Most of the deck and fence companies advertising in Austin are based north or west: Round Rock, Cedar Park, RR 620, Westlake. Nothing wrong with that, but it means South Austin homeowners are usually the last stop on somebody else's route. We live and work down here. Circle C, Oak Hill, Manchaca, Shady Hollow, Onion Creek, 78748 and 78745 are not the outer ring of our service area. They are the middle of it.
What a South Austin deck, fence, or pergola costs
Nobody publishes numbers, so here are ours. These are real installed ranges for South Austin builds, not teaser pricing:
Installed, including framing, fasteners, and labor. Slope, rock, gate count, and railing style move the number, which is why we measure before we quote. Want the long version? Read the full Austin outdoor living cost guide →
The two things that make a South Austin build different
This is the part a contractor from up north tends to find out the hard way, on your dime.
- Rock. Much of 78748, Oak Hill, and Circle C sits on shallow limestone and caliche. Post holes frequently need coring instead of augering, and footings get set to the rock line rather than a default depth. We price that up front. If someone quotes your Circle C deck without asking about rock, they are planning to discover it as a change order.
- Mature trees and root systems. South Austin lots come with old live oaks, and the good ones are worth designing around. That means hand-digging near critical root zones, adjusting beam layout instead of cutting roots, and sometimes floating a deck section rather than sinking a post. Trees are the reason your backyard is worth improving. We do not trade one for the other.
Not sure what your yard can take? Text a photo of your backyard to (512) 587-3914 and John will send back a ballpark range. No walk-through required to get a straight answer.
Start my South Austin project →What we build in South Austin
- Custom decks and covered patios: pressure-treated, cedar, and composite, including multi-level and elevated builds for the sloped lots around Oak Hill and Western Oaks. More on decks →
- Cedar privacy fences: 6-foot horizontal slat, board-on-board, and shadowbox, plus drive gates and custom pedestrian gates. More on fences →
- Pergolas and patio covers: cedar pergolas, shade covers, and full attached covers wired for fans, lighting, and speakers. The single best fix for a west-facing South Austin backyard. More on pergolas →
- Concrete patios and hardscape: stamped and stained slabs, paver walkways, retaining walls, and fire features. More on hardscape →
- Roof replacement and storm repair: South Austin takes spring hail hard. Free inspections, full documentation for your adjuster, most roofs replaced in 1 to 3 days. More on roofing →
- Hardie siding: the highest-return exterior upgrade on the 1970s and 1980s stock common through 78745 and Manchaca. More on siding →
What projects cost in South Austin
| Project | Typical range, installed |
|---|---|
| Pressure-treated deck with railing and stairs | $10,500 to $26,000 |
| Cedar deck | $14,000 to $30,000 |
| Composite or PVC deck | $18,000 to $38,000 |
| Cedar privacy fence | $32 to $52 per linear foot |
| Freestanding cedar pergola | $8,500 to $18,000 |
| Solid-roof patio cover | $14,500 to $30,000 |
| Broom-finish concrete patio | $8 to $15 per square foot |
| Stamped concrete patio | $15 to $25 per square foot |
| Deck repair and board replacement | $1,800 to $7,000 |
2026 South Austin installed pricing, including footings, permit and the HOA packet where one applies.
Small lots change the design
A lot of South Austin sits on older, tighter lots, and that is the constraint that shapes most of what we build here. On a 55-foot-wide lot a deck that would be routine in Buda has to negotiate a setback, a neighbour's window and a tree.
Two things follow. Freestanding structures frequently beat attached ones, because they can go where the usable space actually is rather than where the back wall is. And built-in seating earns its cost on a small deck in a way it never does on a big one, because a bench along the rail gives you back the floor area four chairs would have taken.
Access matters too. On a tight lot with no side gate, material comes through the house or over the fence, and that is real labour we would rather price honestly up front than discover on day one.
Trees, shade and what is worth building
South Austin has genuine canopy in the older neighbourhoods, and it changes the recommendation. Under mature oaks an open cedar pergola is often enough, where on a bare lot further out it would not be. We will tell you that rather than selling you a solid roof you do not need.
What mature shade causes is moisture. Decks under heavy canopy stay damp longer, hold leaf litter in the board gaps and grow algae on the shaded side. Airflow underneath and correct board spacing matter more here than almost anywhere, because a deck that cannot dry rots from below where you will not see it.
Austin protects heritage trees, and plenty of these lots have them. We lay footings out around root plates rather than through them, which usually means shifting the pier grid or cantilevering past the tree.
Permits in South Austin
Inside the city limits, permits go through the City of Austin, and the timeline is realistically longer than the surrounding counties. A deck over 30 inches above grade needs one, so does a solid-roof patio cover, and an attached cover commonly needs an engineer's letter for the tie-in.
Further out toward Manchaca and Shady Hollow, plenty of properties are unincorporated Travis County instead, and some sit in Austin's extraterritorial jurisdiction, which is a third set of rules. We establish which one applies to your address before quoting, because it changes both what is required and how long it takes.
South Austin neighborhoods we build in
We work across Circle C Ranch, Oak Hill, Sunset Valley, Manchaca / Menchaca, Shady Hollow, Bauerle Ranch, Tanglewood Forest, Onion Creek, Slaughter Creek, Southpark Meadows, Western Oaks, Travis Country, and Maple Run, covering 78748, 78745, 78749, 78739, and 78652. Nearby: Buda, Kyle, Manchaca, and Dripping Springs.
Why South Austin homeowners hire us
- The same people every time. Family-owned. You are not getting a rotating subcontractor crew that has never seen the job before.
- Published prices. The ranges above are on the internet on purpose. If you have been told "it depends" three times, that is exactly why.
- John answers the phone. Call or text anytime, and you hear back the same day.
- Line-itemed estimates. Materials, labor, dump fees, permits, HOA submission, all itemized before you sign.
- Daily progress photos by text for the whole build, so you always know where things stand.
- Written warranty on every project, and 5.0 stars on Google from your neighbors.
South Austin questions, answered
How much does a deck cost in South Austin?
A pressure-treated deck in South Austin typically runs $10,500 to $26,000 installed, cedar runs $14,000 to $30,000, and composite runs $18,000 to $38,000. On the tighter older lots down here, access is a genuine cost factor: with no side gate, material comes through the house or over the fence, and we price that honestly up front.
Do I need a City of Austin permit for a deck or patio cover?
Inside the city limits, yes, for a deck over 30 inches above grade or any solid-roof patio cover, and an attached cover commonly needs an engineer's letter for the tie-in. The City of Austin timeline is realistically longer than the surrounding counties. Further out toward Manchaca and Shady Hollow many properties are unincorporated Travis County instead, which is a different process.
What works best on a small South Austin lot?
Usually a freestanding structure rather than an attached one, because it can go where the usable space actually is rather than against the back wall. Built-in seating also earns its cost on a small deck in a way it never does on a large one, since a bench along the rail gives you back the floor area that four chairs would have eaten.
Can you build around a heritage oak?
Yes, and Austin protects them, so it is not optional. We shift the footing layout or cantilever the framing so the structure reaches past the tree without putting a pier through the root plate. Cutting a generous opening and letting the trunk come up through the deck is frequently the best-looking version of the project.
What parts of South Austin do you serve?
We build across South Austin including 78748, 78745, 78749, 78739, and 78652: Circle C Ranch, Oak Hill, Sunset Valley, Manchaca, Shady Hollow, Bauerle Ranch, Tanglewood Forest, Onion Creek, Slaughter Creek, Southpark Meadows, and Western Oaks. South Austin is our home turf, not an outer edge of a service map, so you are not paying for a crew to drive across town.
How much does a deck or fence cost in South Austin?
Cedar privacy fence runs about $32 to $55 per linear foot installed. Decks run $30 to $45 per square foot in pressure-treated pine, $50 to $75 in cedar, and $60 to $100 in composite. A cedar pergola typically lands between $8,500 and $22,000 depending on span and whether it is attached or freestanding. We publish these numbers because you deserve a starting point before anyone walks your yard.
Do you handle South Austin HOA approvals?
Yes. Circle C, Shady Hollow, Bauerle Ranch, Western Oaks, and Onion Creek all run active architectural review committees with their own packet requirements. We prepare and submit the full ARC packet, including drawings, materials, stain colors, and setbacks, as part of every project. You do not chase paperwork.
Does South Austin's limestone and caliche soil affect deck footings?
It does, and it is the main thing that separates a South Austin build from a build up north. Much of 78748, Oak Hill, and Circle C sits on shallow limestone and caliche. Post holes often need coring rather than augering, and footing depth gets engineered to the rock line rather than a default number. We price that in up front instead of discovering it as a change order on day two.
How fast can you start a South Austin project?
You get a call or text back the day you reach out, a free on-site walk-through within a few days, and most South Austin projects start within 2 to 4 weeks of signing, depending on permits, HOA review, and material lead times. Fall is the best build season in Austin, so October and November slots fill first.
Ready for a free South Austin quote? Call or text (512) 587-3914, or lay the project out online and we will come measure it. Fall is prime build season here, and October slots go first.
Get my free South Austin quote →