Section R507 — EXTERIOR DECKS
2025 California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5) · 2025 edition · ingested 2026-07-07 · California
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R507.1 Decks. ¶
R507.1 Decks. Wood-framed decks shall be in accordance with this section. Decks shall be designed for the live load required in Section R301.5 or the ground snow load indicated in Table R301.2, whichever is greater. For decks using materials and conditions not prescribed in this section, refer to Section R301.
R507.2 Materials. ¶
R507.2 Materials. Materials used for the construction of decks shall comply with this section. R507.2.1 Wood materials. Wood structural members shall be protected from decay where required by Sections R304.1 and R304.1.2, and protected from termites where required by Section R305.1. Where design in accordance with Section R301 is provided, wood structural members shall be designed using the wet service factor defined in AWC NDS. Sawn lumber for joists, beams and posts shall be No. 2 or better. Cuts, notches and drilled holes of preservative-treated wood members shall be treated in accordance…
R507.3 Footings. ¶
R507.3 Footings. Decks shall be supported on concrete footings or other approved structural systems designed to accommodate all loads in accordance with Section R301. Deck footings shall be sized to carry the imposed loads from the deck structure to the ground as shown in Figure R507.3. Exceptions: 1. Footings shall not be required for free-standing decks consisting of joists directly supported on grade over their entire length. 2. Footings shall not be required for free-standing decks that meet all of the following criteria: 2.1. The joists bear directly on precast concrete pier blocks at…
R507.4 Deck posts. ¶
R507.4 Deck posts. For single-level decks, wood post size shall be in accordance with Table R507.4. TABLE R507.4—DECK POST HEIGHTCol2Col3Col4Col5Col6Col7Col8Col9Col10Col11 --------------------------------- LOADS<br(psf)bPOST SPECIEScPOST<brSIZEdTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, hTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, hTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, hTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, hTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, hTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, hTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, hTRIBUTARY AREA (ft2)g, h LOADS<br(psf)bPOST SPECIEScPOST<brSIZEd20406080100120140160 LOADS<br(psf)bPOST SPECIESc
R507.5 Deck beams. ¶
R507.5 Deck beams. Maximum allowable spans for wood deck beams, as shown in Figure R507.5, shall be in accordance with Tables R507.5(1) through R507.5(4) and based on the joist span length and cantilever length as shown in Figure R507.6. Beam plies shall be fastened together with two rows of 10d (3-inch × 0.128-inch) nails minimum at 16 inches (406 mm) on center along each edge. Deck beams of other materials shall be permitted where designed in accordance with accepted engineering practices. FIGURE R507.5—TYPICAL DECK BEAM SPANS FOR SPANS OF WOOD DECK JOISTS JOIST FOR SPANS OF WOOD DECK…
R507.6 Deck joists. ¶
R507.6 Deck joists. Maximum allowable spans for wood deck joists, as shown in Figure R507.6, shall be in accordance with Table R507.6. The maximum joist spacing shall be limited by the decking materials in accordance with Table R507.7. FIGURE R507.6—TYPICAL DECK JOIST SPANS Col1Col2Col3Col4Col5Col6Col7Col8Col9Col10Col11Col12Col13 --------------------------------------- ~~M~~ JOISTSPAN MEASURED<br<brBEAM<brJOISTS<brHANGER<brEACH END<brPOST (BEYOND)JOISTSPAN MEASURED<br<brBEAM<brJOISTS<brHANGER<brEACH END<brPOST (BEYOND)JOISTSPAN MEASUR
R507.7 Decking. ¶
R507.7 Decking. Maximum allowable spacing for joists supporting wood decking, excluding stair treads, shall be in accordance with Table R507.7. Wood decking shall be attached to each supporting member with not less than two 8d deformed shank nails or two No. 8 wood screws. Maximum allowable spacing for joists supporting plastic composite decking shall be in accordance with Section R507.2. Other approved decking or fastener systems shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation requirements. rdance with Table R507.7. Wood decking shall be attached to each supporting…
R507.8 Vertical and lateral supports. ¶
R507.8 Vertical and lateral supports. Where supported by attachment to an exterior wall, decks shall be positively anchored to the primary structure and designed for both vertical and lateral loads. Such attachment shall not be accomplished by the use of toenails or nails subject to withdrawal. For decks with cantilevered framing members, connection to exterior walls or other framing members shall be designed and constructed to resist uplift resulting from the full live load specified in Table R301.5 acting on the cantilevered portion of the deck. Where positive connection to the primary…
R507.9 Vertical and lateral supports at band joist. ¶
R507.9 Vertical and lateral supports at band joist. Vertical and lateral supports for decks shall comply with this section. R507.9.1 Vertical supports. Vertical loads shall be transferred to band joists with ledgers in accordance with this section. R507.9.1.1 Ledger details. Deck ledgers shall be a minimum 2-inch by 8-inch (51 mm by 203 mm) nominal, No. 2 grade or better pressure-preservative-treated Southern pine, incised pressure-preservative-treated hem-fir, or decay-resistant, naturally durable wood. Deck ledgers shall not support concentrated loads from beams or girders. Deck ledgers…
R507.10 Exterior guards. ¶
R507.10 Exterior guards. Guards shall be constructed to meet the requirements of Sections R301.5 and R321, and this section. R507.10.1 Support of guards. Where guards are supported on deck framing, guard loads shall be transferred to the deck framing with a continuous load path to the deck joists. R507.10.1.1 Guards supported by side of deck framing. Where guards are connected to the interior or exterior side of a deck joist or beam, the joist or beam shall be connected to the adjacent joists to prevent rotation of the joist or beam. Connections relying only on fasteners in end grain…