Key takeaways
- Merbau decking $320-$520/m2 fitted in Adelaide; supply-only roughly $70-$120/m2
- Small merbau deck (15-25 m2) $8,000-$13,000; medium (25-50 m2) $13,000-$28,000
- Budget for oiling every 1-2 years - a recurring cost most quotes do not mention
- Properly seasoned (kiln-dried) merbau is essential; green merbau is a false economy
See the full price table, try the deck cost calculator, or compare 3 itemised quotes.
Merbau Decking Cost: the 2026 price table
Structured Adelaide pricing - the data no SERP competitor publishes.
| Deck type | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Merbau decking, fittedFrame, boards, stainless fixings, basic finish. | $320-$520 / m2 |
| Merbau decking, supply onlyBoards only - the rest of the deck cost is frame, fixings and labour. | $70-$120 / m2 |
| Small merbau deck (15-25 m2, ground level)Ground-level merbau deck, no balustrade. | $8,000-$13,000 |
| Medium merbau deck (25-50 m2, one stair set)Merbau deck with one set of stairs and a partial balustrade. | $13,000-$28,000 |
| Merbau deck oiling (per recoat, ~30 m2)Recurring every 1-2 years to hold colour and protect the board. | $600-$1,400 |
Indicative metro Adelaide ranges for 2026. Fitted, GST inclusive. Board grade, height and balustrading move the figure.
Why merbau is the value choice
Merbau (also sold as kwila) is the most-quoted decking timber in Adelaide because it sits exactly in the value sweet spot. It is dense, naturally rot and termite resistant, dark and handsome, and stable once seasoned. It costs meaningfully more than treated pine and meaningfully less than spotted gum or blackbutt - so for most homeowners it is the sensible middle.
Fitted at $320 to $520 per square metre, a small ground-level merbau deck of 15 to 25 square metres runs $8,000 to $13,000, and a medium 25 to 50 square metre deck with one set of stairs is $13,000 to $28,000. Those are the numbers to sanity-check a merbau quote against.
The maintenance cost a merbau quote leaves out
A merbau quote tells you what the deck costs to build. It rarely tells you what it costs to keep. Merbau needs oiling every 1 to 2 years in Adelaide - a fully sun-exposed deck closer to annually, a shaded deck closer to every 2 years. Each recoat of a 30 square metre deck is $600 to $1,400 if you pay a builder, or a couple of weekends and the cost of oil if you do it yourself.
Over 15 years that is a real recurring cost. It does not make merbau a bad choice - it is still excellent value - but it is a number to factor in when comparing merbau against composite, which never needs oiling. Our merbau vs composite guide weighs the two up across the full lifetime.
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Merbau Decking Cost - frequently asked questions
Fitted, merbau decking costs $320 to $520 per square metre in metro Adelaide for 2026. Supply-only, the boards alone are roughly $70 to $120 per square metre - the gap to the fitted price is the frame, footings, fixings and labour. A small ground-level merbau deck runs $8,000 to $13,000; a medium deck with stairs is $13,000 to $28,000.
A recoat of a typical 30 square metre merbau deck costs $600 to $1,400 if a builder does it, or a couple of weekends plus the cost of oil if you do it yourself. Merbau needs oiling every 1 to 2 years in Adelaide. Over 15 years this recurring cost is worth factoring into a comparison against composite.
Upfront, yes - clearly. Merbau is $320 to $520 per square metre fitted; composite is $480 to $920. Over the full lifetime the gap narrows because merbau needs oiling every 1 to 2 years while composite does not. Whether the lower upfront cost or the lower maintenance wins depends on how long you keep the home.
Cheap, fast-delivered merbau is often green - still holding construction moisture. It costs less, but it cups, twists and develops wide gaps within 2 summers as it dries in Adelaide's climate. Kiln-dried or properly seasoned merbau costs a little more and stays stable. Paying less for green timber buys a deck that looks poor quickly - a false economy.
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