Why You Need a Building Permit for Your New Composite Deck

You may not think so, but in most municipalities, a new deck is considered an addition and requires a building permit. While taking a chance and building it “off the record” without the paperwork may seem like the easier option, it can cause serious issues for you down the road.

Here are just a few reasons why you should never build – or allow any contractor to build – a deck on your property without first obtaining a building permit 

Peace of Mind

The purpose of getting a building permit in the first place is so that a trained professional can review the construction plans to ensure that the deck will be safe place for you and your family. Local building codes can vary from state to state, town to town and even from one house to the next – depending on what’s located near the construction site. 

Fines and Tear Downs

Say that a building code inspector is driving by your home and notices something appears odd about the way your deck looks, or watches construction taking place and doesn’t see a permit visible near the work site. The code enforcement officer is obligated to stop and ask to see the building permit and project plans. If the homeowner cannot produce a permit, they can be fined. Even worse, the homeowner may be required to completely tear down the structure, even if it is built to code. Your new deck is meant to be enjoyed for many years, so why risk having to tear it down and start over again by not getting a permit first?

Reputable Builders Always Get Permits

The best builders for any home construction project are the ones with lots of experience and lots of satisfied customers. In order to achieve both of these things, deck builders and other building construction pros understand that if they are caught doing work without a permit, they will likely lose their license, reputation – and livelihood.

While an individual homeowner could get ‘lucky’ and not be caught building on their property without a permit, the law of averages on a professional contractor who may work on several different jobs – in different locations – during any given month, means that eventually he/she will be visited by a code inspector and asked to produce a permit. For any reputable builder, the risk of getting caught without a permit is just not worth it.

Doing the Right Thing

When it comes time to sell your home, a number of people will begin looking at every nook and cranny to make sure that the prospective new owners are informed about everything in, on, under and attached to the home. This includes exterior decks.

Home inspectors – hired by the homeowner and by the buyer – will routinely ask for a copy of the building plans filed at the town hall and compare them with what they observe at the home. If something appears in a file that doesn’t match what’s at the home, or more likely, if something at the home isn’t included in file, it immediately puts up a red flag.

For example, during a site walk, the realtor (or home inspector) opens the back door of the home and walks across a beautiful 20’x30’ Tropical Walnut composite deck into the back yard. Unfortunately, when he/she reviews the lot plan paperwork on file at the town hall, the document indicates there is no record of a deck being built on that property.

Not only will the homeowner likely have to complete the actions listed above (fines, rebuild, etc.) the fact that a major remodeling project was not properly documented may also lead prospective buyers to think that there could be other issues associated with the property and simply abandon the purchase all together.

Last but Not Least: Choose the Right Materials!

Different construction materials are more suited for one type of environment than others. For example, decking installed in a damp, shady location can be susceptible to moisture damage and mold growth. This is one of several reasons why homeowners are opting to use composite decking products such as DuraLife, instead of traditional lumber. Made from wood fibers and recycled polypropylene plastic composite decking is more durable and inherently less susceptible to expansion and contraction problems due to excessive moisture absorption.

Obtaining a permit from your local office allows both your building plans and list of materials to be reviewed against the specific conditions of the location the deck will be built, insuring it will perform as needed for a long time.

For these and other reasons, homeowners and builders should do the right thing and get the proper building permits for every construction project. That way, everyone can rest easy and enjoy their beautiful new composite deck.

Get Samples shipped to your home or contact DuraLife now to learn more.

This article is made possible by DuraLife. DuraLife’s unique polypropylene and hardwood composite decking materials simply outperform all other wood and composite decking products. More solid and safe under foot, DuraLife decking is backed by a 25-year warranty. It is stain and fade resistant, mold and mildew resistant, and is available in the colors and deck railing options you want. Get Samples, try our Composite Deck & Railing Visualizer, or contact DuraLife now to learn more.