Deck costs in Pakenham & the Cardinia Hills.
Five material options, five price ranges, the BAL-bushfire premium for hills suburbs, and the four hidden costs that aren’t in cheap quotes. Real 2026 pricing from a working Cardinia builder.
The five materials, per m² installed.
Treated pine — $250–$310/m².
H4 treated pine boards, treated pine bearers/joists, galvanised stumps. 15–20 year deck life. BAL-12.5 properties OK with Class 1 underdecking. The honest entry point. Full timber decking page.
Merbau (Kwila) — $380–$460/m².
The Australian default. Mid-priced, warm red-brown, 20–30 year deck life. Class 1 fire rating. The most-installed deck timber in Cardinia residential builds.
Spotted gum / blackbutt — $440–$520/m².
Premium Australian hardwoods. 25–40 year life. Class 2 fire (BAL-19 compliant). Pale to mid-brown, cathedral grain (spotted gum) or straight grain (blackbutt).
Jarrah / ironbark — $500–$590/m².
WA jarrah and QLD ironbark. Both 30–50+ year deck life. Class 1 hardwood for BAL-29 compliance. Heaviest substructure required.
Composite (Trex/ModWood/EkoDeck) — $480–$620/m².
Wood-plastic composite boards on standard subframe. 25-year warranty (Trex Transcend), no oiling required. Composite decking page.
The Cardinia Hills bushfire premium.
Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) properties in Cockatoo, Emerald, Pakenham Upper, Beaconsfield Upper, Gembrook face BAL assessment. Premiums on top of base deck cost:
- BAL-12.5: +$40/m² (Class 1 underdecking, sealed gaps)
- BAL-19: +$70/m² (Class 2 timber min, ember-resistant venting)
- BAL-29: +$110/m² (Class 1 hardwood, non-combustible substructure preferred)
- BAL-40: +$140/m² (hardwood only above non-combustible substructure, full ember protection)
- BAL-FZ (flame zone): typically deck not permitted in current dwelling envelope; consult planner
See the full BAL breakdown on our BAL bushfire decking page.
Four line items missed by cheap quotes.
- Stumps + footings ($35–$80/m²). Concrete-encased galvanised steel stumps on 1.8m centres. Standard for any deck over 600mm above ground.
- Balustrade ($180–$320/lm). Mandatory if deck is over 1m above ground. Glass, wire, or timber. Glass is premium ($280/lm+).
- Stairs ($350–$600/step). Calculated per step (rise + tread + stringer + handrail). A 6-step descent: $2,100–$3,600.
- Building permit ($1,800–$2,600). Any deck over 10m² or over 800mm above ground needs a Registered Building Surveyor permit. We coordinate.
What a 40m² Officer merbau deck costs.
- Merbau deck 40m² @ $420/m²: $16,800
- Galvanised stumps (12 stumps): $2,160
- Glass balustrade (10lm): $2,800
- Single-step descent (one step at deck height): $560
- Building permit + survey: $2,140
- Total: $24,460 incl. GST
$611/m² all-in including the balustrade and permit. Mid-range merbau pricing for the Cardinia Shire.
Where we work.
Fixed-price written quote.
Free design consult, BAL assessment if applicable, all permits included.