yep, backyard where no one will see it

i realize that permits ostensibly keep folks safe from bad construction, but in reality their greatest value is as a revenue stream

it will be built correctly, so i'm not worried about a permit...until i sell the house (years from now)...could it cause problems then?

2/10/2015 8:21:09 AM

yes. the buyers may require you to get a permit (e.g. inspections) for their own benefit/piece of mind.

Some wouldn't care. Some would.

Yes, it's a great revenue stream for the county/city, but some inspectors are actually good folk and very helpful, and have undoubtedly saved people from injury and/or death. Some inspectors are lazy assholes who don't know shit.

Getting a permit or not is just a game to play. Chances are nothing will ever be said about it and no one will care. However, conscientious buyers/realtors will likely inquire about non-permitted structures. Hell, my realtor did when I was looking at homes.

Also, I would think that if anything ever happened to/on that deck that resulted in injury or worse, you could technically be subject to more severe penalties - criminal and civil (e.g. negligence, etc.).

[Edited on February 10, 2015 at 9:29 AM. Reason : .]

2/10/2015 9:23:10 AM

but it wouldn't legally keep me from selling (as long as the buyer doesn't care), right? that's all i'm concerned about

2/10/2015 9:28:38 AM

nope. if they don't care, you don't care, and no one runs and tells the bank or government, then you're fine.

2/10/2015 9:30:49 AM

^ couldn't that become a problem when trying to sell the house?

2/10/2015 11:08:39 AM

AFAIK, neither our first bank or second when we refinanced pulled permits

though i don't know how i'd know if they did or did not

2/10/2015 11:27:49 AM

The biggest problem you could run into with not getting a permit now would be that in a few years time they DO require you to get it permitted. This is a common issue with people selling houses now with attic space that was unfinished that they finished while living there but never got permitted.

You will have the issue that when you do go for a permit you'll be expected to meet current building codes.

2/10/2015 11:56:46 AM

good point...what's the ballpark for a permit? $200? $vermont?

2/10/2015 12:55:52 PM

Quote :

"^ couldn't that become a problem when trying to sell the house?"

Tis what I'm saying. If no one cares and no one tells the bank/government, then it's fine. If the buyer cares, then it is a problem when selling the house.

I don't know much about getting a permit after-the-fact, but it's probably the same procedure plus inspections. The inspector may require you to prove certain things, which could be a PITA, e.g. expose the post footings, remove bolts to show length, etc.

Quote :

"AFAIK, neither our first bank or second when we refinanced pulled permits"

The bank won't go pull permits; they'll look at the MLS since only legally permitted items show up there (well, this is the theory at least). The bank would only care if they got wind of non-permitted structures; though they may not care about a deck (or they might).

Quote :

"good point...what's the ballpark for a permit? $200? $vermont?"

http://www.wakegov.com/inspect/permits/Pages/fees.aspx

Fee is doubled for after-the-fact permits.

For accessory structures (i.e. decks):
Land use fee $60
Plus trade fee for each trade (building, electrical, plumbing, heating) $60 each
Plus square footage fee $0.20 per square foot

So about $200 in your case.

[Edited on February 10, 2015 at 3:21 PM. Reason : .]

2/10/2015 3:14:41 PM

Quote :

"The inspector may require you to prove certain things, which could be a PITA, e.g. expose the post footings, remove bolts to show length, etc."

I've been called out to inspect decks after the fact, they will want to see exposed tops of footings, and probably have you hire a professional (most likely an engineer) to evaluate the depth of the footings and if they meet current code.

Similarly, it depends on the installer as to how your deck will fare for an inspection.

If the installer is familiar with the NC codes and attaches the deck to the house you're ok, but there are many that use the prescriptive deck guide by the American Wood Council which gives the generic ledger attachment.

If the deck is relatively taller then you will need to provide bracing, and right now I believe that is in contention for what size and length bracing you will need to use.

So the bigger issues with getting it inspected later will typically come with getting a third party involved.

I'm not trying to point this out to force you into a permit, but getting one later is always a pain.

If you choose to go without a permit take a lot of pictures, especially of the footings. If its being attached to the house, take pictures of how it connects in case they cover up their work.

This is all assuming you will hire someone to do the install and not do it yourself.

I'm not familiar with the costs of permits, but if its only $200 now, you'd be looking at probably $150-300 for an engineer to take a look at it and write a letter on top of the $200 later.

2/11/2015 8:44:01 AM

^that's a cheap engineer

And it would be $400 for permits + potential engineering + other potential bullshit + "repairs"

I always find it funny that people are so reluctant to go get a permit. It's not that hard, it's easier to do now rather than later, it provides a check on your design and construction (we all make mistakes).

2/11/2015 9:09:41 AM

I don't disagree on the price. It should probably be a lot more, especially when you get into having to make corrections to existing designs.

I think part of the reason you see people avoid permits is that the inspectors make things so much harder to get done, that they will argue over very tiny issues and make building an absolute pain. (12" on center and you install it at 12.5" on center and they fail you without looking at anything else.)

2/11/2015 9:48:08 AM

I'm getting ready to have a deck built in Holly Springs. Do i need to do a permit through Wake County AND Holly Springs? I have no idea really. My builder is putting me in contact with someone to draw plans.

6/23/2015 1:09:45 PM

You should only need a permit in Holly Springs

Holler if you need an engineer to draw up plans or stamp something

6/23/2015 8:08:35 PM

^how much would you charge to draw up plans to get the permit? Its a 12'x16' with a 2'x4' cutout where my back door is.

6/24/2015 8:15:50 AM

had my house for about 6 years and im finally fed up with this deck the last ppl obviously built themselves. its basically just a bunch of 16' 2x6's with minimal support and no real buried posts. it didn't even have a railing until the bank forced me to put one on (they didn't seem to care it was likely unpermited).

For the most part, I'm not going to do much fancy, but I'm going to replace a good chunk of the wood and put in a lot of bracing between the 2x6 joists to give it a bit more firmness. I figure while it won't be super well done, it'll be better than it was and won't cost me much more than materials (<a grand).

it only runs about 8" - 24" or so off the ground on various spots so at least i dont have to worry about major structure catastrophe.


[Edited on June 24, 2015 at 1:38 PM. Reason : they don't even carry 2x8 x16' at the local homedepot style stores. so much for making it stronger]

6/24/2015 1:35:08 PM

Are the posts buried at all? And technically, you should always sandwhich substructures between two new joists/girders/etc. So it's still a good chunk of money and time; enough so that replacing a smaller deck is probably a better idea; especially a low one that you can't get underneath... meaning you have to take off the decking boards... meaning you essentially should demo the whole thing

18-24" doesn't require handrailing per any code I know of. I mean, I would want it or steps. Just weird that the bank would require that.

6/25/2015 8:23:33 AM

yeah it was a strange project overall. i replaced most of the joists too. the rail was required because there is a rock wall on one side. even though the deck is very short, the rock wall is 3-4 feet high so you could fall of the deck and then fall off the rock wall. im just going to do a top mounted metal railing.

6/25/2015 1:16:08 PM

ah, ok. the additional drop from the wall would make it a code requirement.

6/25/2015 2:14:08 PM

If I plan on replacing the decking boards on a preexisting deck, do I need a permit?

6/25/2015 2:34:33 PM

no.

but be sure to check the structure and make corrections/repairs while you're at it.

6/25/2015 6:45:03 PM

Quote :

"how much would you charge to draw up plans to get the permit? Its a 12'x16' with a 2'x4' cutout where my back door is."

shouldn't have to pay more than $350 for a set of plans like this.

7/1/2015 11:11:22 AM

I told him I'd do it for $150-200, it sounds pretty straightforward.

7/11/2015 2:49:39 PM

definitely a good deal.

7/13/2015 2:13:01 PM

My contractor set me up with a guy who charged me $150. Thanks though.

7/13/2015 2:17:15 PM

7/13/2015 2:36:30 PM

anybody gotten an estimate on decks lately?

granted I want composite decking, but I just got quoted $7,400 for a very basic 16' x 10' deck. no pergola, no roof or screens, no fancy trim, nothing over the top. that seemed very high to me

11/24/2015 8:08:21 PM

Might be a little high but not extreme. I'd guess around $6k but composite boards, railings, stairs, etc vary.

What's the height? Obviously extra if it's working off a ladder for chunks

11/25/2015 12:39:43 AM

I recently had a 25X20 wood deck(6x6 posts) built for 5K(i was getting quotes anywhere from 6K to 12K). 7,400 seems reasonable for composite to me.

11/25/2015 10:58:26 AM

I used Dek Blocks to build my deck so i wouldn't have to dig holes and pour concrete. It stands about 3 feet off the ground, and is not attached to my house, though it comes up right next to the house.

The deck is like 15' x 15'

Is this gonna pass inspection?

11/25/2015 12:53:28 PM

Probably not but I believe the code height is 32inches but dont quote me. I would lag it to the house.

11/25/2015 6:11:54 PM