Rowhouse Decks & Rear Stairs in Baltimore City

Why does every Baltimore City deck need a permit?

Because the City never adopted the exemption that lets small, low decks skip a permit in many other places. Its version of the residential code marks that item “Not Adopted,” so a 6-by-8 landing off the back door and a 400-square-foot deck go through the same E-Permits system. For one- and two-family homes the application is filed as a One and Two Family Combo Permit, Zoning looks at it first, and the City’s drawings matrix lists what has to be uploaded for a deck:

• a site plan drawn to scale showing how far the deck extends
• height limits and a side elevation
• a top-view framing plan with joists, beams and posts

We measure for and sketch those drawings at the estimate stage, so the permit isn’t waiting on paperwork once you’ve said yes.

Rear decks and stairs behind a rowhouse

A familiar Baltimore setup is a second-floor rear deck with a stair down to a small yard, on a brick row where the deck butts up to the neighbor’s on one or both sides. These take a beating: the stair stringers sit closest to wet ground, and posts and railings loosen with age. When the frame is sound we replace boards, railings or treads. When stringers, posts or ledger connections have failed, the right answer is a teardown and rebuild with new footings.

Some of our rear-deck work has included pressure-treated decks and stairs with lattice skirting behind brick rowhouses, a two-tone composite balcony with black metal railings, and multi-story exterior stairs on larger houses. If your project is mostly steps, see our exterior stairs and front steps page.

What does a rooftop deck permit involve?

More than any other deck in the City. Building Code section 1511.9 sets out the rules, and Zoning Code section 4-405 adds Planning design review for roof decks on existing rowhouses. Planning completes that review within 15 days of accepting a complete application, longer if they ask for more information. The key requirements:

1. Construction documents signed and sealed by a Maryland-licensed architect or engineer, showing the setbacks.
2. Written notice to adjoining owners when the deck is carried on party walls, with proof submitted.
3. A maximum height of 2 feet above the roof’s mid-plane.
4. A setback of at least 8 feet from the front building wall on a flat roof, or 6 feet behind the ridge on a gabled or mansard roof. There is no side or rear setback in the building code, though Zoning setbacks may apply.
5. Clearances from mechanical equipment and at least 8 feet above the deck surface to electrical service wires.

The design professional produces the sealed set, and the deck has to be built to it. We haven’t posted a finished rooftop deck on this site, so ask us what we’d recommend for your roof. If a roof deck is on your list, look at the roof under it first: if the membrane is near the end of its life, it makes sense to replace it before anything goes on top, which our flat roof replacement page explains.

Decks in CHAP historic districts

If your house is in a local historic district such as Mount Washington, Federal Hill, Fells Point or Bolton Hill, the deck permit is routed to CHAP. The permit is held until CHAP staff issue an Authorization to Proceed and sign off in the permit system. National Register-only areas like Canton and Hampden don’t get that extra review. Confirm your address on CityView before you settle on a design.

Planning inside work too? See our Baltimore bathroom remodeling and Baltimore kitchen remodeling pages.