Deck Building in Cherry Hills Village, CO

Deck building in Cherry Hills Village falls under the City’s “Exterior Remodel” permit category, the same category that covers covered porches, patios, and other structural changes to the outside of a home. Unlike siding, which the City lets through without plan review, decks do not get that carve-out — the Exterior Remodel handout treats them as a full submittal item with structural plans, a survey, and setback compliance. We plan every Cherry Hills Village deck around that submittal list before layout starts.

Decks Fall Under the Exterior Remodel Permit

The City’s Exterior Remodel Requirements handout names decks directly as one of the project types that need this permit, describing an Exterior Remodel as a project involving structural changes or alterations to the exterior of a home or accessory structure. A covered porch or patio built alongside the deck stays in the same category as long as it is enclosed on 2 or fewer sides; enclosing it on 3 or more sides shifts that portion of the project into a separate “addition” permit.

We treat every new deck as a plan-review item from the start, since the handout does not carve out a height or area exemption for decks the way it does for siding, window, and door replacement.

Submittal Requirements for a Deck Plan

The City’s submittal list for an Exterior Remodel — and therefore for a deck — calls for complete construction plans including stamped structural plans, a scaled survey site plan showing the deck with setbacks measured to any part of the structure including cantilevered elements, and a soils investigation report if one is referenced in the structural plans. If the project removes established trees within the setback as part of a footprint increase of 50% or more, a tree survey and tree protection plan is required as well.

Larger deck projects that add more than 2,500 square feet of impervious surface area need a Phase III Drainage Report, and any project disturbing 1 acre or more, or sitting adjacent to a floodplain or watercourse, needs a Stormwater Management Plan or Grading, Erosion, and Sediment Control Plan along with a Stormwater Construction Permit.

Setbacks and Bulk Plane for Attached Decks

Deck placement has to fit inside the City’s Accessory Structure Setback, Area and Number Standards table, which varies by zone district — from a 75-foot front setback and 25-foot rear/side setback on the larger R-1 and R-2 lots, down to a 25-foot front setback and 7.5-foot side setback in R-5. Attached decks also fall under the Bulk Plane requirements in the R-1 through R-5 districts, with a front-area depth of 42 to 50 feet, a starting height of 12 feet 6 inches to 21 feet, and a 40-degree rise angle.

We check both tables against the specific lot before finalizing a deck footprint, since a deck that clears the setback line can still run into the bulk-plane envelope depending on its height and how close it sits to the house.

Review Timeline and Fees

Exterior Remodel permits, including decks, may take up to 10 business days per review cycle, and the Planning Division has to approve the project before Building or Civil Engineering review begins. The published fee schedule sets a Building Review Fee of $340 for two hours with additional review at $170 per hour, a Building Permit Fee of 1% of valuation above $2,001 (or a $20 minimum below that), and an Arapahoe County use tax of one-eighth of one percent of valuation.

We price a deck permit against that published schedule and against whichever additional reports the site triggers, rather than assuming every deck carries the same fee.

What the City Hasn’t Published for Decks

We did not find a Cherry Hills Village handout that states footing depth, frost-depth requirements, guardrail height, baluster spacing, or stair-rail dimensions specific to a deck. Those details are governed by the adopted residential code’s standard deck provisions rather than a stand-alone city guide, and the currently enforced code edition itself carries some uncertainty (the City’s dated handouts cite the 2021 edition, while a separate reference suggests a newer adoption). We confirm the exact footing depth and guard specifications with the Building Division before finalizing structural drawings on every project.

How We Sequence a Cherry Hills Village Deck Project

We start by checking the deck footprint against the Accessory Structure setback table and, where it applies, the Bulk Plane envelope, then assemble stamped structural plans and a survey site plan before submittal. If the deck adds significant impervious surface or sits near a mapped floodplain, we scope the drainage or stormwater report into the submittal up front rather than waiting for a review comment to flag it.

Once the permit is issued, footing work comes first and stays open for inspection before it is backfilled, framing and ledger attachment follow, and guards and stairs are built to the code requirements we confirmed with the Building Division. The project closes with the City’s final inspection against the approved plan.

Common Questions

Does a new deck need a permit in Cherry Hills Village?
Yes. The City’s Exterior Remodel Requirements handout names decks directly as a project type covered by that permit, and decks do not get the plan-review exemption that the City allows for siding, window, and door replacement.

What has to be submitted with a deck permit?
Stamped structural plans and a scaled survey site plan showing the deck with setbacks measured to every part of the structure, including cantilevered elements. Larger projects may also need a soils report, a tree survey, a drainage report, or a stormwater plan depending on impervious surface area and site conditions.

Do setbacks change by zone district?
Yes. The City’s Accessory Structure Setback table ranges from a 75-foot front setback on larger R-1 and R-2 lots down to a 25-foot front setback in R-5, so the buildable area for a deck depends on which zone district the property sits in.

Does the City publish deck footing depth and guardrail specs?
Not in a stand-alone handout that we could find. Those figures are governed by the City’s adopted residential code rather than a separate deck guide, so we confirm the exact footing depth and guard requirements with the Building Division before finalizing structural drawings.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us the deck’s approximate size, height above grade, and whether it attaches to the house or stands alone. We check the footprint against Cherry Hills Village’s setback and bulk-plane tables and confirm current structural specifications with the Building Division before drawings are finalized.