Composite & timber decking in Oakham
Composite and timber decks for Oakham gardens, from Barleythorpe new builds to Brooke Road semis, on a frame that stays clear of wet clay.
In Oakham, composite decking typically costs £200–£250 per m² supplied and fitted, and softwood timber decking £110–£140 per m², with a 15–20m² composite deck usually £3,000–£5,000. These are guide prices, with a fixed price in writing after our visit. The main local issue is the Vale of Catmose clay, which holds water through the winter, so the frame has to sit on firm ground and stay dry.
- Composite, fitted
- £200–£250 per m²
- Planning
- Not needed under 30cm high
- Ground
- Vale of Catmose clay; slow to drain
- Guarantee
- 5 years, in writing
Our 2026 guide prices. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit. Full breakdown: composite & timber decking cost guide.
Composite & timber decking in Oakham
A good deck gives you a level, warm surface outside the back door, and it suits a garden where the ground falls away or where a patio would mean a lot of digging. We build composite and timber decks on a braced frame: posts or pads on firm ground, a treated or aluminium sub-frame at the joist spacing the boards need, and a weed membrane with drainage underneath. In Oakham, as elsewhere, most decks go onto the back of a house, opening straight off the kitchen or living room.
Oakham enquiries tend to fall into three groups. Owners of stone houses in the old town around the castle and Market Place usually want something low and discreet. Families in the Victorian and interwar semis off Braunston Road and Burley Road want a deck to cover a tired lawn or broken patio. On the Barleythorpe and Oakham Heights estates, people want more use from a garden the builder left with a small slab patio and turf, and composite is the usual choice there.
What makes Oakham different
The clay around much of Oakham is the reason we never treat a deck as a quick job here. Clay that holds water through the winter softens near the surface, so a pad laid on the topsoil can sink or tilt and the boards start to rock. We dig a test hole on the visit, take the posts or pads down to firm ground, and lay the membrane to fall so water does not sit under the frame. Oakham is also a named surface water flood risk area, so we leave a clear route for rain to move under and past the deck.
A typical Oakham deck sits across the back of a semi or estate house, around 15 to 20 square metres, low enough to need no planning permission. It usually means lifting turf or an old patio, setting pads on firm ground, building the sub-frame, laying membrane and drainage, then fitting composite boards with a picture-frame edge and a single step down to the lawn.
Sources: Rutland conservation areas · Rutland flood risk strategy.
Permissions in Oakham
- PlanningDecking in a rear garden is normally permitted development if no part of it is more than 30cm above the ground and, with other outbuildings and platforms, it covers no more than half the garden. A raised deck over 30cm needs planning permission, and a listed house needs consent. Listed buildings and the Oakham conservation area have tighter rules, so we check your address before anything is designed. Planning Portal: decking
- TreesTrees in a conservation area need six weeks' notice before work, and protected trees need consent; both are free. Rutland County Council: tree works
- Design and priceWe measure up, check the ground and the planning position, and give you one fixed written price.
Rules checked October 2026.
What you get in Oakham
- Test hole dug on the visit to find firm ground under the clay
- Membrane laid to fall so water does not pond under the frame
- Low decks kept under 30cm for Barleythorpe and Oakham Heights gardens
- Composite boards that will not rot, splinter or need staining, or pressure-treated softwood
- Frame built to the board maker's joist spacing, so boards do not bounce or bow
- Picture-frame edges, hidden fixings and LED step lights where you want them
The specification
- Ground levelled, weed membrane and drainage gravel laid
- Posts or pads on firm ground, set in concrete
- Treated softwood or aluminium sub-frame, braced and level
- Boards fixed to the manufacturer's spacing and fixings
- Edges, fascias, steps and lighting finished
- Five year workmanship guarantee in writing
“Really pleased with my new driveway. Beautifully finished, friendly professional workmen, would definitely recommend and will be using them again for the garden once other renovations complete.”
Driveway — Google review
“Absolutely great guys, job was done in good time and looks brilliant. No complaints, the driveway is immaculate. More work in the near future, thanks again!”
Driveway — Google review
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Composite & timber decking in Oakham: questions
How much does decking cost in Oakham?
Do I need planning permission for a deck in Oakham?
Will a deck sink on Oakham clay?
My Barleythorpe garden stays soggy. Can I still have a deck?
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Request a site visit in Oakham
We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.