Quick Answer: Metal decking typically runs $2.50 to $9 per square foot as of 2026, depending on profile, gauge, finish, and whether it is roof, floor, or form deck. Most common 1.5 inch type B roof deck lands between $3.00 and $5.50 per SF, while composite floor deck with a galvanized finish runs $4.00 to $7.00 per SF. Prices vary by supplier, region, quantity, and grade, and they track the steel commodity index, so use these ranges as a starting point and get current quotes for your bid date.
What Metal Decking Actually Is
Metal decking is corrugated cold formed steel sheet used as a roof deck, floor deck, or permanent form for concrete. It comes in three families: roof deck, floor deck, and form deck. Roof deck carries the roofing membrane and spans between joists or beams. Floor deck acts as both the form for a concrete pour and the bottom tensile reinforcement of a composite slab once the concrete cures. Form deck is purely a stay in place form for a reinforced concrete slab and carries no composite action. Profiles are named by depth and rib pattern: 1.5 inch type B (wide ribs, 6 inch spacing), 1.5 inch type N (narrow ribs, 12 inch spacing), 3 inch type N, and 3 inch type W. Common brands include Vulcraft, Canam, New Millennium, and ASC Steel Deck, and on a set of plans the engineer calls out a specific profile, gauge, and finish.
What Drives the Price
Profile and depth are the first driver. A 1.5 inch type B deck costs less per square foot than a 3 inch type N deck because it uses less steel, but it also spans less. Gauge, the sheet thickness, moves the price within a profile: a 22 gauge deck might price 20 percent higher than a 26 gauge of the same profile. Finish matters a lot. Galvanized (G60 or G90 coating) costs more than prime painted, and G90 galvanized costs more than G60. Prime painted deck with a primer only is the cheapest, and you paint it in the field if the design calls for a finished color. Region and freight are a big factor because deck is bulky and ships by truck from regional mills, so a project far from a mill pays more for delivery than a project next door. Volume moves the price a full tier when you buy a full truck instead of a partial load.
Typical Price Ranges by Type
- 1.5 inch type B roof deck, 22 to 26 gauge, prime painted: $2.50 to $4.50 per SF, the most common residential and light commercial roof deck.
- 1.5 inch type B roof deck, galvanized G60: $3.50 to $5.50 per SF, used where corrosion resistance matters, like parking garages and humid climates.
- 1.5 inch type N roof deck, 22 gauge: $4.00 to $6.00 per SF, longer spans and heavier loads.
- 3 inch type N composite floor deck, galvanized G60: $4.50 to $7.00 per SF, the workhorse for composite slab on metal deck in commercial floors.
- 3 inch type W composite floor deck: $5.00 to $7.50 per SF, wider ribs for longer spans and heavier pours.
- 9/16 inch or 1 inch form deck, prime painted: $1.50 to $3.00 per SF, used only as a stay in place form for a reinforced concrete slab.
- Acoustic deck (perforated webs with insulation): $7.00 to $10.00 per SF, used in gymnasiums, theaters, and open plan offices.
How to Take Off Metal Decking for a Bid
Take off the deck area in square feet by floor or roof area, then deduct openings, skylights, and shafts larger than about 16 square feet, depending on the spec. Do not deduct small openings, because the labor to cut and frame around them usually costs more than the deck saved. Multiply the net deck area by the profile coverage width, then divide by the sheet length you plan to order to get the sheet count. Most deck is sold in 2 foot wide sheets (rib spacing drives the coverage), and lengths are cut to order from 6 feet to 30 feet. Apply a 5 percent waste factor for cuts, overlaps at side laps, and end laps. Round up to the bundle, because partial bundles carry a cut charge. Carry the accessories into the same takeoff: puddle welds or tek screws to attach the deck to the framing, side lap fasteners, pour stops at slab edges, mesh or rebar for the concrete, and studs welded to the framing through the deck on composite floors. Those accessories can add $0.50 to $2.00 per SF.
How to Buy Smarter
- Get three supplier quotes for the same profile, gauge, and finish. Prices swing 15 to 25 percent between regional mills on the same bid date.
- Buy full truckloads when the deck area supports it. A partial load premium can add 10 percent or more.
- Lock quotes for 30 to 60 days on longer bids. Deck tracks hot rolled steel and galvanizing costs, and both move.
- Match the finish to the exposure. Prime painted deck in a humid parking garage will rust, and a cheap unit price becomes a warranty claim.
- Order lengths that fit the span with a single end lap. Long spans cut to length save field labor and reduce the sheet count.
Where Estimators Get It Wrong
The biggest miss is quoting a roof deck profile for a composite floor application. Floor deck has embossments in the ribs that lock into the concrete for composite action, and roof deck does not, so swapping them changes the structural capacity and fails inspection. A second miss is ignoring the gauge. A 26 gauge deck quoted against a 22 gauge spec underbids the package and gets caught at the submittal. Estimators also forget the accessories: pour stops, studs, mesh, fasteners, and end laps add real money to the deck package and are easy to leave out when the focus is on the deck square footage. Finally, estimators quote from a freight zone they did not verify. A mill 800 miles away can quote a lower unit price and lose the job on freight, or win on unit price and deliver late. Always confirm the freight to your site, not just the FOB mill price.
Putting It Together
For a typical commercial composite floor, plan on $4.50 to $7.00 per SF for the deck, another $0.50 to $2.00 per SF for pour stops, studs, mesh, and fasteners, and a freight line that can run $0.20 to $0.80 per SF depending on distance. Take off the net deck area, add 5 percent waste, round to the bundle, and get three quotes dated to the bid. Quote the right profile and gauge for the application, and your deck package will land close to budget and pass the structural submittal.