Through the ledger board, which is bolted directly into your house's floor framing using through-bolts or half-inch lag screws — never toenailed and never fastened only through the siding — with flashing installed at that connection to keep water out over time.

In most tri-county jurisdictions, yes, once the deck exceeds roughly 30 inches in height or about 200 square feet, though exact thresholds vary by municipality. We confirm the specific rule for your address before finalizing a design.

There's no frost line to satisfy here, but footings still go below grade because of sandy soil movement, seasonal water table changes, and erosion risk — especially on canal or waterfront lots. Exact depth is set by the local building department based on your specific soil and load conditions.

Joist hangers and hurricane clips rated for a minimum of 100 pounds of capacity in both uplift and lateral directions, built from hot-dip galvanized or 316 stainless steel, with fasteners matched to the connector material to prevent corrosion at the joints.

Once your deck exceeds 30 inches above grade, Florida code requires a guard at least 36 inches high from the deck surface, with baluster spacing that prevents a 4-inch sphere from passing through.

Yes, but waterfront and canal-adjacent decks require extra attention to footing depth, erosion/scour resistance, and clearance from seawalls or docks — we evaluate those site-specific conditions as part of the structural design before permitting.

With consistent maintenance — resealing or staining every one to two years — a pressure-treated deck typically lasts 10 to 15 years here before major repair is needed. Without that upkeep, humidity and termite pressure shorten that considerably.

A deck is an elevated, house-attached structure that almost always requires engineered plans and a permit once it crosses common height/size thresholds. A ground-level paver patio is frequently exempt from permitting in the same jurisdictions, since it isn't attached to the house structurally and carries no elevation risk.