# Composite Deck Builders Fort Collins | Fort Collins Deck Contractors > Composite deck builders in Fort Collins for new and replacement decks in gray or brown composite boards. A typical new composite deck runs $13,000 to $28,000. URL: https://fortcollinsdeckcontractors.com/composite-decks/ - Free estimates - Wood or composite - Fort Collins and nearby towns # As composite deck builders in Fort Collins, we put composite boards on new decks and replacements Fort Collins Deck Contractors [/ →](/) puts composite boards on new decks and replacements for homes in Fort Collins and nearby towns, in grays and browns with matching composite railing. Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate →](#estimate) See prices [#pricing →](#pricing) ![Gray composite deck with matching railing behind a two-story Fort Collins home](/images/misc/gray-composite-deck-with-matching-composite-railin.webp) ## What is a composite deck? Ever heard someone call every plastic-looking deck board “Trex”? A lot of people do. Trex is actually one brand of composite decking, a manufactured deck board that comes in grays and browns. As composite deck builders in Fort Collins, we put it on new decks and on replacements when the old deck comes off. Most homeowners and business owners ask us the same thing first: what’s actually different underneath? The answer is almost nothing. A composite deck still has a frame, and the footings, posts, beams and joists are the same as on a wood deck, built from pressure-treated lumber. Composite deck boards go on top of that frame, and composite railing can go around the edge to match. Here’s what changes once the boards are on: - **Upkeep:** No yearly staining or sealing. - **Color:** The color runs through the board and comes in a set palette. - **Warranty:** Trex backs its Enhance line with a 25-year fade and stain warranty, and its Transcend line with 50 years. Those warranties have limits. Trex says no decking material is fade-proof or stain-proof in the sun, so read the fine print before you buy. ## Colors and the look of the deck Some people match the color to the house trim, and some pick a contrast. Either one works. A few details make the finished deck look cleaner: - **Picture-frame border:** A row of boards that runs around the edge of the deck, often in a second color, so the ends of the main boards don’t show. - **Fascia boards:** These cover the outside of the frame so the sides of the deck match the top. - **Hidden fasteners:** These hold the boards from the side, so the tops of the boards don’t show screws. One tip from the install side: Trex recommends face screws or plugs on stairs, borders and picture-frame boards, since clips don’t hold those spots well. Color-matched plugs keep them from standing out. Sun matters too. Dark composite boards get hotter underfoot than light ones, much like dark hardwoods do. Colorado sun is strong, so check how a dark color feels in July if you go barefoot. We bring board colors to the estimate so you can see them in your own yard, against your own house. ## Composite on a new deck On a new deck, composite boards go on a frame built from bare ground. We start with footings, then the frame, then the boards, stairs and railing. That’s the same order as any new deck. Permits come first. The City of Fort Collins requires a building permit for a deck more than 30 inches above grade, and the city enforces the 2021 International Residential Code. You’ll want your deck’s height and distance from the property line in hand early. More about the frame and footings is on our deck building [/deck-building/ →](/deck-building/) page. ## Composite on a replacement When an old wood deck is past repair, the new deck can go on in composite. The old deck comes off, and then we look at the footings and the ledger. The ledger is the board that ties the deck to your house, so it has to be sound before anything new goes on. The new deck is built with composite boards. That’s deck replacement [/deck-replacement/ →](/deck-replacement/) , and its prices are on that page. ## Composite or wood? Composite costs more than wood up front. Published 2026 US price guides put installed composite decks at roughly $25 to $54 per square foot, and pressure-treated wood at about $15 to $25. | | Composite | Pressure-treated wood | | --- | --- | --- | | Typical installed cost (US, 2026) | $25 to $54 per sq ft | $15 to $25 per sq ft | | Staining or sealing | Not needed | Every year or two | | Color | Set by the manufacturer | Stain color you choose | Both are good decks. We price both at the estimate when you’d like to compare, so you can see the real numbers for your yard. If wood is the way you lean, see wood and cedar decks [/wood-and-cedar-decks/ →](/wood-and-cedar-decks/) . Ready to compare? Ask for an estimate and we’ll bring the board samples with us. ## What a typical composite deck costs around Fort Collins A typical deck here is about 16 by 20 feet off the back of the house, a few steps down to the yard, with railing around it. ### New composite deck $13,000 to $28,000 A typical new deck with composite boards, stairs and railing included. Bigger, higher, covered or hot-tub decks run above this range. Composite costs more than wood. Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate →](#estimate) ![](/images/misc/pressure-treated-wood-deck-frame-of-joists-ready-f.webp) ## Composite decks and the local rules Around Fort Collins, the footings for a deck attached to the house go below the frost line, about two and a half feet down. Composite boards sit on the same kind of frame as a wood deck, so the footings come first either way. Call 811 before digging. In Fort Collins, a deck carrying a hot tub, a pergola or cover sitting on a deck, and a deck stacked on another all need engineered plans. In the parts of Fort Collins mapped under Colorado's wildfire building code, the code calls for fire-rated deck boards on new homes. For a deck added to an existing house, we check what applies before the boards are picked. Pressure-treated deck frame ready for composite boards ## How a composite deck gets built A composite deck goes together like a wood one, with composite boards on top. 1. 1 ### Send the estimate form Tell us whether it's a new deck or a replacement, and the colors you like. 2. 2 ### We look at the spot We look at the yard or the old deck and talk through size, height, color and railing. 3. 3 ### You get a written estimate The estimate covers the frame, the composite boards and the railing, in writing. 4. 4 ### We build the deck Footings, a pressure-treated frame, then the composite boards, stairs and railing. ![Composite fascia boards on the side of a new deck](/images/misc/composite-fascia-boards-covering-the-rim-joist-on-.webp) ## Related services ### Deck Building New decks from bare ground: the footings, the frame, the boards, stairs and railings, in wood or composite. New deck installation→ [Deck Building →](/deck-building/) ### Deck Replacement The old deck comes off and a new one goes on, in wood or composite. Deck replacement→ [Deck Replacement →](/deck-replacement/) ### Wood and Cedar Decks Pressure-treated and cedar decks. Wood and cedar decks→ [Wood and Cedar Decks →](/wood-and-cedar-decks/) ![Brown composite deck with railing behind a Fort Collins home](/images/misc/brown-composite-deck-with-composite-railing-off-th.webp) ## Thinking about composite? Send the form and tell us about the deck. We'll look at it and price it in composite, and in wood too if you'd like to compare. - Free estimates - Wood or composite - Fort Collins and nearby towns ## Get Your FREE Estimate Tell us about your deck and where it is, and we will put together your estimate. Thanks, we got your request. We'll be in touch about your estimate.