Deck Removal by Deck Type
Ground-Level Wood Decks
A low platform deck a step or two off the patio door is the simplest tear-out. Boards come up with a pry bar or get cut between joists, the frame is unscrewed or sawn into pieces, and the posts come out last. A 100 to 200 square foot deck falls in HomeGuide's $1,000 to $2,500 band. These are often the decks people find rotted underneath, because the frame sits so close to damp ground.
Raised and Second-Story Decks
A deck off a second-floor door or a walkout basement means taking apart framing overhead, with railings, stairs and tall posts to drop safely. That takes more crew, sometimes scaffolding, and more care near windows and siding. Decks over 400 square feet, which are often the raised ones, run $5,000 to $7,000 or more.
Composite Decks
Composite boards are dense and flex instead of snapping, so they get cut rather than broken over a knee. The framing underneath is usually still pressure-treated lumber. Ask whether the hauler charges more for composite because of the weight.
Decks Built Around a Hot Tub
A tub set into a cutout in the deck has to come out before the framing can. Plan both jobs as one visit: the tub gets drained, cut up and carried out, then the deck comes apart. See hot tub removal for that part of the price.
Boards-Only Tear-Off
If the frame is sound and you plan to put new decking on it, the job is only the boards and railings. Say so when you ask for a price, and ask the crew to pull or sink the old screws so the joists are ready for new boards.
Why Clarksville homeowners call Clarksville Junk Haulers
- Your request goes to one local hauler, not a call list
- Ask for the all-in price before anything is loaded
- Free to call; you pay only the hauler, for the job you agree to
- Tell us about stairs, heavy items or a deadline up front
Deck Removal Step by Step
STEP 01
Walk the deck and agree on the scope
The crew looks at size, height, footings and how the deck attaches to the house, then prices boards, frame and posts separately or as one job.
STEP 02
Take off railings, stairs and boards
Top-down, so nobody is standing on a frame with missing pieces.
STEP 03
Drop the frame and pull the posts
Posts set in concrete either get dug out with their footings or cut at grade, depending on what you agreed. Digging in Tennessee has a notice rule; see fence removal for it.
STEP 04
Load and clean up
Lumber full of nails goes on the truck, and the hauler takes it to a construction and demolition landfill rather than the household one (fees are on the construction debris page).
Deck Ledger Board: What to Check at the House
Most attached decks hang off a ledger board bolted to the house. When it comes off, you are left with bolt holes and a strip of siding or rim board that was hidden for years, sometimes with water damage behind it. Plan for someone to patch and flash that strip soon after, before the next heavy rain finds the holes. If the rim joist behind the ledger has gone soft, it is cheaper to fix while that strip is open than after new siding covers it.
See above-ground pool removal if the deck wraps a pool that is going too.