Cedar and wood decks in Fort Collins CO
Wood is still the budget-friendly way to build a deck, and cedar is the wood most Front Range homeowners mean when they say it. Western red cedar is light, naturally resistant to decay and insects, and smells good on a hot day. Left unsealed it weathers to silver gray; sealed, it holds a warm brown. Redwood behaves much the same. Pressure-treated pine is the cheapest and strongest, and it is what goes under almost every deck, wood or composite.
The catch here is the climate. Fort Collins sits at about 5,000 feet, the air is dry for most of the year, and the sun is strong. Wood that isn't sealed dries, checks and splits faster than it would in a humid state, so a wood deck is a deck you maintain.
Cedar boards on a treated frame
The most common build is cedar decking and railing over a treated-pine frame. The frame gets ground-contact rated posts and connectors rated for treated lumber; the Fort Collins deck guide spells out ZMAX, stainless or hot-dipped hardware for ACQ-treated wood. The plans also list the wood species, because joist and beam spans change with it.
Wood deck costs
| Item | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated boards | $3 to $6 per sq ft | Modernize, material |
| Cedar or redwood boards | $4 to $9 per sq ft | Modernize, material |
| Composite boards, for comparison | $6 to $13 per sq ft | Modernize, material |
| Deck installed, Denver market | $22 to $55 per sq ft | Angi Denver; wood in the lower half |
| Cedar board replacement | $3 to $7 per sq ft | Angi Denver repair guide |
| Wood railing | $15 to $50 per linear ft | Angi railing installation, national |
Sources: Modernize Deck Cost guide (August 12, 2026); Angi 2026 Denver deck building and repair guides, Angi deck railing guide. Quotes vary by site.
Full size-by-size pricing is on the deck cost in Fort Collins page, and the long-run comparison with composite is in the composite vs wood guide.
How a wood deck is built and finished
- 1Choose the wood
Cedar or redwood boards over a treated frame, or treated boards throughout. The species also sets joist spans, which the City asks about on the plans.
- 2Frame with treated lumber
Ground-contact rated posts, treated beams and joists, and fasteners rated for treated lumber.
- 3Gap the boards
Wood shrinks in dry air, so boards are spaced for drainage and movement, with screws set rather than face-nailed.
- 4Let it dry
Treated lumber arrives wet. It dries before the first coat so the finish soaks in rather than peeling.
- 5Seal and keep it sealed
A penetrating stain or sealer goes on once the wood is dry, and again every year or two.
Wood with everything else
Wood decks pair naturally with a cedar pergola, and an old wood deck may only need a deck repair. All services are on the deck builder in Fort Collins page. City deck rules: Residential Deck Guide.
