South Florida is the toughest test environment for outdoor wood in the continental United States. Direct UV almost every day, humidity that rarely drops below 60%, salt air within ten miles of either coast, and a hurricane season that delivers 30 inches of rain in a few weeks. Most decks here fail in five to seven years. The ones that hit 20+ did one of two things right: they picked the correct material for the conditions, or they committed to a real maintenance schedule.
Here is how we actually think about the composite versus hardwood decision when we sit down with a homeowner.
The honest cost picture
Composite decking (Trex, TimberTech, AZEK, Fiberon) typically lands between $30 and $55 per square foot installed in 2026, depending on the line. A budget composite is closer to the floor; capped multi-color composites that mimic exotic hardwoods sit near the ceiling.
Natural hardwoods (Ipe, Cumaru, Garapa, Tigerwood) typically run $28 to $45 per square foot installed. Ipe is the premium pick and the most expensive of the group. Pressure-treated pine is much cheaper at $18 to $26 per square foot, but it does not belong in a 20-year conversation in this climate.
The headline number does not tell the real story. Over a 25-year hold, composite will cost you the upfront price plus near-zero maintenance. Hardwood will cost you the upfront price plus a re-oil every 12 to 18 months, which is usually $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot if you hire it out. On a 500 square foot deck, that is $750 to $1,500 every year and a half.
What survives the climate
Composite wins on three failure modes that hammer South Florida decks:
- UV fade. Modern capped composites barely shift in color over 10 years. Hardwood, if left unfinished, silvers out in under 12 months.
- Moisture cycling. Composite does not absorb water. Hardwood expands and contracts every storm cycle, which is what causes cupping and warping over time.
- Insect activity. Termites and carpenter bees will not touch composite. Ipe and Cumaru are dense enough to resist them, but softer hardwoods are vulnerable.
Hardwood wins on one thing that matters: structural longevity if maintained. A properly oiled Ipe deck, with good drainage and stainless fasteners, can hit 40 years. The longest composite warranty on the market is 50 years on the cap and 25 on the structure, and those warranties have been around long enough to know they hold.
The look
This is where most homeowners actually decide. Composite has closed the gap dramatically in the last five years, but a trained eye can still tell. The grain pattern on capped composite repeats every three or four boards. Real Ipe has the chocolate-brown depth and tight grain that no manufacturer has fully replicated.
If your deck is going next to a contemporary build with glass railings, clean lines, and low-profile furniture, composite often looks better. If it is sitting next to a Spanish or tropical-modern home with stone and natural materials, hardwood usually wins.
Heat underfoot
Worth knowing: dark composite gets hot. Like, 140°F in direct July sun hot. If your deck is unshaded and faces south, pick a light color or go with hardwood. Hardwood runs 15 to 25°F cooler than dark composite in the same exposure.
Our default recommendation
For 70% of South Florida homeowners we build for, we recommend capped composite. The maintenance math is too compelling, especially for second homes and rental properties where nobody is going to oil a deck every 18 months.
For homeowners who want a deck that looks like a piece of architecture, who genuinely enjoy the upkeep ritual, or who are matching a high-end natural material palette, Ipe or Cumaru is the right call.
What we will not do is install pressure-treated pine on a coastal property and pretend it is a long-term decision. It is not.
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