Free tool 20+ years on the water 8 states served
Last updated: June 2026 — baseline pricing from real pier projects.
A new pier is priced by deck area and your decking material, not per linear foot — so two piers the same length can cost very differently. Enter your walkway and platform dimensions plus the water depth and this free calculator sizes the deck and returns an all-in range by decking material and water depth — pressure-treated pine, composite, tropical hardwood or concrete — then lets you download a PDF estimate to keep. Want a covered boathouse or a roofed slip? Use our dock & boathouse cost calculator; for a walkway that runs along the shore instead, use our boardwalk cost calculator; building a fixed shoreline wall? Use our bulkhead cost calculator.
Quick answer: most freshwater piers run about $20–$130 per square foot of deck, all-in (deck, pilings and mobilization included). Pressure-treated pine is the low-cost workhorse; composite is the popular low-maintenance choice; tropical hardwood and concrete are premium, longest-lived decks. Premium materials and deeper water sit at the higher end, and saltwater and brackish sites add a coastal adjustment.
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Pier pricing is driven by how much deck you build and the material you deck it with. The calculator above accounts for the big ones; here's what's behind the range:
| Decking material | Typical cost / SF | Best for | Typical lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $20–$45 | Budget freshwater & protected sites | 15–25 years |
| Marine composite | $40–$60 | Low-maintenance, splinter-free decks | 25–30+ years |
| Tropical hardwood (Ipe) | $80–$130 | Premium look, hardest wearing | 40+ years |
| Concrete deck | $50–$100 | Commercial & permanent high-load | 50+ years |
These per-SF ranges are all-in (deck plus supporting pilings and mobilization) and match our published city pricing. The calculator's live number sizes your deck and multiplies it by a depth-adjusted rate within the material's range — deeper water means longer pilings and more labor, so it lands toward the higher end — rather than a flat per-foot figure. Railings, lighting, utilities and benches are quoted separately after a site review. Switch the water type to Saltwater to add a coastal adjustment; tidal and brackish sites are confirmed after a site review.
Explore detailed pricing: pier construction & cost guide, dock cost, boardwalk cost, bulkhead cost, seawall cost, compare all our cost calculators, or browse our completed waterfront projects.
Honest answers about pier pricing — what a pier costs per square foot, the cheapest decking, how water depth changes the price, and what this estimate covers.
Most freshwater piers cost $20 to $130 per square foot of deck, all-in (deck, pilings and mobilization included). By material: pressure-treated pine $20–$45/SF, composite $40–$60/SF, tropical hardwood (Ipe) $80–$130/SF, and concrete $50–$100/SF. A typical small rectangular pier lands in the low five figures. Enter your dimensions above for a build-specific range.
Pressure-treated pine is the cheapest decking at around $20–$45 per square foot all-in and is the workhorse choice for freshwater and protected sites. Composite costs more up front ($40–$60/SF) but is low-maintenance and splinter-free with a 25–30+ year deck life, so it often delivers better long-term value than repeatedly re-decking with pine.
Unlike a bulkhead or seawall, a pier is priced by deck area and decking material, not per linear foot. We multiply your deck square footage by the material's all-in $/SF range, which already includes the supporting pilings and mobilization for barge, haul and permitting. That's why a wide platform and a narrow walkway of the same length cost very differently.
Yes. Deeper water needs longer, heavier pilings driven further, so deeper sites sit toward the higher end of each material's range. The quoted per-SF range already covers typical piling depth — shallow protected coves land near the low end, deep open water near the high end — and your exact figure is confirmed at a site review.
The range covers the deck, the supporting pilings and mobilization. It excludes railings, lighting, water and power runs, boat lifts and benches, which are quoted separately because they depend on your design. Final pricing also depends on shoreline access, barge needs, soil and permits, so your firm price follows a site review — estimates are reviewed by Roman Ross, Marine Construction Estimator at Shore Protect Construction.
Yes. Saltwater, brackish and tidal sites need corrosion-resistant materials and heavier hardware, so coastal piers cost more than the freshwater baseline. Switch the water type to “Saltwater” and the calculator adds a coastal adjustment to the freshwater baseline; your final coastal price is confirmed after a site review.
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