Start with the product line, not just Trex versus TimberTech. For a budget comparison, request quotes for Trex Enhance and TimberTech Prime+. For a higher-end composite deck, compare the specific Trex Transcend or Lineage and TimberTech collections your dealer carries. Price TimberTech Advanced PVC separately because it uses a different material from wood-plastic composite.
The best choice is the board your customer likes, with documented performance for the site and a complete installed price you can stand behind. A cheaper board won't necessarily produce a cheaper deck.
Manufacturer information checked November 1, 2026. This is a document-based comparison, not a hands-on product test. Cost examples are illustrative USD inputs, not current dealer quotes.
The quick comparison
| Decision | Trex composite decking | TimberTech decking |
|---|---|---|
| What you're comparing | Collections such as Enhance, Select, Transcend, and Lineage | Composite collections plus a separate Advanced PVC range |
| Starting budget quote | Enhance | Prime+ composite |
| Higher-spec quote | Select, Transcend, or Lineage, depending on the feature wanted | Terrain+, Reserve, Legacy, or Advanced PVC, depending on the feature wanted |
| Warranty | Varies by collection; don't apply the premium-line warranty to Enhance | Composite and Advanced PVC have different coverage |
| Sun exposure | Check the exact color and whether it has heat-mitigating technology | Check the exact collection and color; compare samples at the site |
| Installation cost | Board layout, approved fasteners, framing, stairs, and fascia | The same checks, using the selected collection's own instructions |
These are quote starting points, not claims that paired collections perform identically. Use the Trex collection comparison and TimberTech product guide to confirm what your dealer is quoting.
Composite versus PVC matters more than the logo
Wood-plastic composite and cellular PVC aren't interchangeable descriptions. TimberTech's range includes both composite and Advanced PVC. If one quote uses a composite board and the other uses Advanced PVC, ask why the material change suits this site before comparing totals. TimberTech's material overview
The same applies within a brand. Board profile, finish, color, and warranty can change between collections. Write the collection and color on the estimate. “Composite decking” alone gives the customer too little information to compare bids or approve a substitution.
Example: price the same 12-by-16-foot deck
A rectangular 12-by-16-foot deck has 192 square feet of surface. For a first budget, a 10% allowance gives 211.2 square feet of decking to price. That allowance is an example, not a manufacturer rule or a substitute for a board layout.
Trex lists a 16-foot Enhance grooved board at 5.5 inches wide. Its face area is 16 × 5.5 ÷ 12 = 7.33 square feet. Dividing 211.2 by 7.33 and rounding up gives a preliminary allowance of 29 boards. Trex Enhance dimensions
Before ordering, lay out the rows using the prescribed gaps and finished deck dimensions. End trimming, borders, stairs, board orientation, and unusable offcuts can change that count. A picture-frame border also needs the appropriate edge profile and support; it isn't covered just because the surface area includes 10% extra.
What a $2-per-square-foot upgrade actually adds
Use the same scope and quantities when asking for Trex and TimberTech quotes. This example deliberately leaves the brand winner open: replace both columns with dealer prices for the collections you're considering.
| Deck-surface package | Quote A: assumed $5/sq ft | Quote B: assumed $7/sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Decking allowance: 211.2 sq ft | $1,056.00 | $1,478.40 |
| Fasteners and starter hardware allowance | $200.00 | $200.00 |
| Fascia and edge-detail allowance | $300.00 | $300.00 |
| Surface-installation labor: 24 person-hours at $55 | $1,320.00 | $1,320.00 |
| Illustrative direct cost | $2,876.00 | $3,298.40 |
The board upgrade adds $422.40 to direct cost. With a 30% markup on those costs, it adds $549.12 to the selling price before tax. A 30% markup isn't a 30% profit margin.
This is a surface-package comparison. It excludes framing, footings, demolition, railings, stairs, permits, delivery, and tax. The equal hardware and labor allowances isolate the board-price difference; replace them if the products need different fasteners or installation time. Use the deck cost calculator to build out the wider scope.
Read the warranty for the collection you're buying
Residential coverage is one useful comparison, but warranty years aren't a prediction of service life.
| Product | Published residential coverage to check |
|---|---|
| Trex Enhance | 25-year limited coverage |
| Trex Select | 35-year limited coverage |
| Trex Transcend and Lineage | 50-year limited coverage |
| TimberTech Composite | 25- or 30-year limited product and fade/stain coverage, depending on collection |
| TimberTech Advanced PVC | Limited lifetime product coverage; use the applicable collection's separate fade/stain warranty |
Sources: Trex decking and warranty overview and TimberTech warranty documents. Product generation, purchase date, residential versus commercial use, exclusions, and any proration matter. Save the applicable document with the estimate.
Also ask who pays to remove and reinstall boards if a claim succeeds. Product coverage and an installer's workmanship warranty are different promises. Don't describe either brand as providing a free replacement deck for the full headline term.
Heat, scratches, and maintenance
For a sunny deck, bring home the actual colors being quoted. View them in shade and direct sunlight. Darker colors and site conditions can change the experience. Trex says even its heat-mitigating boards get hot in direct sun; a “cooler” claim isn't a promise of a cool surface. Trex Enhance heat guidance
Ask each supplier for test information behind heat or slip-resistance claims. A percentage measured against that manufacturer's older board doesn't automatically compare it with the other brand.
For furniture, pets, food spills, and cleaning, read the selected product's care instructions. Neither composite nor PVC should be sold as maintenance-free. Avoid promising that a color won't fade or a surface won't scratch simply because a limited warranty exists.
Installation checks that belong in the estimate
Before fixing the labor number, confirm:
- Framing and layout. Check permitted spans for the exact board, orientation, and use. A diagonal layout or stairs can need different support from straight deck rows.
- Gaps and fastening. Use the manufacturer's temperature, gapping, and fastener requirements. Don't carry details over from another collection.
- Edges and stairs. Identify square-edge boards, fascia, risers, extra blocking, and any separate fastener system.
- Existing structure. On a resurfacing job, inspect the framing before promising to keep it. New boards don't fix an unsuitable substructure.
- Supply. Confirm matching lengths, colors, and replacement stock before removing the old deck.
Use the current instructions linked by Trex and the documents for your selected TimberTech product. This buying guide doesn't replace installation instructions.
Which should you choose?
Choose the Trex quote if the specified collection meets the customer's appearance and performance needs and offers the better complete package locally. Choose the TimberTech quote on the same basis, or when the customer specifically wants the documented features of an Advanced PVC option and accepts its price.
Give the customer two options with the same deck dimensions, railing, stairs, and exclusions. Show the total installed price difference, then explain exactly what changes. That's more useful than calling one entire brand “better.”
Common questions
Is Trex cheaper than TimberTech?
It depends on the collections and local quotes. Comparing entry-level Trex with premium TimberTech PVC won't tell you which supplier offers better value for a comparable product. Price the same complete scope.
Is TimberTech always PVC?
No. TimberTech sells composite decking and Advanced PVC decking. Make sure the estimate names both the material family and collection.
Can I compare warranty length alone?
No. Compare coverage, proration, exclusions, transfer rules, and removal or replacement labor. Match the warranty to the actual product and purchase date.