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Deck permit drawings: what to draw and what the reviewer checks

A deck permit is mostly about three things: where the deck sits on the lot, how it is held up, and how people are kept from falling off it. If your drawings answer those three clearly, the review usually goes quickly. Here is what to draw and which numbers the reviewer looks for.

Updated 2026-10-19. Section numbers below are from the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC). Your state or city may adopt a different edition or amend it, and the version your building department enforces is the one that counts.

Does a deck need a permit

Under IRC section R105.2, a deck is exempt from a building permit only when all of these are true: it is 200 square feet or less, no part of it is more than 30 inches above grade, it is not attached to the house, and it does not serve the exit door the code requires. A deck that is attached to the house, or higher than 30 inches anywhere, is outside that exemption and needs a permit. Many cities and counties change this list, so call or check the website of your building department before you skip the permit.

What the drawings usually include

• Site plan. The lot lines, the house, the deck outline and the distance from the deck to each property line. Setbacks come from your local zoning code, not the building code.
• Framing plan. Seen from above: where the footings and posts go, the beam size, and the joist size, spacing and direction, with the spans written on.
• Section or elevation. A side view with the height above grade, the footing depth, the guard height and the stairs.
• Ledger detail. How the deck attaches to the house: the band joist it bolts to, the fasteners and the flashing. A freestanding deck says so and shows posts and footings on both sides instead.
• Materials. The lumber species and grade, preservative treatment for wood in contact with the ground, and the hangers and fasteners.

The American Wood Council publishes a free prescriptive guide for simple wood decks, called DCA 6. Some building departments hand it out or accept it as the basis for a deck permit; ask yours whether it does.

Numbers the reviewer checks

Joist spans, beam spans, footing sizes and the ledger connection are covered in IRC section R507, which gives tables for each. Footings must also reach below the frost line where you live; your building department publishes the local frost depth.

Draw it yourself, step by step

1. Measure the house wall. Note the door, windows, siding, and the height from the ground to the floor inside.
2. Mark the lot. Measure from the house to the property lines on the side where the deck goes.
3. Pick the size and height. Write the deck length, width and height above grade at its highest point.
4. Lay out the framing. Using the span tables or DCA 6, choose joist size and spacing, then the beam and post positions.
5. Draw the side view. Show footing depth, posts, beam, joists, decking, guard and stairs with their heights.
6. Label everything. Sizes, spacing, materials and fasteners go on the sheet in words and numbers.

Where we fit

We draw the 2D floor plan of your home from your measurements and photos, so the wall, doors and floor height the deck connects to are drawn accurately and to scale. The first plan is free with FIRSTPLAN and each extra plan is $10. We do not size beams, footings or ledgers; that comes from the code tables, DCA 6, or a design professional.

A plan drawn from your measurements is not a survey, an engineered design or a permit approval. Your building department decides what it accepts. We are not engineers and do not design deck structure.