How much does deck restoration cost on the Gold Coast?

Sanding and oiling a timber deck on the Gold Coast costs about $24 to $59 per square metre, with $39 typical, according to What's The Damage. For a 24 m2 deck, that is about $576 to $1,416.

A clean and re-oil without sanding costs less. Below are the prices, what a proper restoration involves, how often a deck needs oiling in Gold Coast sun, and the signs it needs repair or replacing instead. Prices checked on 4 October 2026. They are not a quote from us.

How much does deck restoration cost on the Gold Coast?

Most restorations are priced per square metre. Here are What's The Damage's October 2026 figures.

What's The Damage says the top of the sand-and-oil range applies "once the timber has fully greyed and needs a full sand". Its Gold Coast prices come from national data adjusted with city pricing modifiers, so they are not a local survey. For repairs priced by the hour, ServiceSeeking's 2026 national average for a carpenter is $85.42 an hour.

What does deck restoration involve?

A full restoration has five stages. What's The Damage lists them like this, and warns that "a cheap quote is usually one that skips two of them".

The makers agree on the hard parts. Intergrain says severely weathered timber should be sanded "back to a fresh surface" and all the dust removed. Both Intergrain and Feast Watson say to add a third coat for decks in full sun, around pools or in humid areas, which covers a lot of Gold Coast decks.

Sanding is the slow, heavy part. What's The Damage says a deck oiled straight over a wash, without sanding, "looks acceptable for about four months" before it goes patchy.

How often should a deck be oiled on the Gold Coast?

Every 12 to 18 months for a deck in full sun, and every 2 to 3 years for a shaded one, says What's The Damage's Gold Coast page. Other sources give a wide spread, because it depends on the product and the sun.

The simplest test comes from Cutek: re-oil when the wood "is no longer beading water". If water soaks in instead of sitting in drops, the oil has worn off. Intergrain also suggests a check every 12 months.

Bare timber in full sun fades to a silver grey and can split and check, as our decking timber guide explains.

Should I use oil, stain or paint on my deck?

Oil is the easiest to keep up. What's The Damage calls it "the standard choice for hardwood" on the Gold Coast, because it wears off evenly and you simply re-coat.

• Oil: re-coat every 2-5 years by Timber Queensland's figure, often sooner in full sun. No stripping.
• Stain: more pigment, so better UV protection and a longer gap between coats. But it flakes as it ages, and the flakes have to be sanded off completely before recoating (What's The Damage).
• Paint: Timber Queensland says paint needs recoating every 5-7 years. Going back to natural timber later means a full strip (What's The Damage).

Near the beach, the Queensland Government suggests oil-based paint on the frame, "such as bearers, joists and posts, as decking oil alone may not be enough to protect against harsh coastal conditions".

When does a deck need repair or replacing instead?

When the frame has gone. Sanding and oiling only fixes the surface. The Queensland Government says to inspect your deck at least once a year and look for:

• decaying timbers, and wet rot, fungal growth, or spongy or fibrous timber, which it says to "fix immediately"
• rusted or failed fixings, which it warns "can compromise structural integrity and result in collapse"
• unstable balustrades

Its deck safety guideline suggests poking any doubtful timber with a screwdriver or chisel to find decay. If the posts, joists, bearers, handrails or balusters are decayed, they "will require replacement with new durable timber". Patching them is only a temporary fix.

What's The Damage gives a simple rule of thumb: if more than a third of the boards need replacing, or the frame is compromised at all, put the restoration money toward a new deck. Our deck cost guide shows what a new deck costs on the Gold Coast.

If your balustrade is loose or low, our guide to balustrade height rules in Queensland covers the height and gap rules a new one must meet.

How do I look after a deck between oilings?

The Queensland Government's deck maintenance page gives these tips:

• Sweep instead of hosing, where you can. Keeping the deck dry slows rot and rust.
• Put pot plants on trays and stop them overflowing.
• Clean the deck well before every new coat.
• Watch for termites: mud nests or soil built up around the timber, or fine "sawdust" below it.
• Near the coast, take more care: "Salt, sand and wind make deck maintenance even more important."

Do deck repairs need a QBCC licence?

Yes, once the job is worth more than $3,300. The QBCC says building work over that value needs a licence, and the value counts all labour and materials, whoever supplies them. At the prices above, a sand and oil on a 24 m2 deck comes in well under that.

We do deck repairs and restoration on the Gold Coast. Brett replaces boards, fixes the frame, rebuilds stairs and railings, and brings tired decks back to life. See our deck building page for the work we do.

Where does this information come from?

Checked on 4 October 2026: What's The Damage (Gold Coast deck restoration and decking costs, national decking costs, all October 2026, and its methodology page), ServiceSeeking (carpenter prices, 2026), Intergrain, Feast Watson and Cutek product pages, WoodSolutions (decking page and Technical Design Guides 13 and 21), Timber Queensland Technical Data Sheet 4, the Queensland Government's deck pages and Deck, balcony and window safety guideline (2017), and the QBCC. We will check the prices again every three months.

See our decks and patios work, or check what your job will cost.