Floating Deck in Connecticut

by Eric
(Shelton, CT)

I'm looking for information for the State of Connecticut. I was looking at putting in a small 8x10 deck on my above ground pool.

I was trying to find out if CT allows the new floating deck designs.

Does anyone know if the floating deck designs are allowed in CT?

The property might soon become a rental property within a year or two so the deck and the pool would come down. I would like to avoid putting in permanent concrete footings.

Editor's Comments:

Floating decks or free standing decks are a way better way to build a deck then digging and pouring traditional concrete footings - in most cases.

There are some cases where the deck is so high that it must be connected to the ledger and in those situations you have no other choice but to build deep and permanent concrete footings.

But the vast majority of backyard decks in North America can be floating.

IRC Code Statements

The residential code provides for exceptions to frost footings for structures that are not connected to a home and are below a certain square footage.

The section is R403.1.3.1 Exception #3. This was recently modified - at least I have seen it for New York state - but I would be conservative and assume it to apply elsewhere also.

A 1" Offset From House Required

The modification was simply that they made a positive statement that structures like a deck must be set at least 1" away from the side of the house. This is pretty obvious but it makes good sense to codify it.