Deck building
in St. Joseph

The city's code leaves little room for exemptions. Many cities keep the International Residential Code's list of work exempt from a permit, which in the model code includes small, low, freestanding decks. St. Joseph's local amendments to the residential code delete that section (R105.2) entirely, so the city's published code contains no small-deck exemption. A low platform, a replacement deck and a roof added over an existing deck are all reviewed as deck work.

The permit also sets responsibilities after approval. Under the city code, the permit holder arranges the required field inspections at the appropriate stages of the work and a final inspection, and any work that fails an inspection has to be re-inspected. Work started before a permit is issued may be charged double the normal permit fee. The city's amendment on construction documents requires drawings by a Missouri registered design professional where state law calls for one, and it lets the building official waive drawings when the nature of the work makes review unnecessary.

The checklist asks for three drawings:

Site plan

property lines with dimensions, every existing and proposed structure, and the distance from the new deck to each property line. On angled lot lines, that distance is measured perpendicular from the line to the nearest point of the deck. The checklist's example shows a 5-foot easement and reminds applicants to draw easements and building lines.

Floor plan

all dimensions; every railing, stair and ramp; whether the deck is attached or detached; structural components such as hangers, anchors, posts and columns; and, for a covered deck, the roof type and the direction of its peak or ridge. An attached deck has to show its ledger bolt pattern.

Section view

the footings with their dimensions, depth and rebar; stair tread depth and riser height; floor framing with material, species, grade, sizes, spans and spacing; roof framing if the deck is covered; and guard dimensions and spacing.

A roof over a deck is reviewed on this same checklist rather than as an addition, which is why the floor plan and section view both ask about roof framing. The roof's weight comes down through the posts and footings, so they're drawn and sized together.

The site plan's distances are checked against St. Joseph's zoning yards. The zoning code lets canopies and open porches project up to 10 feet into a required front or rear yard, and an existing open porch that already extends into a required yard can't be enclosed.

St. Joseph's housing is old. Census Bureau estimates from the American Community Survey (2020 to 2024) put the median year built at 1962, with nearly half of the city's homes built before 1960 and about 28 percent in 1939 or earlier. Its historic designations reflect that. The city lists 14 historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places, from Cathedral Hill and Krug Park Place to Patee Town and Robidoux Hill, along with dozens of individually listed buildings. Two areas, Hall Street and Museum Hill, are also local historic districts under the city's zoning code, and individual properties can be designated as local landmarks.

Local designation is what triggers review. Under Section 31-175 of the city code, a certificate of appropriateness from the Landmark Commission is required to construct or alter any structure in a local historic district or on a designated landmark, unless the work isn't visible from any public street, park or other public place, doesn't change the exterior appearance, or is ordinary maintenance that doesn't materially change the design. No building permit is issued for work that needs a certificate until the certificate is granted, so a St. Joseph deck builder working on a designated property starts with that review. For new construction, the application asks for a plot plan, drawings with an elevation, and the materials and textures to be used.

National Register listing works differently. The city's design guidelines say Landmark Commission review isn't mandatory in National Register districts, though owners there are encouraged to follow the guidelines and can get free technical advice from the city's historic preservation planner.

The guidelines include a section on decks for historic buildings. They recommend placing decks in side or rear yards and screening them from public view, building them so they can be removed later without damaging the house, and designing decks and railings to match the house in style, detailing, materials and scale. Wood is the preferred material, and alternative materials may be considered case by case. The guidelines suggest painting or staining a deck to blend with the house and screening the framing with wood lattice, brick skirting or shrubbery. They advise against a deck on the front of a house or anywhere visible from the street, and against permanent deck-top features such as built-in benches or gazebos.

Porches carry more weight in these districts. The guidelines note that porches appear on nearly all residential buildings in St. Joseph's historic districts, and they favor repairing historic porch elements before replacing them. Deteriorated wood porch floors and steps shouldn't be replaced with concrete or brick. Historic balusters can often stay under building code provisions, but a new railing installation has to meet the current code, and modern balusters are generally taller and thinner than historic ones, which is why the guidelines caution against stock railings that don't relate to the building's proportions.

KC Deck Builds is a deck builder in St. Joseph and across the wider Kansas City metro, building open and covered decks, repairs and replacements in wood and composite. Call (913) 687-7031 to request an estimate.