Do You Legally Need a Permit to Repair Your Hudson Valley Deck?

So you are looking out your window, checking out your deck. Is this the year you are going to fix those boards? Are you going to expand the deck? Put on an addition?

When you are going about these thoughts, do you think about whether or not you will need a building permit for this? You probably needed a permit to build it, but what about going in and making repairs or making changes to it?

How often should you inspect your deck?

Every deck owner should be doing an inspection on the deck at least twice a year. Am I making this up? No, that is the suggestion from the ICC, (the International Code Council). They are the people who help to write the United States guidelines for what makes a deck safe.

What should you be looking for during the deck inspection?

You should look for loose screws, popped nails, splitting wood, wobbly rails, and loose or missing anchors where the deck joins the house. These are super red flags that it is time to get it fixed. Make sure to check the supports, too.

So I see these problems, do we need a building permit to fix or update a deck in New York State?

Well, the easiest way to answer this question is that this is New York State. We pay sales tax on sales tax. Yes, you should go with the thought process that you will need to get a permit to fix that deck.

Will you need to get an inspection after the work on the deck is done?

The process of getting a building permit has at least two parts. The issuing of the permit and then the closing out of the permit. Depending on your city or township, you will have to pay to pull the permit and then pay again to close out the permit.

Work safe and make sure to do that inspection before you have the family or group of people on the deck.