Texas deck building codes start with a state law and get finished by your city, and several DFW cities have moved to a newer edition within the last year.
Frisco has enforced the 2024 International Residential Code since March 1, 2026, Plano has adopted the same edition, and Allen’s switch to the 2024 codes took effect on September 26, 2026.
If a neighbor’s deck went through permitting a few years ago, it was inspected under an older book, and copying its railing or footing details is a gamble on yours.
MCM Outdoor Living is a TrexPro-certified deck builder working in Frisco, Plano, McKinney, and Allen, and on our decks the permitting, HOA submission, and inspections are ours to handle.
How the State and Your City Split the Job
Texas law makes the International Residential Code the residential building code for its cities, and it lets each city adopt a newer edition and its own local amendments by ordinance after a public hearing.
That state law applies to construction inside city limits, so if your home sits in an unincorporated part of the county, ask the county what applies to you.
Many North Texas cities also fold in regional amendments recommended by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and those amendments are where a few of the local numbers below come from.
The Numbers an Inspector Checks
These requirements come from the prescriptive wood deck construction guide published on the City of Houston’s site, with the guard height from College Station’s deck permit page, and they follow the same IRC that DFW cities enforce:
| Item | The requirement |
| Guards | Required once the deck surface is more than 30 inches above grade |
| Guard height | At least 36 inches |
| Guard openings | Too tight for a 4-inch sphere to pass through |
| Stair handrails | Graspable, on at least one side of any stair with four or more risers |
| Ledger attachment | Prohibited into brick, masonry, or stone veneer |
| Footings | At least 12 inches below undisturbed ground, or below the frost line where that’s deeper |
North Texas’s regional amendments set the frost line at 6 inches, which makes the 12-inch minimum the depth that governs footings here.
Height is measured to the grade below, and on a sloped DFW lot a deck that sits 18 inches up by the back door can be well past 30 inches at the far corner.
The Brick Veneer Problem
Brick veneer covers the back wall of a lot of DFW houses, and a deck ledger can’t be bolted into it, since veneer is a facing tied to the wall framing.
That leaves two ways to build: a freestanding deck with its own beam and posts running along the house, or cutting the brick back so the ledger fastens to the framing behind it with proper flashing.
McKinney’s summary of its 2024 code changes flags a related detail, a water-resistive barrier wherever a deck ledger connects to a wall.
On most brick homes the freestanding frame is the simpler path, because an extra beam line avoids opening the veneer and managing water behind it for as long as the deck stands.
When a Deck Needs a Permit
Plano exempts a deck from a permit only when it’s 200 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above grade at any point, not attached to the house, and not serving the required exit door.
Once a deck attaches to the house or crosses either of those size and height lines, Plano requires a permit, and the other DFW cities draw their own versions of that line.
Expect a permitted deck to be inspected in stages, typically the footing holes before concrete, the framing before the decking goes down, and a final once the guards and stairs are on.
We put together a closer look at Plano’s deck codes and HOA rules if that’s where you live.
A permitted deck built to current requirements also matters on the day you sell, because it shows up on the buyer’s inspection report as a single uneventful line.
Common Questions About Deck Codes in Texas
Does Texas have one statewide deck code?
Texas adopts the International Residential Code for its cities by law, and each city layers its own edition and amendments on top, so the rules that apply to you are your city’s version.
Can an older deck be brought up to current standards?
Railings, stairs, and handrails can often be rebuilt to current numbers on a sound frame, but footings and the ledger connection are harder to correct after the fact.
Our guide on whether to repair or replace your deck can help you sort out which situation you’re in.
Does a cover over the deck change anything?
It does, since a roof adds load the frame has to carry, and in Frisco accessory structures such as patio covers need their own building permit before construction.
Do composite boards change the framing?
Composite boards carry their own span and fastening requirements, and there’s more on how those boards hold up in North Texas in our Trex decking review from a Texas deck builder.
Have Your Deck Drawn to the Code Your City Enforces Today
As a deck builder working across DFW, we draw every plan to the edition and amendments your city has on the books, including how the frame meets a brick wall.
Our decks run $20 to $65 a square foot in wood and $35 to $75 in composite, with a 10-year structural warranty.
Call us at (469) 583-6213 or message us here.
