FAQs

With brick siding we have two options for design. We recommend that the deck be built free-standing to avoid any problems. Alternatively, the brick siding may be removed at the attachment location, and the deck ledger can be fastened directly to the house band board.

We do not design for future additions, as we cannot ensure that the codes do not change between when we first engineer the deck and when the addition is completed. We may also design the addition to meet certain criteria which are later changed while in the decision-making process. (Example: Homeowner wants to build a covering to his (her) porch later. After the porch is designed and built, he (she) then wants slate as the roofing material. The new weight of the roof exceeds what the deck has been designed to support.)

We show the guidelines for where the guardrails need to be installed and the basic requirements that all railing needs to meet. This allows you to change the type of railing being installed without needing to re-engineer the plans.

Composite decking and wood decking can both span the standard 16" spacing of deck floor joists. However, composite decking requires stringers to be spaced more narrowly than needed for wood decking.

Typical limitations to the structural design of a deck are septic tanks and property setbacks. With a septic tank, most counties will require a minimum spacing between septic tank and post of 5’-0”; some counties may require this to be up to 7’-0” away. If a post is installed over a septic tank, it could damage the system and cause it to have to be replaced. If the system is damaged after the deck has been installed, the deck would require disassembly to access and replace the damaged tank.

Property setbacks can also restrict or limit the size of a deck addition. Typical limitations are set by the county; occasionally, a neighborhood homeowner’s association will have further restrictions that must be met. We are not licensed surveyors and do not perform surveys. We are able to show the house and deck on a survey to depict dimensions to property lines to show the deck does not infringe on setbacks.

The minimum price is $250 to account for our time, liability, and administration process.

We will only use your email address and phone number to contact you with any questions that might arise while drafting the deck. Your provided email address will be used to send the completed deck order.

Under Special Conditions fill in the "Other" blank with this information. We will contact you regarding this special condition to ensure that we properly engineer over this obstruction.