Ways to pay for your deck or fence
Most people don't write a check for a deck. Here's the financing we offer, plus an honest look at every other route St. Louis homeowners actually use — including the one most contractors never mention.
Apply straight from your estimate
Every estimate we send includes a financing option built right into it. You don't fill out a separate application, you don't call anyone, and you don't need your paperwork ready. It's presented by our payment provider, and the terms you're offered depend on your own credit — they'll show you exactly what those terms are before you agree to anything.
We send your estimate
Same estimate as always, with a financing option included on it.
You check your options
Review what you qualify for directly with the provider. Your terms are shown to you upfront.
You decide
Take it or pay another way. Either is fine — it doesn't change your price or your place in our schedule.
The other routes
How St. Louis homeowners actually pay for projects like this
We're a deck and fence company, not a bank — so here's the straight version, including the options that have nothing to do with us. Rates below are national averages as of August 2026 and change constantly. Yours will depend on your credit, your equity and your lender.
Home equity loan
A fixed-rate second loan against equity you already have. Your existing mortgage stays exactly as it is — which matters a lot if you locked in a low rate.
- Typical rate~8.1-8.3%
- Usual limitTo 80-85% of home value
- Setup cost~2-5% of the loan
- Time to fund2 weeks - 2 months
- Fixed payment, doesn't touch your first mortgage
- Real closing costs; your home is collateral
HELOC
A revolving line you draw from as you need it. Useful if you're building in phases. The rate moves with the market, so your payment can change.
- Typical rate~7.3% average, variable
- Usual limitTo 80-85% of home value
- Setup costOften low or none upfront
- Time to fund2-6 weeks
- Lowest secured rate right now; draw only what you use
- Rate isn't locked; payment jumps when the draw period ends
FHA Title I home improvement loan
The one most homeowners have never heard of. A HUD-insured improvement loan that doesn't require an appraisal and doesn't require you to have equity — which makes it one of the only real options for someone who bought recently.
- Maximum$25,000, single family
- Maximum term20 years
- Equity requiredNone
- Income limitsNone
- Works with little or no equity; no appraisal
- $25,000 ceiling; few lenders offer it, so expect to call around
Personal loan
Fast, no lien on your house, no appraisal. You pay for that convenience in the rate — usually about double a home equity loan.
- Typical APR~14.7% to ~27%
- Usual range$1,000 - $100,000
- Time to fundSame day to 2 days
- Equity requiredNone
- Fastest option; nothing attached to your home
- Roughly double the interest cost of home equity
Renovation mortgages
FHA 203(k) and Fannie Mae HomeStyle finance the work into your mortgage based on what the home is worth once it's done. HUD lists decks, patios and porches as eligible; HomeStyle covers anything permanently attached, fences included.
- 203(k) Limited cap$75,000 of work
- HomeStyle capTo 75% of completed value
- Time to close45-75 days
- Great fit if you're buying a home that needs work
- Replaces your whole mortgage — you'd give up your current rate
0% intro credit card
Fine for a small fence you can clear inside the promo window. Risky on a large deck. Watch the wording: "0% intro APR" is true zero, but "no interest if paid in full by..." is deferred interest — miss the deadline and every month of interest gets added back retroactively.
- Longest intro periodsUp to ~21 months
- Rate after~15-28.5% variable
- Practical ceilingYour credit limit
- Genuinely free money if you clear it in time
- Few people have a $25k+ limit; high utilization hurts your score
Side by side
| Option | Typical cost | Practical limit | Speed | Needs equity? | Best when... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financing through us | Set by the provider, based on your credit | Up to $30,000 | Right from the estimate | No | You want it handled in one place |
| Home equity loan | ~8.1-8.3% fixed | 80-85% of home value | 2 wks - 2 mos | Yes | You have equity and want a fixed payment |
| HELOC | ~7.3% variable | 80-85% of home value | 2-6 wks | Yes | You're phasing the work |
| FHA Title I | Fixed, set by lender | $25,000 | Weeks | No | You bought recently, little equity |
| Personal loan | ~14.7-27% APR | To $100,000 | Same day - 2 days | No | You want speed and no lien |
| 203(k) / HomeStyle | Mortgage rates + costs | $75,000 / 75% of value | 45-75 days | Rolls in | You're buying the house |
| 0% intro card | 0%, then ~15-28.5% | Your credit limit | Days | No | Small job you'll clear fast |
| Insurance claim | Your deductible | Policy limits | Weeks | No | Storm or falling-tree damage |
Storm damage
If wind or hail took your deck or fence, insurance may pay for it
This is the option most contractors never bring up, and in Missouri it comes up constantly. Here's what actually determines whether you get paid, and how much.
Which part of your policy applies
- An attached deck is usually covered under Dwelling coverage, same as your house.
- A fence, or a freestanding deck or gazebo, generally falls under Other Structures — commonly around 10% of your dwelling limit, though some carriers set it much lower or make it optional.
- Read your declarations page. Coverage for wood fences in particular varies a lot between carriers.
What's covered, and what isn't
- Usually covered: wind, hail, lightning, fire, a vehicle hitting it, vandalism, or a tree brought down by a covered event.
- Usually not: rot, rust, insects, mold, gradual wear, or lack of maintenance.
- A twenty-year-old cedar fence that finally came down in a storm is often adjusted as pre-existing rot rather than wind damage.
The single number that decides your check: replacement cost vs. actual cash value. Replacement cost pays what it costs to rebuild today. Actual cash value subtracts depreciation first. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners illustrates it with two families, same $15,000 loss, same $1,000 deductible — the replacement-cost family received $14,000, the actual-cash-value family received $4,000. Fences are frequently written on actual cash value even inside an otherwise replacement-cost policy.
Expect two checks, not one. On a replacement-cost policy the insurer usually pays the depreciated amount first and holds back the rest — the recoverable depreciation — releasing it only after the work is finished and invoices are submitted. Most carriers give you six months to a year to complete the work. Miss that window and you forfeit the holdback. If your first check looks low, that's often why.
Before you file
- Check your wind and hail deductible. Many Missouri policies now use a percentage of insured home value rather than a flat dollar amount, which can be several thousand dollars.
- If the repair isn't meaningfully more than your deductible, filing may net you very little while still going on your claims record.
- Photograph everything before any temporary repairs, and keep receipts for emergency work.
- Free help: the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance consumer hotline, 800-726-7390.
What we will and won't do
- We'll document the damage, give you a detailed written scope, and build it back properly.
- We will not pay, rebate, waive or discount your deductible, and we won't offer you anything of value to sign. Missouri law prohibits it, and any contractor offering to cover your deductible is breaking it.
- We don't negotiate with your insurer on your behalf — Missouri law reserves that for you and your adjuster or a licensed public adjuster.
Worth knowing
A deck is one of the better-returning things you can do to a house
Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report — the industry benchmark — puts deck additions near the top of all remodeling projects for cost recouped at resale. These are national figures; returns vary by market and are not a guarantee.
national cost recouped
national cost recouped
In the West North Central region, which includes Missouri, the same report shows roughly 73.5% for wood and 78.8% for composite. St. Louis is not among the metros individually surveyed. Treat all of these as ranges, not promises.
Local assistance
Is there a grant or city program for this?
Short answer: not for a new deck or fence. We'd rather tell you that than have you spend a week on the phone finding out.
St. Louis County, the City of St. Louis, St. Charles County and the state's HeRO program all run home repair assistance — but every one of them is income-restricted and scoped to health, safety, code compliance or energy efficiency, and most cap out around $5,000. They fund a failing roof or a broken furnace, not an outdoor living space.
Where it might apply: if your existing deck is structurally unsafe and you meet the income limits, a repair program could potentially help. If your project is an upgrade rather than a safety repair, plan on private financing, an insurance claim if storm damage is involved, or cash.
Common questions
Questions we get asked
Does financing change my price?
No. Our pricing is the same whether you finance, pay by card, write a check or file an insurance claim. You'll get the same written scope either way.
Will checking my options hurt my credit?
That depends on the provider and where you are in the process. Ask before you apply — many prequalification checks use a soft pull that doesn't affect your score, but a full application generally involves a hard inquiry. The provider will tell you which one they're doing.
Can I finance part of the job and pay the rest?
Yes. Plenty of people put a deposit down and finance the balance, or pay cash for the deck and finance the pergola. Tell us what works and we'll structure the estimate around it.
Can I build it in phases instead?
Often, and sometimes it's the smarter move. The important thing is designing phase one so it can carry phase three — footings and framing for a future roof or pergola have to be engineered in from the start, or the phasing costs more than it saves. Tell us the whole plan even if you're only building part of it now.
Is the interest tax deductible?
Interest on a home equity loan or HELOC may be deductible when the money is used to substantially improve the home securing the loan, and you'd need records tying the funds to the project. Whether your specific project qualifies is a question for a tax professional — we're not qualified to answer it and won't pretend otherwise.
How much should I expect a deck to cost?
Use our calculator. It gives you a real budget range in about a minute — permits, plans, materials, labor and footings included — and it doesn't ask for your email to show you the number.
Start with the number. Decide how to pay after.
Get a budget range in about a minute, or have us come measure. Financing options come with your estimate either way.
About the information on this page. Maniaci Construction Inc. is a licensed contractor, not a lender, bank, mortgage broker, insurance adjuster or tax advisor. Everything above is general educational information about options that may be available to homeowners. It is not financial, lending, insurance or tax advice, and it is not an offer of credit.
Rates, limits and program rules referenced here were current as of August 2026 and change frequently. Home equity, HELOC, personal loan and credit card figures are national averages from Bankrate and NerdWallet; FHA Title I and 203(k) limits are from HUD; HomeStyle terms are from Fannie Mae; resale figures are from Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report. Your actual terms will depend on your credit, income, equity and lender, and may differ substantially.
Financing offered in connection with our estimates is provided by third-party lenders through our payment processor. We do not set, control or guarantee the rates, terms or approval decisions, and approval is not guaranteed. All terms are presented to you by the lender before you accept.
Insurance coverage varies by carrier and policy. Nothing here should be read as a statement about what your policy covers. Review your declarations page and speak with your insurer. Consistent with Missouri law, we do not pay, rebate or waive insurance deductibles and we do not negotiate claims on a policyholder's behalf.