Free Standing Deck Roof Requirements

Standard bracing between posts and the outer beam is used on freestanding decks as it is on many decks attached to houses.

Free standing deck roof requirements.

Freestanding decks greater than 2 feet above grade must be able to resist lateral and horizontal movement by providing diagonal bracing. To structure the roof take your 2 6 boards. The minimum height of the railing varies based on the height of the deck. A free standing roof needs to have posts sunk into the ground.

Typical decks are designed to support 55 psf lbs per square foot. Decks 24 to 5 10 180 cm need 36 guards and anything above 5 10 requires a 42 high railing. Unlike decks attached to houses freestanding decks must be braced perpendicular to the house. Many porches use 22 diameter corner and intermediate footings.

According to the international residential code adopted by most states a deck does not need a building permit if it is less than 200 square feet under 30 off the ground does not serve a required exit door and is not attached to the dwelling if it is freestanding. Guards are required when then deck is 24 60 cm above grade. As a result most decks have inadequate footings to support a new porch roof. The bracing material must be 2 x 4 lumber and you must use a 1 2 inch through bolt at each connection point every deck higher than 30 inches whether it s free standing or not must have a railing.

They have to be a bit longer than the patio. Because there isn t a house to anchor one end of the deck uplift and racking forces are greater issues that must be addressed in the structural design. Start here if you re building a roof over a patio or deck. Porch decks require 25 additional psf for roof loads for a total of 80 psf.

Of deck or shed per footing. Since they will overhang a little bit over the patio you need to make sure that you do not cut them down at the same length as the patio. Free standing covered deck plans are available in abundance online. Using the irc s default soil bearing capacity of 1500 lb.

The railing must be at least 36 inches high and it must include balusters that are no more than 4 inches apart. You can cut them down as needed. Likewise the load that each deck foot anchor can support depends on the bearing capacity of the soil. The footings for porch decks must be larger than deck footings.

Deck foot anchor could support 1500 lb. Design load that s 30 sq.