None of my random house-related projects have been of a size or type to warrant a construction or remodeling permit. If I follow through on building a deck to cover (or outright replace) the existing concrete patio, that seemed like something that might need a permit. Maybe. It seems it’s pretty widespread for low-elevation (1′ or less) floating decks — ones unattached to a house foundation — to be exempt from needing a permit.
But, hey, as long as I was calling the city about other issues, I’d ask whether a permit might be required. Fortunately for my time & sanity, my city has a single one-stop number that can answer all sorts of basic questions and make sure you’re aiming for the right department.
Me: I want to know whether I need a permit to build a deck in my backyard.
City Rep: Is the deck under three thousand square feet?
Me: Uh. I don’t think my entire property is three thousand square feet.
CR: Heh, okay. What’s the deck’s square footage and material?
Me: Wood. I was thinking maybe fifteen by twenty, at most. Oh, and floating. I won’t be attaching it to the house foundation.
CR: If it’s floating, you can do a quick turn-around. Just stop by the office during hours, fill out a form, and they’ll stamp it and send you on your way. You don’t need to bring in plats or plans, not for such a small project and one that won’t be tied into the house’s structure.
Me: Great! Uh, by the way, does it make any difference that I’m in the floodplain?
CR: …
Me: Should I have mentioned that first?
CR: It doesn’t mean you can’t build it, but any new construction must be a foot and a half above the floodplain level.
Me: Uh, yeah, which means my deck will have to be elevated roughly five feet.
Grrrr… The back door’s threshold’s is only five inches elevation. I accepted to transfer to someone who could help more (and hung up anyway after 27+ minutes on hold), rather than snark at some well-meaning city-rep about whether I’d need an extra permit to build an outside set of stairs, or if I could bundle that in with the permit for my hunting blind sleeping platform elevated platform.
But then, it’s not like a crazy-ass super-elevated deck could affect property values, anyway. Hell, our neighbors up the street have a Statue of Liberty as the walkway lighting for their front yard. Compared to that, a detached widow’s walk is nothing. On the other hand, if I did build it that high, whaddaya wanna bet CP’d be up there half the time, hunkered down behind the blinds, ready to take potshots at the New Jersey escapees next door?
Tagged: construction, garden, landscape