Signs your deck needs more than new boards
- ✓Bouncy or sagging sections
- ✓Soft or rotted joists, bearers or posts
- ✓Posts sitting directly on soil
- ✓Rusted stirrups, bolts or fixings
- ✓Loose or wobbly balustrades or stairs
Rebuild or replace?
If the frame is sound, new boards may be all you need. If it isn’t, replacing the subframe to AS 1684 or an engineer’s design is usually safer than patching. A rebuild may also be a chance to change the size, height or materials, which can change whether approval is needed.
Typical cost
As a guide, low-level Australian hardwood decks (spotted gum or merbau) typically range from $450 to $680 per square metre, while elevated decks needing taller posts, stairs and balustrading, or composite boards, generally range from $650 to $950+ per square metre. Your builder will give you a firm price after measuring up on site.
Approvals, bushfire and structure
Before you build, check whether the deck needs approval, whether your block is bushfire prone, and whether it needs a balustrade. See deck approvals and structural specs for a plain-English summary, then confirm with your certifier or Shoalhaven City Council.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a deck rebuild need approval?+
A like-for-like replacement may still need approval, depending on the deck and the land. Larger, higher or roofed decks, and decks on bushfire-prone land, often need a CDC or DA. Check with your certifier or Council.
Can I keep my old deck frame?+
Only if a builder confirms it’s sound and properly sized. Many older frames have posts in the ground or undersized joists.
How Nowra Deck Co works
Nowra Deck Co is a local lead-matching service connecting Nowra and Shoalhaven property owners with independent, licensed carpenters and deck builders. We don’t do the work ourselves. The builder you’re matched with quotes, builds and is responsible for the job. In NSW, a contractor licence is needed for residential building work, including decks and pergolas, valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials. Check the builder’s licence on the NSW Government licence check before you sign, and for work over $20,000 ask for the Home Building Compensation certificate before work starts.