Deck Building in Colorado Springs, CO

A deck in Colorado Springs can be genuinely permit-exempt or fully reviewed, and the line between the two comes down to a specific set of numbers, not a general sense of how big the project feels. Our crew checks a Colorado Springs deck design against PPRBD’s exemption thresholds first, then builds the plan set around the ledger, guardrail, and stair rules that apply once the project needs a permit.

The 200-Square-Foot, 30-Inch Exemption

PPRBD exempts a detached deck from permitting when it meets all of the following at once: not exceeding 200 square feet in area, not more than 30 inches above grade at any point within 36 inches horizontally of the deck perimeter, detached from the dwelling, and not serving the required egress door. A deck that is attached to the house, larger than 200 square feet, higher than 30 inches, or serves as the main entry misses that exemption and needs a permit.

Most decks homeowners actually build — an attached deck off a kitchen or living room, sized for outdoor furniture and a grill — fail at least one of those conditions, usually the attachment or the height. We check all four conditions against the design before telling a homeowner their project is exempt, since missing even one changes the answer.

A Plot Plan Comes First, Regardless of Permit Status

PPRBD requires a site or plot plan review for all deck plans, permitted or not, showing the complete street address, legal description, property lines and dimensions including front, side, and rear yards, and all existing and proposed site improvements. Zoning jurisdiction matters here too — Colorado Springs’ own zoning contact is separate from PPRBD’s building review, and both get checked before layout is finalized.

We pull the plot plan requirement into the design phase even for a deck that looks exempt on paper, because the site plan is what confirms setback compliance, not just permit status.

Ledger Attachment Rules Vary by What the Deck Attaches To

For an attached deck, the ledger board has to be sealed, flashed, or spaced by an approved method, with fasteners staggered in two rows and long enough to extend beyond the inside face of the rim board. A minimum 2×8 ledger of pressure-preservative-treated or naturally durable No. 2 grade lumber is specified. Ledgers cannot be attached to a cantilever, brick veneer, or a manufactured home without a Colorado-licensed design professional’s approval stamp.

That last point is where a deck project can stall if it is not checked early: a home with brick veneer or a cantilevered floor section at the attachment point needs an engineer’s stamp before the ledger detail can be approved, which is a different timeline than a standard rim-board attachment.

Guardrails, Handrails, and Stair Dimensions Are Specific

Where the deck walking surface is more than 30 inches above grade, PPRBD requires a minimum guardrail height of 36 inches with no more than 4 inches between balusters. Handrails on stairs sit 34 to 38 inches above the nosing and landing, with a grip no smaller than 1-1/4 inches and no larger than 2 inches in diameter. Stairs themselves need a minimum 36-inch width, a maximum rise of 7-3/4 inches, and a minimum run of 10 inches per tread.

These numbers are not flexible design choices; they are the dimensions PPRBD’s plan reviewer checks against the submitted stair and guard details. We size stair stringers and guardrail baluster spacing to those figures at the drawing stage so the plan does not bounce back during review.

Footings, Framing, and What Still Needs Confirming

The plan set has to show post material, size, and height along with footing size and a footer-design detail; no point loads over 1,500 pounds are allowed without engineering. Joists and beams follow IRC span tables for the lumber species specified, with treated or decay-resistive material required for joists less than 6 inches from the ground, and beam cantilevers limited to a quarter of the beam span.

One figure we could not confirm on an official PPRBD page during this research is a specific minimum footing or frost depth for Colorado Springs. That number affects how deep post footings need to go, and we treat it as a question to confirm directly with PPRBD at plan review rather than building to an assumed depth. Composite decking, where used, needs its product evaluation report on site at time of inspection.

Wildfire and Utility Checks Before Digging

Decks added, modified, or reconstructed inside the City’s mapped Wildland-Urban Interface fall under wildfire mitigation construction requirements adopted through City Ordinance 26-18, effective for deck work from June 30, 2023 forward; we were not able to confirm the specific decking-material requirements from an accessible official page and treat that as a question for CSFD’s Construction Services Unit on a WUI-area lot. Before any footing holes are dug, a Colorado 811 locate request is required at least three business days ahead of excavation.

How We Sequence a Colorado Springs Deck

Design starts with the four-part exemption test — area, height, attachment, and egress — to determine whether the deck is permit-exempt or needs full review, followed by the plot plan showing yard setbacks regardless of that answer. Where the deck attaches to the house, the ledger connection is detailed against the framing type at the attachment point, including an engineer’s stamp where brick veneer or a cantilever is involved.

A Colorado 811 locate is requested before footing excavation begins. Framing follows the approved plan for joist spans, beam sizes, and footing details, guardrails and stairs are built to the specific height, spacing, rise, and run figures above, and the deck is walked through for a final inspection before it is turned over.

Common Questions

Does my deck need a permit in Colorado Springs?
A detached deck under 200 square feet, no more than 30 inches above grade, and not serving the main entry door is exempt. Attached, larger, taller, or entry-serving decks need a permit.

How tall does my guardrail need to be?
Where the deck is more than 30 inches above grade, the guardrail must be at least 36 inches tall with no more than 4 inches between balusters.

Can I attach a ledger to brick veneer?
Not without a Colorado-licensed design professional’s approval stamp. Ledgers also cannot attach to a cantilever or a manufactured home without that same stamp.

How deep do deck footings need to go?
We could not confirm a specific frost depth figure on an official PPRBD page. Confirm the required footing depth directly with PPRBD at plan review before finalizing footing design.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us whether the deck attaches to your home, its size and height above grade, and your lot’s setbacks, and we will confirm the permit path and plan details before we build.