County has no building codes for decks??

kwerk

I called my county permit/inspectors to ask about building a deck on my house. They told me:

No building code requirements for decks.
No inspections required.
No deck plan required.
A "rough sketch" of the site and a $15 permit fee is all that's needed.
They couldn't tell me what the frostline is here.

Is that a common thing? I thought I'd at least have to get the footing piers inspected.

Gary in WA

Pretty lax...... 2006 IRC minimum requirements: http://www.lancova.com/deckinfo.pdf

Gary

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Daniel Holzman

I wouldn't complain too loudly. In my town, it costs me $100 for a deck permit. As for the design, I would follow IRC 2009 (I think that is the most current), although in my town we follow IRC 2006. You can look up frost depth on the net, my guess is 3 feet minimum, possibly 4 feet for Kansas.

kwikfishron

What part of Kansas kwerk?

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4just1don

northern Nebraska is 44" btw.

jbfan

I had to get two permits, one from the helth department to spot the septic tank, then one from the county for the deck.

Cost about $150 for both.

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Yes I am a Pirate, 200 years too late. "Jimmy Buffett"

forresth

are you sure its that low? I thought it was 42 or 44" up here?

maybe the plain winds keep the snow cover from insulating the ground or something.

4just1don

we get 20-30 below zero temps most every year Plus -80 wind chills or more.

we aim for 6' on water pipe bury but settle for 5 if it is caving in faster than we can dig. Sugar sand subsoil is hard to work in.

concretemasonry

Wind chills have nothing to do with the "frost depth" because they do not last long enough to do anything to the soil that is continuously naturally warmed from below. The "frost depth" is just a legislative legal requirement that applies to general construction.

With a good early snow cover, the depth can be as little as 12" after a month or so of -20F if it is not disturbed. I did surveying and set stakes and points in northern Minnesota after 3 days of -40F in the morning and frequently found 12" or less depths in undisturbed areas. On the same site, there was 12' frost penetraction of open roads by then.

The local code requirements just have to pick a best and reasonable depth assuming it will be violated frequently. Part of this is because exposure varies and the soil type is a big factor, but no one looks at the soil types.

In the cold climates, there is no frost depth required for "footings" on a road since they are designed where relative movement is not important and non-susceptible soils are used in the base. It a deck is not supported by a cantilever and supported properly is usually does not have the problems that a ledger attached deck can have, but it should meet the local code frost requirements.

In my opinion, a ledger supported deck should require a permit and be inspected. A free satanding deck (if it not set too high an an inch or so) does not need and inspection unless it is for future resale value. Actually, both need a permit and inspection for resale value.

Dick

md2lgyk

Since you're in Kansas I'm not surprised. Where we lived there 10 years ago there were no codes for ANYTHING.

Scuba_Dave

and thats why the wicked witch is dead

operagost

Thanks to Dorothy, permits are required to move houses via tornado. Hopefully they won't start regulating buckets of water.

kwerk

Shawnee Co.

kwerk

Well I got my building permit in less than 24 hours and they were very helpful. I love Kansas

The nearest place that does have codes calls for 36" footing depth.

ovahimba

The 1,000 sq/ft deck I'm doing set me back 3 months and $3,500 to the building department. The permit cost me about $800 and because it was higher than 8' it had to go through the planning department, another $2,700. We have a lot more government people to support out here.