Composite Decking Leeds
Five decking boards, one Leeds garden. See how capped, hollow, PVC and aluminium boards compare on price, upkeep and grip, then get a fixed price for yours.
Get a price for your deckBoard by board
The choice of board decides most of the price and almost all of the upkeep. Prices are fitted, per square metre, with the frame and labour included. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| Fitted, per m² | £120 to £220 | £95 to £160 | £150 to £250 | £220 to £380 | £60 to £130 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Wood fibre and recycled plastic, wrapped in a polymer shell | Wood fibre and plastic with hollow channels, often uncapped | Cellular PVC, no wood fibre at all | Extruded aluminium with a powder-coated or textured top | Pressure-treated pine or spruce |
| Joist spacing | 300 to 400 mm centres | 300 to 350 mm centres | 300 to 400 mm centres | Often 400 to 600 mm, maker dependent | 400 mm centres is common |
| Upkeep | Wash in spring and autumn | Wash, plus a stain treatment if grease or leaves mark it | Wash in spring and autumn | Rinse; nothing to rot or fade | Clean and oil or stain every year or two |
| Board warranty | Often 25 years or more | Often 10 to 20 years | Often 20 to 30 years | Often 15 to 25 years on the finish | Treatment guarantee, often 15 years |
| Fire | Combustible | Combustible | Combustible, slow to ignite | Non-combustible (class A1 or A2) | Combustible |
| Best for | Most Leeds back gardens, shady or sunny | Ground-level decks on a tighter budget | Damp, shaded plots and around hot tubs | Balconies, roof terraces and decks near a building | The lowest upfront cost, sunny open spots |
Joist spacing, warranty and fire class vary between makers, so the data sheet for the exact board always wins. Treated timber is shown for comparison: see composite vs timber decking.
What a Leeds deck costs
Capped composite on level ground, fitted, with no steps or balustrade. A raised deck typically adds 20% to 60%; each step adds £90 to £220.
| Typical job | Size | Capped composite | Hollow composite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace yard | 3 × 2.5 m, 7.5 m² | £900 to £1,700 | £700 to £1,200 |
| Semi, off the back doors | 4 × 3.5 m, 14 m² | £1,700 to £3,100 | £1,300 to £2,200 |
| Full-width deck | 6 × 4 m, 24 m² | £2,900 to £5,300 | £2,300 to £3,800 |
| Large or two-level | 8 × 4.5 m, 36 m² | £4,300 to £7,900 | £3,400 to £5,800 |
Typical UK fitted prices from published price lists we reviewed, October 2026, rounded to £100. A guide, not a quote. Leeds prices sit near the middle of these ranges; access through the house or a sloping garden pushes them up.
Decking for Leeds houses
Leeds has every kind of garden, from a flagged yard behind a back-to-back to a hillside plot in Horsforth. Each needs a different frame, even when the boards on top are the same.
Red-brick terraces and back-to-backs
Harehills, Armley, Burley, Beeston
Yards are small, often paved, and the only way in is through the house. A low deck on an aluminium frame laid straight over the old flags avoids digging up concrete, and short 3.6 m boards fit through a hallway. Budget about £900 to £1,700 for a 7.5 m² yard in capped composite.
Interwar semis
Roundhay, Moortown, Crossgates, Seacroft
Long, narrow gardens that usually fall away from the back door. A deck the full width of the house with one or two steps down to the lawn is the most common job in Leeds, and the step is often what keeps the deck under the 30 cm planning limit.
Stone houses on a slope
Horsforth, Meanwood, Headingley, Rawdon
Gritstone and sandstone villas on hillsides. Decks here are often raised at the far edge, which means posts, a balustrade and very likely a planning application. Many sit in conservation areas, so check before anything is ordered.
New builds
Garforth, Morley, Pudsey, Thorpe Park
Flat, compact gardens with heavy, compacted soil left by the builder. Water sits on the surface after rain, so the base needs a membrane, gravel and a frame lifted clear of the ground. Check the deeds: some estates restrict changes for the first years.
Planning permission in Leeds, in short
Leeds City Council is the planning authority for the whole district, from Otley and Wetherby to Morley and Rothwell. Most decks need no application: under permitted development, a deck is allowed if it is no higher than 30 cm, is not in front of the house and, together with extensions and outbuildings, covers no more than half the garden.
Three situations catch people out in Leeds:
- Sloping gardens. The 30 cm limit applies to every part of the deck. A deck built level with the back door on a falling garden can be well over 30 cm at the far edge, and then it needs planning permission.
- Conservation areas. Large parts of Headingley, Roundhay, Chapel Allerton and the old village centres are covered. Low back-garden decks are usually still fine, but anything visible from the road needs care.
- Flats and maisonettes. They have no permitted development rights, so any deck or balcony needs an application.
If you are unsure, Leeds City Council runs a paid pre-application enquiry service, and a lawful development certificate gives you a formal answer for your records. Read more in planning permission for decking in Leeds.
Fire, height and safety
Building regulations do not usually apply to a garden deck at ground level. They start to matter in two places.
Height. Once a deck is about 600 mm or more above the ground, it should have guarding at least 900 mm high, following Approved Document K. Glass or metal balustrades are the usual answer on composite decks.
Fire. Composite and PVC are combustible. On balconies of taller blocks of flats, combustible decking is banned, which is why aluminium is the standard there. For a house, it is still worth keeping a gap between the deck and a timber fence or the neighbour's boundary, and using aluminium next to a wall with windows above.
Planning and safety sources
- GOV.UK, permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance
- Planning Portal (government planning service), decking
- Leeds City Council, conservation areas
- Leeds City Council, pre-application enquiry service
- GOV.UK, Approved Document K: protection from falling, collision and impact
- Planning Portal, Approved Document B: fire safety
Around the deck
Most Leeds decks need something at the edges: a balustrade on a raised deck, or fencing that matches the boards.
Questions about composite decking in Leeds
01How much does composite decking cost in Leeds?
Fitted capped composite typically costs £120 to £220 per square metre, frame and labour included. A 14 m² deck off the back of a Leeds semi usually comes to £1,700 to £3,100. Hollow boards are cheaper at £95 to £160; aluminium costs the most at £220 to £380. These are national price ranges, and Leeds prices sit close to the middle of them. Try the composite decking cost calculator.
02Which composite decking is best for Leeds weather?
Capped composite, for most gardens. The polymer shell stops rain, leaf stains and algae soaking into the board, which matters in a wet, shady West Yorkshire garden. Choose a board with a textured, anti-slip finish and a frame that lets air move underneath.
03Do I need planning permission for composite decking in Leeds?
Not if the deck is no more than 30 cm above the ground, is behind the front of the house and, together with any extensions and sheds, covers no more than half the garden. Decks higher than 30 cm, decks at flats, and anything at a listed building need Leeds City Council's permission.
04How long does composite decking take to fit?
Two to four days on site for a typical 12 to 25 m² deck on level ground. Allow an extra day or two for a raised deck, steps or a balustrade, and longer if a concrete patio has to come up first.
05Can composite decking go straight onto a patio?
Yes, if the patio is sound and falls slightly for drainage. The boards still need joists, but low-profile aluminium or composite joists on pads can sit on the slabs. This often saves the cost of breaking out old paving, which is common in Leeds terraces.
06Is composite decking slippery when wet?
Good capped boards with a grooved or textured surface grip better than wet timber, which grows algae. Keep the deck clean, especially under trees, and choose a board whose slip rating the maker publishes.
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