InstaBidsInstaBids
Skip to content
InstaBids
Menu
Use your AIConnector, agent API and ready promptsOpen in ChatGPTOpen in ClaudeOpen in GrokOpen in GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Add InstaBids to ClaudeMCP connector, sign in onceSteps for every assistantFor AI agents
How InstaBids works
Use your AIStart my request

For homeowners

Types of deck: which decking material fits your home?

Choose pressure-treated wood for wood in contact with the ground, the high decay hazard for which the USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook names pressure-treated wood; cedar/redwood for untreated wood above ground, where heartwood of a decay-resistant species generally gives satisfactory service (USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook).

The right choice depends on whether the wood sits on the ground or above it, whether cedar or redwood boards are heartwood rather than sapwood, and whether you want wood with or without preservative treatment.

How we know: By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. · Sources read: 17 October 2026 · Updated 27 October 2026

TypeBest forMain advantagesMain drawbacks
Pressure-treated woodwood in contact with the ground, the high decay hazard for which the USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook names pressure-treated woodfor severe decay conditions the USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook generally recommends pressure-treated wood rather than resistant heartwoodcutting into the wood after treatment frequently exposes its untreated interior (USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook); chemicals in waterborne preservatives, such as copper, may promote corrosion of fasteners (USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook)
Cedar/redwooduntreated wood above ground, where heartwood of a decay-resistant species generally gives satisfactory service (USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook)the close-grained heartwood of California redwood has some termite resistance, especially above ground (USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook; redwood only); industry association guidance (American Wood Council deck guide, keyed to a superseded code edition): redwood or western cedars count as naturally durable where 90 percent or more of the width of each side is heartwoodfor severe decay conditions the USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook generally recommends pressure-treated wood rather than resistant heartwood; the decay resistance is in the heartwood: where conditions favor decay, the USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook says to use heartwood, not sapwood
Compositea board evaluated as equivalent in durability to preservative-treated or naturally durable lumber (ICC Evaluation Service report on one maker's decking, Fiberon)the plastic can at least partly encapsulate the wood particles, slowing moisture uptake and improving durability (USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory composite durability study, 2024); the same report evaluated that decking's structural capacity from -20°F to 125°F; warranty term (Trex, one maker): limited residential warranties ranging from 25 to 50 years on decking and railingdecay fungi can form voids in wood-plastic composites by degrading the wood fibers once moisture enters through surface cracks (USDA Forest Service Wood Handbook); the same study found that protection was not necessarily sufficient for as long as a composite stays in outdoor use (USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2024)

InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.

Post your job on InstaBids, and contractors can bid in writing on one written scope.

Start my request

InstaBids assistantAI · builds your written scope with you

What deck building job do you need done in your home? Describe it once to start your written scope.

Start from a common job
You choose who gets your number
Or send it from your own AIChatGPTClaudeGrokGeminiMore ways
  1. Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
  2. Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
  3. Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
  4. You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
InstaBids

For your AI assistant

MCP connector · REST API · plain HTML

Hand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.

  • MCP connector URLhttps://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp
  • Agent API (OpenAPI)https://instabids.ai/openapi.json
  • Start-request linkhttps://instabids.ai/intake?from=options-deck&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=options&page_type=options#job=deck%20building
Open it in your assistantAdd InstaBids as a connector

Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.

If your priority is...
PriorityChoose
wood in contact with the groundPressure-treated wood
untreated wood above groundCedar/redwood
wood in severe decay conditionsPressure-treated wood

What does deck building cost?

For prices, see How much does a deck cost?

Get written bids

Contractors who take part bid on one written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices.

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing.

Sources for the facts on this page

Start my requestUse your AI