Deck Building in Greenwood Village, CO

Greenwood Village’s deck rules live inside the Land Development Code’s accessory-structures article, and they are more specific than a simple setback number. A deck’s height above grade actually changes which rule applies to it: a low front-yard deck, a mid-height side or rear deck, and a deck twelve feet or taller are three different cases under the City’s code. Apollo Construction sorts a project into the right case before drawing a layout, because the wrong assumption at that stage can put a deck outside the buildable area entirely.

Front-Yard Decks Have Their Own Narrow Rule

The City’s accessory-structures code addresses front-yard decks directly. A deck placed in the front yard must be twelve (12) inches in height or less, must meet principal building setbacks, may extend no more than twenty (20) feet from the principal building, and must abut the principal building. That is four conditions at once, and a design only qualifies as a front-yard deck under this rule if it meets all of them. A raised platform, a detached front-yard structure, or a deck that reaches further than 20 feet from the house does not fit this category and needs a different placement review.

Rear and Side Decks Follow Accessory-Structure Setbacks

Once a deck in the rear or side yard rises above 12 inches, it is governed by the City’s accessory-structure setback section rather than the front-yard rule. Those setbacks vary by zoning district, the same way the principal-building setbacks documented in our general Greenwood Village research vary by district, from large-lot R-2.5 zones with wide setbacks down to smaller R-0.5 lots. We confirm the parcel’s zone district and the applicable accessory setback before the deck footprint is finalized, because a layout sized for one district’s setback can miss the mark in another.

A Deck Twelve Feet or Taller Is Treated as Part of the House

The City draws a clear line at deck height: decks equal to or greater than twelve (12) feet in height are part of the principal structure and shall comply with the principal building setbacks for the zone district. That means an elevated deck at that height cannot use the more permissive accessory-structure setback at all; it has to meet the same setback the house itself must meet. Walk-out lots and sloped backyards in Greenwood Village are where this rule most often comes into play, since grade change is what pushes a deck’s height that high in the first place.

Footings Answer to the Same Frost-Depth Rule as the Rest of the House

Deck footings in Greenwood Village follow the same climatic design table that governs the rest of residential construction citywide, which sets a 36-inch frost line depth. We size and place footings to that depth on every deck, not just on additions and new homes, since a shallow deck footing is one of the more common causes of a deck that heaves or settles unevenly after a Front Range freeze-thaw winter.

Guards and Structural Drawings Follow the Adopted Code

Greenwood Village has adopted the 2018 International Residential Code, effective in the city since July 1, 2021, and deck guard and stair requirements are governed by that adopted code rather than by a separate deck-specific city handout. We did not find a published Greenwood Village amendment to the standard IRC guard provisions for decks, so we confirm the current guard-height and open-side trigger requirements with the Building Division as part of framing design, rather than relying on a number that has not been verified for this jurisdiction. Where structural work is involved, such as an elevated deck’s beam and post sizing, drawings need to be signed and stamped by an engineer registered in the State of Colorado.

How We Sequence a Greenwood Village Deck

We start by establishing the deck’s planned height above grade, because that single number determines which City rule applies: the front-yard 12-inch rule, the accessory-structure setback for a rear or side deck under 12 feet, or the principal-building setback for a deck 12 feet or taller. The zone district’s setback figures are confirmed next, along with whether the deck’s ledger, beams, or footings need an engineer’s stamp.

Footings are dug to the 36-inch frost depth and left open for inspection before framing continues. Guard and stair details are confirmed against the currently adopted 2018 IRC with the Building Division before the rail system is built, and the finished deck is checked against the approved height and setback so the project matches the case it was permitted under, not a different one the crew improvised in the field.

Common Questions

Can I build a deck in my front yard in Greenwood Village?
Only if it meets four conditions together: 12 inches or less in height, compliant with principal building setbacks, extending no more than 20 feet from the house, and attached to the house. A design that misses any one of those conditions is not treated as a front-yard deck under this rule.

What setback applies to a backyard deck?
A rear or side deck over 12 inches in height follows the City’s accessory-structure setbacks for the property’s zone district. A deck 12 feet or taller in height is treated as part of the principal structure and must meet the same setback as the house itself.

How deep do deck footings need to be?
Greenwood Village’s climatic design table sets a 36-inch frost line depth citywide, and deck footings are sized to that same depth to resist frost heave through Front Range winters.

What guard height does my deck need?
Guard and stair requirements follow the City’s adopted 2018 International Residential Code. We did not find a published Greenwood Village amendment to the standard guard provisions, so we confirm the current requirement with the Building Division during framing design.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us where you want the deck, its approximate height above grade, and whether it attaches to the house. We will confirm which City setback rule applies, check the zone district’s specific figures, and coordinate footing depth, guard details, and any required engineering before framing begins.