Composite vs. Pressure-Treated Wood Decks in Tennessee

For most homeowners, the choice comes down to pressure-treated pine or composite (and other plastic-based boards like PVC) on a pressure-treated frame. The choice affects cost, upkeep and how the deck feels on a July afternoon. It doesn't change the structure underneath, or the permits. This guide compares the two using HomeGuide's dated cost guides.

Cost: wood is cheaper upfront

HomeGuide's figures (national, not Nashville quotes):

HomeGuide's head-to-head comparison (Oct. 14, 2025) uses higher figures for both, $50 to $100+ per sq ft for composite and $40 to $80+ for wood, because it includes more complex builds. Either way, composite costs more on day one, roughly half again as much or more on these ranges.

Upkeep: composite is cheaper over time

HomeGuide's comparison sums up the trade-off:

• Maintenance: composite needs soap-and-water cleaning; wood needs annual staining or sealing to keep looking good.
• Lifespan: 25 to 50 years for composite, 10 to 30+ years for wood.
• Refinishing: wood can be sanded and restained many times. Composite can't really be refinished, and HomeGuide says modern composite can't be stained or painted effectively.

HomeGuide's pressure-treated guide puts staining and sealing at about $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot. On a 400 sq ft deck, that's about $600 to $1,800 each time you hire it out. Over a couple of decades, that's how composite closes the price gap.

Heat, splinters and scratches

• Hot boards. HomeGuide notes composite can get hot in direct sunlight, uncomfortable for bare feet, though lighter colors and newer formulas help. Wood generally stays cooler. On a west-facing, unshaded deck in a Middle Tennessee summer, that matters. Consider a lighter color or a cover. See decks and porches for covered deck and porch costs.
• Splinters and rot. Composite won't splinter or rot. Wood can splinter, check and warp as it weathers, especially without regular sealing.
• Damage. Composite resists stains and fading but can be damaged by heat sources (grills, fire pits) or sharp objects, and a damaged board usually has to be replaced. Wood dents and scratches but can be sanded out.

The frame is the same, and so are the rules

Composite boards usually sit on a pressure-treated wood frame. The frame, footings, ledger and railings are what permits and inspections focus on, whatever the decking:

• Metro Nashville requires a permit for a new or replacement deck, for replacing more than 100 sq ft of deck boards, and for any footing or framing replacement. Switching an old deck's boards to composite over 100 sq ft is permit work.
• Hendersonville requires a permit and plan review for any deck attached to the house, whatever its size. See our Hendersonville deck page.
• Nolensville, under its 2024 codes, sets minimum deck footing sizes. See Nolensville.

If you're re-decking an older deck with composite, have the frame checked first. New boards on a tired frame is money wasted, and composite may need closer joist spacing than the old wood boards had. Follow the board maker's spacing requirement.

Which to choose

Pressure-treated wood fits if you want the lowest upfront cost, like the look of real wood, don't mind a yearly or every-other-year staining routine, or the deck is large and the price gap is big.

Composite fits if you'd rather not stain, plan to stay a long time, want a consistent look, or the deck gets heavy use.

Either way: spend on the frame, flashing at the ledger, and footings. That's what makes a deck last.