Construction Services & Inspections

Basic Information

Decks attached to a building greater than 30 inches above grade, or are part of an accessible route, need a deck permit. 

Decks that have frost depth (60” below grade) footings may be attached to a building or be freestanding.

Decks that are not attached to a building, not above 30” from grade, and do not have frost depth footings are platforms. Permits are not required for platforms.

Guardrails are required for any deck or floor that is 30” above grade or above a lower floor area. Guardrails need to be 36 inches tall and have opening small enough so a 4-inch sphere cannot pass through. A handrail is a rail designed to be grasped for support when using a stairway.

Handrails are required on at least one side of stairways and need to have a grippable size and shape.

Detailed information needed to prepare and submit a deck permit application is found in our Deck Packet. Please plan ahead and submit your application on ePlace at least two weeks in advance of when you wish to start the work. The deck fee calculator below is an estimate only. The actual fee will be determined at the time your application is reviewed.

More Details and Permit Information

See our Basic Permit Process page to find setbacks and permitted uses for the property. This will help you with what needs to be on your site plan. With the site plan and deck drawings, you should be ready to apply online. If your deck is a simple square or rectangle, you may use the fill-in-the-blank sheets found in our Deck Packet. If your deck is more complicated, please submit plans showing the actual deck being built.

Inspections

You, the permit holder, must call to schedule inspections. Please call a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the desired inspection day. The approved permit and plan must be on site for all inspections. If you would like more detailed inspection information, please visit our Inspection Information page.

Typically, three inspections are required for decks:

• Footings: This will check for proper diameter, depth, belled bottom, a flat surface at the base, and no water in the holes. The form (sonotube) and reinforcement must be in place. The post bases and anchor bolts, or approved equal, must be on site. Footings must be inspected before concrete is poured.
• Framing: Structural integrity and proper attachment of all connectors, including post/beam connection, ledger connections, lateral load connections, joists, and decking.
• Final:  A final inspection must be completed to be sure that the deck complies with the current Minnesota State Building Code. For decks that are 4 feet or greater off the ground, framing and final inspections may be completed together, if the inspector agrees to this at the footing inspection. Please discuss this with your inspector.