Deck problems
The deck problems that matter are structural: rot repair runs $300 to $5,000, a sagging deck $750 to $10,000, and termite damage $500 to $10,000. Cosmetic issues - creaky boards at $150 to $600 or mold removal at $200 to $600 - are cheap by comparison. A loose railing or a failing ledger connection is a safety problem, not a maintenance one, and should stop use of the deck.
Rot and water damage usually start where water sits: at the ledger board against the house, at post bases, and under planters or mats. Corrosion-resistant flashing is required at any ledger board connection to a wood-framed wall, and where flashing was skipped or done badly the ledger rots quietly behind the siding. That is the single most dangerous failure on a deck, because the ledger is what holds the deck to the house.
Sagging means the framing is undersized, over-spanned, or failing. Repair runs $750 to $10,000, and at the top of that range you are comparing against a full replacement at $6,000 to $18,600 for a 300 square foot deck. Get the joist size, spacing, and span measured - allowable spans are prescriptive, and an over-spanned joist will never stop sagging.
Unsafe railings. Guards are required on decks more than 30 inches above grade, with a minimum height of 36 inches, openings that will not pass a 4-inch sphere, guard posts of at least 4x4 nominal, and maximum 6-foot spacing between posts. A guard you can rock by hand has a post attachment problem. Stop using the deck until it is fixed. Railing repair is $25 to $100 per linear foot.
Failed inspections and rejected permits almost always come down to the same short list: footing depth, ledger attachment and flashing, guard post attachment, and stair geometry. None of those are judgment calls; they are measurable. If a builder tells you an inspector is being unreasonable about one of them, get a second opinion.
Choosing decks a fix
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
- Treat any ledger problem as urgent The ledger is the connection to your house. Rot, missing flashing, or nails instead of proper fasteners is a stop-using-the-deck situation, not a spring project.
- Push-test every guard, every spring Guards must be at least 36 inches high on decks over 30 inches above grade. Movement at the post base means the attachment is failing.
- Price sagging repair against replacement immediately Sagging repair spans $750 to $10,000 while replacement of a 300 square foot deck is $6,000 to $18,600. Get both numbers before you authorize anything.
- Don't paint over rot Rot repair at $300 to $5,000 is far cheaper than the structural repair it becomes. Probing soft spots with a screwdriver costs nothing.
- Termite damage needs two trades Repair runs $500 to $10,000 and fixing the wood without treating the infestation just buys time.
All decks problems
Rotting Deck Boards
Unsafe Deck Railings
Sagging Deck Structure
Splintered Wood Deck
Faded Composite Deck
Wobbly Deck Stairs
Deck Water Damage
Failed Deck Inspection
Outdated Deck Design
Insufficient Outdoor Living Space
Deck Permit Rejection
Termite Damaged Deck
Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- Fixr - Deck Repair Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
- American Wood Council - DCA 6 Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide · retrieved 2026-07-26
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