Choosing the decking boards is the single biggest material decision in any deck project. The boards are what you walk on, look at, and pay to refinish every few years. In Riverside County the picture is further complicated by a climate that punishes both softwoods and composites in different ways: intense UV year-round, dry winters that shrink lumber, wet winters that swell it, and the occasional wind-driven sand storm off the desert.

After thirty-five years of building decks across the Inland Empire, BPP Construction has narrowed the practical shortlist to three material families: pressure-treated pine, redwood, and composite. Each has a place, and the right choice usually has less to do with the brochure photos than with how the homeowner actually plans to use the deck.

Pressure-treated pine: the default for budget-conscious builds

Pressure-treated southern yellow pine is what most big-box lumberyards stock as standard decking. It is the least expensive option per linear foot, it carries structural ratings that let it span typical deck framing without issue, and it is easy to find on short lead times. For a 250 square foot attached deck in Corona or Moreno Valley, pressure-treated pine decking typically runs $1,400 to $1,900 in material cost alone, well under half the price of the equivalent composite.

Where pine gets its bad reputation is the first eighteen months. Pressure-treated lumber arrives at the job site loaded with moisture from the treatment process, and as that moisture leaves the board it cups, checks, and splits. A pine deck that is not sealed within the first six months of installation will look tired by year two. A pine deck that is sealed annually with a quality penetrating oil-based stain looks nearly indistinguishable from a more expensive wood for ten to fifteen years.

The labor profile is another factor homeowners rarely price in. Pine can be screwed down with standard exterior deck screws, cut with standard blades, and repaired with boards the homeowner can pick up at any lumberyard on short notice. Swapping a single cracked board on a ten-year-old composite deck often means ordering a custom-matched plank and waiting three weeks. Swapping the same board on a pine deck is a Saturday-morning trip to Home Depot.

Redwood: the Southern California classic

Redwood is the material most Inland Empire homeowners remember from their parents’ or grandparents’ deck. It is naturally rot-resistant, finishes to a warm reddish-brown that pairs with stucco architecture, and does not need the chemical treatment pressure-treated pine requires.

The redwood conversation has shifted over the last decade. The premium clear-heartwood grades that built postwar California decks are now genuinely expensive; a clear-all-heart redwood deck in 2026 dollars runs close to triple what it cost our clients in 2015. What has mostly replaced it in our quotes is “construction common” grade redwood, which contains some sapwood and mixed knots but is still considerably more decay-resistant than untreated pine. Construction-common redwood at today’s prices lands between pine and composite, with a look that is distinctly Southern Californian.

Where redwood earns its keep is in partially shaded environments. Our residential deck projects in the foothills around Jurupa Valley and Norco, where oak canopy holds moisture on the board surface, show a clear winner: the redwood installations from the early 2010s still look good, while the pine installations from the same era have needed board replacement. In full-sun backyards, the two woods age more similarly.

A practical redwood note: the natural tannins in the wood will stain concrete, pavers, and light-colored masonry directly below the deck for the first year until the boards fully weather. We suggest a light-duty drip tray under the drip line of any redwood deck built over hardscape the homeowner cares about.

Composite decking: convenience has a price

Composite decking, dominated in our market by Trex, TimberTech, and Fiberon, has captured a large share of the new-build residential market. The pitch is compelling: no staining, no splinters, a twenty-five year warranty, and a look that has gotten genuinely convincing over the last five product generations.

We install a lot of composite. For homeowners who do not want to think about the deck again after the install, it is the correct answer. The material cost premium runs roughly two to two and a half times pressure-treated pine for equivalent coverage, but the homeowner recovers that premium in avoided staining labor over a fifteen-year horizon.

What composite will not do is handle Inland Empire summer heat the way wood does. Dark-color composite boards on a full-sun deck can reach 160°F on a July afternoon, hot enough that bare feet and pet paws become a real issue. The lighter-color lines (the greys and weathered whites) run twenty to thirty degrees cooler at peak. If the deck will see daily summer use, we steer homeowners toward the light-color composite lines or a wood alternative.

Composite also requires tighter framing. The standard 16-inch-on-center framing that works for wood decking should be reduced to 12-inch on-center for most composite products, especially for the mid-grade lines without capping on all four sides. Framing costs go up, which is rarely reflected in the big-box store price comparison but is always reflected in our quotes.

The decision tree we walk homeowners through

When we meet with a homeowner planning a new deck, the material conversation usually resolves with three questions. First, how many hours per year are they willing to spend on deck maintenance? Zero hours points to composite. Two to four hours points to pressure-treated pine or redwood. Second, is the deck in full sun or partial shade? Heavy shade favors redwood or composite; full sun is agnostic. Third, what is the homeowner’s planned ownership horizon? Under seven years favors pine with a good stain; over fifteen years favors composite or redwood.

The fourth question, the one we ask last because it colors everything, is the comparison. A deck is one element of the outdoor living picture alongside the patio cover, the fencing, and the hardscape. We often end up recommending a mixed scope, with pressure-treated pine framing under a composite walking surface and cedar fascia boards, because the combined cost lands where the homeowner wanted and the finished look reads as a cohesive backyard rather than a catalog page.

Common Questions

What is the cheapest decking that still lasts?

Pressure-treated pine, sealed within the first six months and refreshed annually with a penetrating oil-based stain. Maintained that way it looks good for ten to fifteen years.

Is composite decking worth it in Inland Empire heat?

Yes, if you never want to stain a deck again. But pick the lighter colors: dark composite boards on a full-sun deck can hit 160 degrees on a July afternoon, which is a real problem for bare feet and pet paws.

Redwood or pressure-treated pine?

Construction-common redwood costs more but clearly outlasts pine in shaded yards where moisture sits on the boards. In full-sun backyards the two age much more similarly.

Does composite need different framing?

Most composite lines want 12-inch on-center joist spacing instead of the 16-inch spacing wood decking allows, so the framing budget goes up. Big-box price comparisons rarely show that.

Can you price my deck more than one way?

Yes. We will price the same deck in all three material families, line by line, so you can see exactly what each budget level buys.

See our project gallery, learn more about Ben and the crew, or see our deck construction services and wooden deck work.