Deck Building in Falcon-Peyton, CO

Deck projects in Falcon and Peyton hinge on one shared number from two different offices: 30 inches above grade. PPRBD uses it to decide whether a small detached deck is exempt from a permit, and it lines up with the height that generally triggers a guard requirement under the adopted building code. Apollo Construction plans a Falcon & Peyton deck around that threshold, the county’s separate setback rule keyed to 18 inches, and the plan details PPRBD’s own Deck Attachment Sheet requires before a permit is issued.

Small Detached Decks Have a Narrow Permit Exemption

PPRBD exempts a detached deck for a one- or two-family dwelling from a permit only if it meets three conditions at once: 200 square feet or less in area, not more than 30 inches above grade at any point within 36 inches of the deck’s perimeter, and it does not serve the required egress door. A deck that is larger, higher, attached to the house, or that doubles as the main exit path from a room falls outside that exemption and needs a PPRBD permit.

We measure actual grade around the full perimeter before assuming a deck qualifies, because sloped Falcon/Peyton yards can put one side of an otherwise low deck well past 30 inches above grade even if the platform looks close to the ground from the house.

Setbacks Are Keyed to 18 Inches, Not the Permit Threshold

El Paso County Planning & Community Development uses a different number for setbacks than PPRBD uses for the permit exemption. An attached deck over 18 inches in height is treated as an addition to the dwelling and must meet the same setback as the house itself. A detached deck over 18 inches in height is an accessory structure and must meet the applicable accessory-structure setback, or the principal-structure setback if no separate accessory setback applies. Decks, slabs, and patios 18 inches or less in height are not subject to setback requirements at all.

That means a deck can clear PPRBD’s 30-inch permit exemption and still need to satisfy a setback the moment it passes 18 inches above grade — the two rules answer different questions and both have to be checked for the same structure.

Guard Height Follows the Same 30-Inch Line

The 30-inch-above-grade, 36-inch-perimeter measurement that defines PPRBD’s small-deck exemption is the same walking-surface height that triggers a guard requirement under the adopted 2021 IRC. Once a deck’s walking surface exceeds that height anywhere along its edge, a guard is required at that section. We check height around the entire perimeter, not just at the stairs or the most visible edge, since a sloped yard can put only part of a deck above the guard-trigger height.

The Deck Attachment Sheet Sets the Plan Requirements

PPRBD requires a Deck Attachment Sheet to accompany deck permit plans, and it documents stair details, guard details, ledger details, and footing details as required plan elements — with some footing types flagged as needing two inspections rather than one. The sheet also calls for listed joist hangers matched to joist size and listed hardware at post caps and bases, installed per the manufacturer’s instructions, and it flags a cantilevered ledger connection at an existing inverted hanger as needing either field verification or engineering.

Separately, the sheet flags any proposed excavation or vertical penetration greater than 3 feet in depth as a design item that needs to be documented on the plan — relevant on Falcon/Peyton lots where a deeper footing or a below-grade utility crossing is more likely than on a small city lot.

Footing Depth: Confirm the Number With PPRBD

Deck and fence post footings are governed by the frost-protection requirement in the adopted 2021 IRC, but we did not find a single published PPRBD page stating the exact required footing depth in plain, readable text during this research pass. Rather than repeat a number we could not verify on an official page, we confirm the required footing depth for the specific address directly with PPRBD before excavation begins, and size footings accordingly.

Design Loads for a Falcon-Peyton Deck

Framing has to account for the countywide design criteria PPRBD publishes: a ground snow load of 43 psf below 7,000 feet elevation, rising to 57 psf at or above 7,000 feet, plus an ultimate wind speed of 130 mph under Exposure C. Because Falcon and Peyton parcels sit close to that 7,000-foot line, we confirm the specific address’s elevation band before finalizing beam and post sizing rather than defaulting to the lower snow-load figure.

How We Sequence a Falcon-Peyton Deck

We start by measuring the site — area, height above grade around the full perimeter, and distance to the house — against both PPRBD’s 200-square-foot/30-inch exemption and the county’s 18-inch setback trigger. If either condition takes the project outside the exemption, we prepare the Deck Attachment Sheet and full plan set for PPRBD submittal before ordering material.

Footing depth is confirmed with PPRBD for the address, and footing locations are laid out and excavated with that confirmed depth and any 3-foot-plus penetration documented on the plan. Framing, ledger attachment, and guard posts are installed together so the guard system isn’t an afterthought once decking goes down, and stairs and rail details are built to the same plan the permit was issued against. The project closes once PPRBD’s required footing and final inspections are complete.

Common Questions

Does my new deck need a PPRBD permit?
Only if it stays under all three exemption conditions at once: 200 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above grade within 36 inches of the perimeter, and it doesn’t serve as the required egress from a room. Anything larger, higher, attached, or serving as a main exit needs a permit.

Why do I need to know the height at 18 inches, not just 30 inches?
PPRBD’s 30-inch figure decides whether a small detached deck needs a permit. El Paso County Planning uses a separate 18-inch figure to decide whether a deck must meet setback requirements. A deck can clear one threshold and still need to satisfy the other.

When does my deck need a guard rail?
Once the walking surface exceeds 30 inches above grade at any point within 36 inches of the edge, under the adopted 2021 IRC. We check that height around the full perimeter, since a sloped yard can put only part of a deck above that line.

How deep do deck footings need to be in Falcon or Peyton?
Footings are governed by the frost-protection requirement in the adopted building code, but we confirm the exact required depth for your specific address directly with PPRBD before digging rather than assuming a figure.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us the deck’s approximate size, how it will attach (or not) to the house, and the grade of the yard where it will sit. We’ll measure against the PPRBD and county thresholds, confirm footing depth for your address, and prepare the Deck Attachment Sheet and plan set if a permit is required.