This is the most common question we get on outdoor work, and the honest answer depends on you — how long you'll be in the house and how you feel about maintenance.
The case for wood
- Lower cost up front. Meaningfully lower, which matters if the deck budget is competing with other projects.
- Real material. Wood looks and feels like wood because it is. It can be sanded, re-stained, and repaired board by board.
- The catch: Central Texas sun is brutal on it. An unsealed wood deck here grays, checks, and splinters fast. Plan on cleaning and re-sealing every year or two, forever. Skip that, and the low up-front price quietly becomes the expensive option.
The case for composite
- Almost no maintenance. Wash it occasionally. That's the list.
- Sun tolerance. Modern composites hold color and don't splinter — a real advantage where decks bake all July.
- The catches: Higher up-front cost, it gets hotter underfoot in direct sun (worth considering for bare feet and dog paws — lighter colors help), and scratches can't be sanded out the way wood can.
The honest decision rule
Staying in the house ten-plus years and hate maintenance? Composite usually wins the long math. Moving within five years, or you genuinely enjoy the ritual of caring for wood? Wood is a fine answer. Building a covered porch? The roof shields the decking, which strengthens the case for wood.
We'll give you a straight recommendation for your actual yard at a free walk-through. More reading: what drives deck cost, the decks and porches service page, our pricing page, and the materials questions in our FAQ.