What's the best decking for a coastal home on the Northern Beaches?

Composite (Trex, Millboard, TimberTech) is the lowest-maintenance choice near the water — no rot, no splitting, no oiling. Hardwood like spotted gum or blackbutt also works if you're happy to oil it. Either way, near the water we use 316 marine-grade stainless fixings, because standard galvanised hardware rusts within a few years. Our recent Fairlight job, shown further down this page, used Trex Lineage in Biscayne over an H3/H4 frame with G-Tape on every joist.

Can you build a deck on a steep block?

Yes — elevated decks on sloping blocks are a big part of our Beaches work. We engineer the footings and frame to the site. Once a deck is more than 1m off the ground, the building code requires a balustrade at least 1m high, so we design that in from the start — often frameless glass, so it doesn't block the view.

Do I need council approval for a deck on the Northern Beaches?

In NSW, a deck can often go ahead without council approval if it's under 25m², no more than 1m off the ground and at least 900mm from the side and rear boundaries. Anything bigger or higher usually needs approval from Northern Beaches Council, and bushfire-prone or flood-prone land has its own rules. We'll confirm which applies to your block before you spend a dollar.

Is my property in a bushfire zone?

Blocks near bushland — Terrey Hills, Belrose, Duffys Forest and parts of Pittwater — often are. You can check your address on the NSW RFS website, and we'll confirm the rating and recommend compliant materials as part of the quote.

How much does a deck cost on the Northern Beaches?

Installed rates run from $905 to $1,355 per square metre depending on the material, for a level site with a finished deck height under 500mm. Elevated decks, stairs, pergolas and difficult access are quoted separately. Use our deck cost calculator for a ballpark, then we'll firm it up with a free quote.

Can you build a deck and pergola together as one project?

Yes — and it's usually the smartest way to do it. One structure means cleaner lines, better engineering and one approval process instead of two.

How long does it take to build a deck?

Most residential decks take one to three weeks on site depending on size, height and extras like pergolas or balustrades. We'll give you a clear timeline with your quote — and we stick to it.

How long does composite decking last near the ocean?

As long as its warranty — and the leading brands back theirs for decades. Trex, Millboard and TimberTech boards are built for exposure, and near the water we pair them with 316 marine-grade stainless fixings and a well-ventilated frame so the rest of the deck lasts as long as the boards do.

Do you remove the old deck?

Yes. If there's an existing deck, we pull it out and take it away as part of the job — demolition, removal and disposal are all covered, so you don't need a skip or a separate contractor.

What warranty do you give on a new deck?

Every deck we build comes with our 10-year workmanship warranty, on top of the manufacturer's warranty on the boards themselves. Composite brands like Trex, Millboard and TimberTech carry their own long-term product warranties, and we'll give you the exact terms for the range you choose.

Deck Builders Northern Beaches

On the Northern Beaches, a deck has to cope with salt air, sea breezes and, on plenty of blocks, a steep slope down to the view. We’re Tony and Dean, the father-and-son deck builders Northern Beaches homeowners call when they want a deck that still looks right after years of coastal weather — from Manly up to Palm Beach and back through Frenchs Forest. We don’t build decks; we add a room to your home.

Decks built for salt air and sea views

Close to the water, salt gets into everything. We use stainless-steel fixings and hardware suited to coastal exposure, and we’ll steer you towards boards that handle it. Composite decking won’t rot, split or need oiling, which is why most of our coastal clients choose it — we’re Trex, Millboard and TimberTech specialists. If you love real timber, hardwood decking like spotted gum or blackbutt works well too, as long as you’re happy to keep up the oiling.

Plenty of Beaches homes sit on sloping blocks, so a lot of our work here is elevated: decks that step straight off the living level towards the view, with stairs down to the garden and balustrades that don’t block what you’re looking at. We’ll talk you through every option honestly — including what each costs over ten years, not just on day one.

Where we build on the Northern Beaches

From the harbour side of Manly to the top of Pittwater, the Beaches throw up four quite different building problems. Here’s what each part needs.

Manly, Fairlight, Balgowlah, Seaforth and Clontarf — harbour-facing slopes, views worth protecting and salt air on every breeze. Raised decks and stairs on steep blocks, 316 marine-grade stainless fixings, and balustrades that don’t cut the view in half. Our latest Beaches job is a deck and awning rebuild in Fairlight — you can see it further down this page.

Curl Curl, Dee Why, Collaroy and Narrabeen — the beach strip. Full salt exposure and wind-blown sand, so composite boards and stainless fixings are the default rather than the upgrade. Beachfront lots along Collaroy and Narrabeen also sit under coastal hazard controls, which we check before anything is designed.

Mona Vale, Newport, Avalon and Palm Beach — Pittwater country. Steep bush blocks under big gums, with bushfire and landslip mapping over much of it. Steep sites in the landslip areas usually need a geotechnical report before council will look at them, so we plan for that from the first visit.

Frenchs Forest, Belrose, Davidson and Terrey Hills — the plateau behind the beaches, with bigger family blocks backing onto national park. BAL ratings drive the material choice here, and where the rating goes above BAL-29 we can build in Knotwood aluminium decking.

Beachfront block or a bush-backed family home in Belrose, the care is the same — we treat your place like our own.

What we build

– Elevated view decks — stepping off the living level on sloping blocks
– Pool-side decks — splinter-free composite that’s kind to bare feet
– Pergolas and awnings — shade from the afternoon sun and shelter from the sea breeze
– Stairs, balustrades and privacy screens — glass, aluminium or timber, built to code

Approvals, bushfire zones and coastal exposure

Every project here sits with Northern Beaches Council. Two things often shape the build. Blocks backing onto bushland — around Terrey Hills, Belrose, Duffys Forest and parts of the Pittwater peninsula — can be mapped as bushfire-prone, which affects the materials allowed; you can check your address with the NSW RFS, and we’ll confirm what applies. On the coastal side, salt exposure decides which fixings and hardware will last. We’ll check both before we quote, and explain it in plain English.

How much does it cost to build a deck on the Northern Beaches?

Wondering what decking costs per m²? The table below shows indicative installed prices per square metre for the materials we build with most in Sydney, on a level site with a finished deck height under 500mm. Use it as a starting point, then run your own numbers through our deck cost calculator.

Treated pine $915 - $965
Merbau $929 - $1,022
Australian hardwood (spotted gum, blackbutt, ironbark) $980 - $1,239
Trex Transcend (Tropicals / Lineage) $1,017 - $1,199
Trex Select $950 - $1,050
TimberTech AZEK Prime+ $933 - $1,026
TimberTech AZEK Vintage $1,232 - $1,355
Millboard Enhanced $1,197 - $1,317
Woodevo Home WPC $905 - $995
Woodevo Advanced PVC $928 - $1,021

Prices are indicative Sydney installed rates for 2026 and include the subframe, piers, fixings, boards, under-deck oiling, deliveries, waste removal and a final clean — not just the boards. That’s why they sit above the $350–$500 per square metre quoted elsewhere, which is usually materials only, or supply-and-lay by an unlicensed installer. Sloping blocks, difficult access, elevated decks, stairs, balustrades and pergolas add to the rate, and a quote that’s $200/m² cheaper usually means those things come back later as variations. Every deck is measured on site — request a free consultation for a firm figure.

The Deck Builders Northern Beaches Locals Recommend

Licensed, insured, family-run. No sales reps, no games — the bloke who quotes your job builds your job. We’ll look after you like family, because that’s how we’d want our own family treated.

★ 4.8 on Google Licensed & insured 10-year warranty

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Or call Tony on 0413 185 735 · Mon–Fri 8am–5pm

A recently completed deck and awning rebuild in Fairlight

A tired backyard entertaining area in Fairlight — weathered timber decking, a dated spa and an overgrown layout — rebuilt as a year-round outdoor room. The owners wanted it stylish, but above all built to last.

We started from the ground up: a new substructure in H3 and H4 treated timber, set out for airflow and drainage, with every bearer and joist top capped in Nichigo G-Tape so water can’t sit on the timber. Over that went Trex Lineage composite in Biscayne — no sanding, no oiling, and made to handle the salt air this close to the harbour. A Palam EZGlaze awning on Classic aluminium beams now shelters the whole lounge and dining zone, letting the light through while keeping sun and rain off. Completed September 2025.

What the owners had to say

Tony totally transformed the entrance to my apartment. He helped me work through my ideas to create a new outside Barbecue/eating/entertaining area which is beautiful, along with a new tiled hallway and entrance to my home. Tony took care of every detail and his team were terrific, tidying every day and going the extra mile to help me at every step with the whole project. I love my new ‘outdoor room’ and it has added real value to my home. — Sally, Fairlight ★★★★★ Google review

Also building nearby

The Northern Beaches run straight down into the North Shore, and we build across both. Further out, we work Hunters Hill, the Inner West, the Eastern Suburbs, the Hills District, Parramatta and the Sutherland Shire.