Surface: checking, splintering, finish; fasteners | Surface colour and staining, which is what the stain-and-fade warranty covers | Same as composite |
| Upkeep | Cleaning and refinishing | Cleaning | Cleaning |
| The frame underneath | Treated lumber | Usually treated lumber | Usually treated lumber |
Read the test results for what they are. The Forest Service authors note the specimens "have not been subjected to the same mechanical loads or wear and tear associated with in-service structures", and that results from this severe site "might underestimate the potential durability in more moderate exposures" (Forest Products Laboratory, 2013). Warranties are promises against defects with conditions; Fiberon's, for example, requires its own branded fasteners for the decking warranty and shorter terms apply to commercial use (10 years).
Fiberon's residential warranty, by line
From Fiberon's warranty page, read 23 October 2026. "Physical integrity performance" is the board itself; "stain and fade" is the surface.
| Line | Type | Physical integrity performance | Stain and fade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promenade, Paramount | PVC | Lifetime | 50 years |
| Concordia (Symmetry, Horizon) | Composite (PE) | Lifetime | 50 years |
| Sanctuary | Composite (PE) | 40 years | 40 years |
| Good Life Escapes, ArmorGuard Pro | Composite (PE) | 30 years | 30 years |
| Good Life Weekender, Jatoba, ArmorGuard, Veranda, Xtreme Advantage | Composite (PE) | 25 years | 25 years |
The spread inside one brand is as wide as the spread between brands, so compare the exact line on the quote.
What a deck costs, from the permit file
The permit records the job value, not the material, so these cover wood and composite decks together.
| City | Deck permits | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Usual days, issue to final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND | 191 | $3,024 | $2,646 to $3,687 | 58 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 692 | $7,370 | $4,500 to $19,750 | 166 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 2,531 | $10,000 | $6,545 to $15,000 | 54 |
| St. Louis, MO | 703 | $11,850 | $7,000 to $20,000 | 234 |
| Bend, OR | 110 | $13,638 | $11,485 to $16,703 | 108 |
| Columbus, OH | 624 | $15,000 | $12,000 to $21,028 | 51 |
| Greensboro, NC | 226 | $16,046 | $11,000 to $25,000 | 41 |
| Arlington, VA | 402 | $18,500 | $12,000 to $27,000 | 61 |
| Wheaton, IL | 187 | $18,955 | $21,375 to $27,662 | 111 |
| Somerville, MA | 205 | $20,000 | $15,582 to $28,300 | 208 |
| San Francisco, CA | 1,701 | $22,000 | $12,000 to $80,000 | 237 |
| Naperville, IL | 348 | $25,000 | $24,990 to $31,734 | 169 |
Bismarck's very low figure ($3,024) and Minneapolis's ($7,370) suggest many small or repair permits; Naperville's tight range near $25,000 suggests full new decks. Within a city, a quote well above the top of the firm range for the same size deck is the one to question, and the material is the first thing to ask about.
Compare every Colorado Springs deck builder by permit record →
Four questions to ask about material
- Which exact board line, and can I see the warranty for it? Not the brand, the line: Fiberon's run from 25 years to lifetime.
- What is the frame? Board warranties do not cover the joists underneath.
- Which fasteners? Fiberon warrants its decking for use with its own branded fasteners.
- For wood: what treatment rating, and for ground contact where posts are buried? The Forest Service results above are for ground-contact retentions.
For choosing the builder, see hiring a deck builder; for whether you want a deck at all, deck vs patio.
What this does not tell you
The permit file does not record decking material, so we cannot say which material lasts longer on real decks in any city. The Forest Service results are for posts and lumber in a high-decay test site, not decks; composite and PVC lifespans here are warranties, not measurements. We read two manufacturers' warranty pages; other brands' terms differ.
How we know this
Durability figures are quoted from two USDA Forest Service publications on preservative-treated wood exposed at the Forest Products Laboratory's southern Mississippi test site; warranty terms from the Fiberon and Trex warranty pages, all read 23 October 2026. Deck permits are those each city files under a deck work type in its window (three years ending September 2026). Usual filed value is the median declared value; the firm range is the 25th to 75th percentile of firms' medians (firms with 3 or more priced permits); days are the median from issue to final.
Numbers come from Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permits inside Colorado Springs city limits; San Francisco DBI building permits on one- and two-family homes, with the contractor from the city's permit contacts file; City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS); City of Raleigh building permits; City of Columbus Building & Zoning Services permits on 1-, 2- and 3-family homes (the city's Accela permit layer); Arlington County, VA building and trade permits, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- What types of decking materials are there?
Three main kinds: pressure-treated wood (or naturally durable woods such as cedar), wood-plastic composite, and all-plastic PVC. The frame under almost any of them is usually treated lumber, so the choice is mostly about the boards you walk on.
- How long does a pressure-treated wood deck last?
The wood itself can last decades: in Forest Service ground-contact tests in southern Mississippi, a severe decay site, lumber treated to standard ground-contact retentions with several preservatives had no failures after 39 or 45 years, while untreated southern pine posts lasted about 2 years. Those were test stakes and posts, not loaded decks, and boards wear, crack and need refinishing well before they rot.
- How long does composite decking last?
Manufacturers warrant it for 25 to 50 years. Trex lists decking and railing limited residential warranties 'ranging from 25 to 50 years'; Fiberon's composite lines carry 25, 30, 40, 50-year or lifetime residential warranties depending on the line. A warranty is the maker's promise against defects, not a measured lifespan.
- Is PVC decking better than composite?
It is warranted longer by the one maker we checked: Fiberon's PVC lines carry a lifetime physical-performance warranty and 50 years on stain and fade, the top of its range. Ask for the warranty document for the exact board and read what it excludes.
- How much does a deck cost?
The usual filed value of a deck permit is $10,000 in Colorado Springs, $15,000 in Columbus, $22,000 in San Francisco and $29,000 in Raleigh. The permit does not record the material, so these mix wood and composite decks.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Deck construction cost in 2026: what deck permits were filed at in 21 cities
- Hiring a deck builder: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against deck permits in 17 cities
- Do I need a permit to build a deck? The rule in 14 cities, and how many get filed
- Deck vs patio: the permit line, and what deck permits cost in 9 cities
For one city
- Long-Term Durability of Pressure-Treated Wood in a Severe Test Site (Advances in Civil Engineering Materials, 2013) — USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (accessed 2026-10-23)
- A Comparison of Wood Preservatives in Posts in Southern Mississippi: Results from a Half-Decade of Testing (AWPA Proceedings) — USDA Forest Service Treesearch (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Warranty — Fiberon (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Warranty — Trex (accessed 2026-10-23)