If you have an outdoor deck, adding a deck covering can increase the lifespan while reducing maintenance needs. Deck coverings help protect the deck surface from direct sunlight, rain, snow and other weather elements. They also enable you to enjoy a great outdoor time on your deck without caring about the weather or the time of the year.
When it comes to deck coverings, you have plenty of options. These include fixed and retractable awnings, portable and permanent pavilions, pergolas, waterproof polycarbonate roofing, shade sails, permanent veranda roofs and more. Each type of cover has a different price tag. Depending on the ease or difficulty of installing a given material, labor costs may also vary significantly. Here’s a quick view on these costs.
Awnings as Deck Coverings
Awnings are one of the most versatile covering options for a deck. They are available in a wide range of colors. You can also choose between retractable or permanent awnings. The retractable ones typically cost more. In general, you should expect to spend around $1,000 to $4,000 depending on size and other factors. You can hire a professional deck building contractor to handle the project or save around $1,000 by taking a DIY approach.
Permanent Veranda Roofs
Permanent veranda roofs usually attach directly to your home’s structure and extend over the deck. These are a larger investment in that they can cost between $3,000 and $12,000. You may also need to pay for a building permit when adding a veranda roof. The permit itself can cost around $300 to $1,800.
Pergolas
Pergolas are a stand-out way of adding a roof or cover to your deck. As deck coverings, pergolas typically comprise of not just a beamed roof but also the posts or columns that support it. So it is like constructing an entire enclosure on your deck, and the costs are expectedly high. On average, if you are adding a pergola to your deck, the costs will be somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000.
Shade Sails
Shade sails are a creative and exciting way to cover your deck. They are incredibly easy to install so that you can install them yourself as deck coverings. The material also costs little. You also get to choose between a variety of color options. In all, you can expect to spend anywhere between a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the size, quality of shade fabric and other factors.
If you’re thinking about adding a deck to your property, your planning should take into account ROI variables. Materials, size, access, and the “wow factor” all contribute to a prospective buyer’s perception of the value added by a deck to the property. It’s worth becoming familiar with deck construction in the comparable properties in your area so you can position yours where you want to be value-wise. Another value relationship to consider is that between your deck budget and the overall value of the property. It doesn’t make ROI dollars and sense to build something too grand for the size and likely resale price of the home. One rule of thumb used by contractors and architects is that a deck should be no larger than the home’s biggest interior space.
Keep in mind, too, that adding value to your home gets the attention of the assessor and the underwriter, so your property taxes and insurance premiums are like to be increased. Like anything else built by human beings, a deck will inevitably require some maintenance and/or repair as time goes by. Good choices of materials, with expert design and construction, are the ticket to keeping those costs down and your enjoyment and ROI up.
