· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Deck
Plenty of homeowners think of a deck as a yard project. Metro Codes treats it as construction: Metro’s page on adding a deck or patio to a residence says that building a new deck or replacing one requires a permit, and it lists no height or size below which a new deck is exempt. The details come down to where the deck sits on the lot and what the work involves.
What work needs a deck permit in Nashville?
Metro’s deck page says an attached side or rear deck has to go through the permitting process, and its zoning examiners check the plans against the setbacks for that parcel’s zoning. Replacing any footings or framing needs a permit too, and so does replacing more than 100 square feet of deck boards. Tearing a deck down without putting another in its place does not. Every deck we build through our new deck work goes through that process.
A roof changes the setback picture. Metro allows an uncovered deck a reduced rear setback of 10 feet as long as it meets the full side setback, holds a covered deck to the full rear and side setbacks, and lets no deck sit over the platted setbacks, a utility easement or a corner lot’s side street setback. Metro’s residential building permits page lists patio covers, decks and porches among the accessory structures that need a permit, which is why the roof on a covered patio is permitted along with the deck under it. Pools are a separate application, and Metro’s pool permitting page sends you to the International Swimming Pool Code for the barrier around one.
The question we hear most is about a low freestanding platform. Metro’s deck page gives no height exemption for it, so we ask the Building Division at 615-862-6550 before assuming one.
- New deck or a replacement deck: permit required
- More than 100 sq ft of deck boards replaced: permit required
- Any footing or framing replaced: permit required
- Deck torn down and not replaced: no permit
- Uncovered deck: 10-foot rear setback allowed, full side setback
- Covered deck: full rear and side setbacks
- Pool: its own permit and barrier rules
What does the deck inspector look at most?
The ledger, which is the board fastening the deck to the house. On an old deck it is the first thing we open up: whether it was nailed or bolted, whether there is flashing above it or just siding, and whether it is fastened into solid framing or into something that cannot carry it. What else gives out on an older deck is in our post on the parts of a deck that actually fail.
Ours go on with through-bolts or structural screws into the house framing, with flashing above so water runs off instead of soaking the band joist behind it. None of that can be seen once the decking is down. Metro issues an inspection checklist with each permit naming the inspections the project needs, according to Metro’s building permit process page, and the deck page leaves scheduling them at the right stage to the applicant. We book ours so the inspector sees the ledger and framing before anything covers them.
Footings, frost depth and Middle Tennessee clay
Metro’s deck page gives no footing depth or size. It points to the Residential Building Code adopted in Chapter 16 of the Metro Code of Laws and sends code questions to the Building Division. Our footings go below the frost line and down to firm soil, sized for the deck they carry. Before anyone digs, we call Tennessee 811, which Metro asks for, and the Tennessee Public Utility Commission’s damage prevention FAQs require of anyone digging, at least three working days ahead so the utilities can mark their lines.
The ground is its own conversation. In a lot of Middle Tennessee yards we dig through heavy clay, and on some lots we hit rock before the hole is deep enough. Neither is a reason to stop short. When we are called out to a deck that has started to lean or rack, a shallow or undersized footing is one of the first things we check, and replacing it is permitted work under our deck repair service.
When does a missing deck permit come up?
Usually it comes up when the house sells. In our experience a buyer’s inspector asks about a deck with no permit behind it, and the answer turns into a price negotiation or a request to have it looked at. Metro’s deck page sets out no separate after-the-fact process, so that conversation starts with the Building Division.
A self-permit carries its own weight. Under one, Metro’s residential permits page says the property owner assumes all responsibility for the work meeting the zoning, building and trades codes. If someone is ever hurt on a deck, an inspection record is the plainest answer we know to the question of how it was built. If you would rather we handle the permit, the site plan and the inspections, ask us for a free written estimate.
Sources
- Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, Add a Deck or Patio to a Residence — New or replacement deck needs a permit; boards over 100 sq ft; footing or framing replacement; teardown exempt; setbacks and easements; self-permit limits; Tennessee 811; Chapter 16; Building Division phone
- Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, Residential Building Permits — Patio covers, decks and porches need a permit; self-permit owner assumes responsibility; notarized affidavits
- Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, Pool Permitting — Pools are permitted separately; barrier requirements in the International Swimming Pool Code
- Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, Building Permit Process — An inspection checklist is issued with the permit naming the inspections required
- Tennessee Public Utility Commission, Underground Utility Damage Prevention FAQs — Anyone excavating must give notice through Tennessee 811 at least three, and not more than ten, working days before digging
FAQ
Do You Need a Permit for a Deck in Nashville — questions
Can a homeowner pull a deck permit in Nashville?
Yes, within limits. Metro lets a property owner who lives in, or intends to live in, a single-family home pull a self-permit for a deck, with two affidavits that have to be notarized before the application goes in. If the home is owned by an LLC or a trust, or it is a rental or investment property, a self-permit covers only work under $25,000. The owner takes on responsibility for the work meeting code, and the inspections are the same.
What about a deck that is already there and was never permitted?
It comes with the house. Metro’s deck page does not describe a process for permitting an existing deck after the fact, so the place to start is the Building Division at 615-862-6550. When we assess one, we open up the ledger connection and look at the footings, and whether repair or replacement makes sense depends on what we find. Replacing the deck, or any of its footings or framing, needs a permit.
Does replacing deck boards need a permit?
Replacing more than 100 square feet of deck boards needs a permit in Metro Nashville, and so does replacing any footings or framing. Metro’s page does not address smaller board replacements, so a handful of boards is worth a quick call to Codes rather than an assumption. If new boards turned into new joists partway through, the job now needs a permit.
What does a deck permit drawing need to show?
Where the deck sits on the lot, because Metro’s zoning examiners check the plans against the setbacks for that parcel’s zoning. An uncovered deck may come within 10 feet of the rear line if it keeps the full side setback; a covered one meets both in full, and no deck may sit over a utility easement.