Salt Lake County, Utah
Deck Builder in Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City runs from the valley floor up onto the east bench, and its housing runs from the 1880s to last year. It is also the jurisdiction that publishes the design criteria the rest of the valley tends to get compared against: 30 inches of frost depth, a 28 psf ground snow load at or below 4,239 feet, seismic category D2.
Building in Salt Lake City
Pioneer blocks, historic districts and a hard bench
The city was laid out on unusually large blocks, and the way those blocks were subdivided over a century and a half produced enormous variety: deep narrow lots in the Avenues, bungalow streets in Sugar House, grander houses climbing the bench toward Federal Heights, and infill of every decade in between.
Two things follow for deck work. First, a great many houses here predate 1940, which means wall assemblies that have been altered repeatedly and cannot be assumed to take a ledger. Second, parts of the city sit within historic districts where exterior changes are reviewed, and a deck can fall inside that.
Then there is the bench. Ground rises sharply on the east side, so the further up you go the more a deck becomes a structure rather than a platform — and the higher the elevation, the more the published design criteria shift.
- City design criteria include a 30-inch minimum footing depth and seismic design category D2
- Ground snow load is published as at least 28 psf for projects at or below 4,239 feet
- Pre-1940 housing means wall assemblies that need opening up before a ledger is planned
- Historic district review can apply to exterior work — we check your property before designing
Local conditions
What shapes a deck project in Salt Lake City
Three things that decide a Salt Lake City deck project.
Whether you are in a historic district
Several parts of the city have historic designations, and exterior alterations in them are reviewed. Whether a rear deck triggers that depends on the district and on visibility from the street. We establish it with the city before drawing anything rather than after.
What is behind the siding
On a house that has been re-clad two or three times since 1925, what a ledger would bolt into is a genuine unknown. We open a small area and look. Where the answer is not convincing, a freestanding deck removes the risk and does not touch the historic fabric — which sometimes helps with review as well.
Elevation on the east bench
Design criteria are altitude-sensitive. A house at 4,300 feet downtown and one well up the bench sit under different snow load assumptions. It matters most for anything roofed. We confirm the figures for your address rather than applying one number citywide.
Services in Salt Lake City
What we build here
The same six services everywhere we work. Which one comes up most in Salt Lake City depends almost entirely on when the neighbourhood went up.
Deck Installation
New decks laid out, footed and framed for your lot — from post holes to the last board.
See what’s involvedDeck Repair
Targeted work on rot, springy boards, failing ledgers and rails that move when you lean on them.
See what’s involvedDeck Replacement
Tear-out and rebuild when the frame is past saving, usually on the same footprint.
See what’s involvedComposite Deck Installation
Capped composite and PVC surfaces on a frame spaced and flashed for the product.
See what’s involvedWood Deck Construction
Cedar, redwood and pressure-treated framing detailed for dry summers and wet springs.
See what’s involvedDeck Railing Installation
Code-height guards in wood, metal, cable or glass, anchored into real blocking.
See what’s involvedThinking about a deck in Salt Lake City?
Tell us the neighbourhood and the approximate age of the house. In this city those two facts change the job more than the deck design does.
Local questions
Decks in Salt Lake City, answered
Do I need a permit for a deck in Salt Lake City?
Attached and raised decks normally do. Salt Lake City Building Services handles permitting and inspection and publishes its residential design criteria, including a 30-inch minimum footing depth and a 1,500 psf allowable foundation pressure. We prepare and submit the drawings.
What is the frost depth and snow load here?
The city’s published residential criteria give a 30-inch minimum footing depth and a ground snow load of at least 28 psf for projects at or below 4,239 feet above sea level, with residential wind speed at 115 mph and seismic design category D2. Criteria are updated periodically, so we work from the current published version rather than from memory.
I live in a historic district — can I still build a deck?
Usually, but the design may be reviewed. Rear decks that are not visible from the street are generally treated differently from anything affecting a principal elevation. The sensible order is to establish the position with the city first, then design to it, rather than designing something and hoping.
Can a deck attach to a house from the 1910s or 1920s?
Sometimes. It depends entirely on what is behind the cladding and what condition it is in, and there is no way to know without opening a small area. Where it will not take a ledger safely, a freestanding deck is both the structurally correct answer and the one that touches the original fabric least.
Does an east-bench lot cost more to build on?
Generally yes, because slope means height, and height means bigger posts, lateral bracing, guards and a real stair. The surface cost is the same; the structure underneath is not. On a steeper lot, stepping the deck in tiers is often cheaper than one tall platform.
Nearby
Other areas we cover near Salt Lake City
We work across the south end of the Salt Lake Valley and into northern Utah County.
Get a quote for your Salt Lake City deck
Send the form with the address and a rough idea of what you want. If there is a deck there already, photos of the frame and the ledger help most.
Request a Deck Quote in Salt Lake City
Tell us about your deck project below, including rough size, materials and photos if you have them, and we will follow up to set up a free estimate.