Holy shit 2nd story decks are expensive!

With the wildfires this year, the price of lumber has skyrocketed. So I figured the $8-10k I had budgeted for my deck replacement was going to exceed that by a bit...

... but not twenty thousands dollars more expensive!!

So here's a thing I learned about building outdoor decks that are roughly 16x25, with stairs going down to the back yard.... they are over $30k.

Doesn't matter what material you use - composite, hardwood, tile - it's still around $30k.

And $15k of that is the fucking RAILING ALONE.

My third estimate will happen this afternoon, by a pro deck-building company that has been in the biz for 30 years. I fully expect it to be up around $40k.

So that leaves me with a question: The current deck is falling apart and is unsafe. I need to replace it. Do I go ahead and bite the bullet and do the whole big thing and have an epic deck? Or do I build it myself; a far-larger project than I've ever taken on before, and will still run about $10k? (While also making my tennis elbow/nerve problems in my right hand permanent and require major surgery on my gimpy left knee that I damaged playing rugby 20 years ago.)

Bah humbug.

And that burns the entire budget for the renovation of the entire downstairs... which desperately needs it.

Home ownership, man.