Permit drawing guide
Deck Framing Plan and Footing Layout
The framing plan and the footing layout are the two sheets a plan reviewer spends the most time on. Together they show how the deck carries load from the boards you walk on down into the ground. Here is what each should show, and where the sizes on them come from.
Last reviewed · General information, not engineering or legal advice
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What a Deck Framing Plan Shows
A framing plan is a top-down view of the deck with the decking boards removed. It should let someone who has never seen your site understand every structural member, its size and where it sits.
Figure: the parts of a deck framing plan
- Callout 1: Ledger and its attachment to the house
- Callout 2: Joists: size, spacing and direction
- Callout 3: Blocking or bridging, where required
- Callout 4: Beam: size, plies and location
- Callout 5: Posts and the footings below them
- Callout 6: Rim joist closing the outer edge
Illustration only. Sizes, spacing and heights are intentionally left off: they come from your locally adopted code, your jurisdiction's prescriptive deck guide or a design professional.
- Ledger: its size, the wall it attaches to and a reference to the attachment detail. If the deck is freestanding, say so and show the extra beam and posts near the house.
- Joists: size, spacing and direction, plus species and grade in the notes. Show any cantilever beyond the beam.
- Beams: size, number of plies, location and any splices, which generally belong over posts.
- Posts: size and location, matching the footing layout exactly.
- Rim joists, blocking and bracing, including blocking at guard posts.
- Openings and point loads: stair headers, framed openings and anything heavy.
- Dimensions: overall width and depth, beam location from the house and post spacing.
- Hardware notes: joist hangers, post caps and bases, and fastener type for treated lumber.
Decking material affects this sheet too. Many composite and PVC boards need closer joist spacing than wood, especially when laid diagonally. That figure comes from the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
What a Footing Layout Shows
The footing layout is the sheet the crew uses to dig and the inspector uses at the footing inspection, which usually happens before any concrete is placed. Its job is to locate every footing without guesswork.
Figure: a footing layout locates every footing from a fixed reference
- Callout 1: House wall, used as the fixed reference line
- Callout 2: Footing: size, depth and type noted
- Callout 3: Centerlines, so locations can be set out on site
- Callout 4: Stair landing or pad, if one is planned
Illustration only. Sizes, spacing and heights are intentionally left off: they come from your locally adopted code, your jurisdiction's prescriptive deck guide or a design professional.
- A fixed reference, normally the face of the house wall and one house corner.
- Every footing, dimensioned to its centerline from that reference and from the next footing.
- Footing size, shape and depth, and the type: poured pier, pier on a spread footing, precast or a proprietary system.
- Stair landing pads and any footings for stair posts.
- Nearby constraints you know about: foundation walls, window wells, utilities, septic components.
Call your utility locating service before you dig. It is unrelated to the permit, and it matters more than anything on the drawing.
Adding a Cross-Section
Plans show where things are. A cross-section shows how they stack: it is a vertical slice through the deck from the house wall to the outer edge.
Figure: a cross-section shows the vertical story
- Callout 1: Ledger attachment and flashing at the house
- Callout 2: Joist and decking
- Callout 3: Beam, and how it connects to the post
- Callout 4: Post, with its base connection
- Callout 5: Footing below grade, depth per local code
- Callout 6: Guard at the open edge
- Callout 7: Finished grade line
Illustration only. Sizes, spacing and heights are intentionally left off: they come from your locally adopted code, your jurisdiction's prescriptive deck guide or a design professional.
A useful section shows the deck height above grade, the ledger and its flashing, the joist and decking, the beam and how it connects to the post, the post base, and the footing extending below grade. It is also the natural place to show the guard. The height on this sheet drives the stair, so it should agree with your stair and railing details. On a sloping site, draw the section where the deck is tallest.
Where Span and Footing Sizes Come From
A drawing records design decisions; it does not make them. Every size on your framing and footing sheets should trace back to a source the reviewer recognises:
The locally adopted residential code
Most US jurisdictions adopt an edition of the model residential code, often with amendments. Recent editions include deck provisions with joist, beam, post and footing tables.
A prescriptive deck guide
Many departments publish a deck handout, frequently based on the American Wood Council’s DCA 6. If yours does, use that version, because it reflects local loads and amendments.
Manufacturer instructions
Engineered lumber, composite decking, connectors, fasteners and proprietary footing systems come with installation instructions or evaluation reports that set their limits.
A design professional
Anything outside the tables, such as long spans, heavy loads, tall posts, poor soil or a roof, generally needs an engineer or architect. See porch permit drawings for why a roof changes things.
Example Sheet
Here is how a framing sheet is typically organised: the drawing, its dimension strings, a notes column and a title block. Sizes are left blank because they are yours to determine.
Illustrative example — not for construction
This sample shows how a framing sheet is organised: drawing, dimension strings, notes and a title block. Member sizes and spacing are left blank on purpose. On a real sheet they are the values you enter, taken from your local tables or your design professional.
Cross-check the two sheets
- Post locations on the framing plan match footing locations on the layout
- Beam location from the house is the same on the plan, the layout and the section
- Overall width and depth agree with the deck plan
- Every member has a size, and every size has a source
- Unconfirmed dimensions are marked for field verification
Build Your Framing and Footing Sheets in PermitSketch
PermitSketch draws the framing plan, footing layout and cross-section from one set of inputs, so they agree with each other. For the rest of the package, see how to draw deck plans for a permit.
- 1. Project addressEnter the property address. It goes in the title block of every sheet.
- 2. Upload photosTake or upload photos of the house and the work area so the package shows existing conditions.
- 3. Scope and measurementsDescribe the work and enter your field measurements and member sizes. Anything you leave blank or have not confirmed is flagged VERIFY IN FIELD.
- 4. Generate drawingsReview the sheets, then export an 11x17 PDF set or individual PNG and JPEG images.
You enter the member sizes and spacing you have determined from your local tables or design professional. PermitSketch lays them out on 11x17 sheets with dimension strings, notes and a title block, in minutes instead of an evening.
PermitSketch is a drawing tool, not an engineering or architectural service. It draws what you enter, labels incomplete packages DRAFT - FOR REVIEW, and leaves the design decisions and the final check to you and your building department.
Frequently asked questions
Where do joist and beam span limits come from?
From the span tables in your locally adopted residential code, from your jurisdiction's prescriptive deck guide if it publishes one, or from a design professional. Allowable spans depend on lumber species, grade, size, spacing and the design loads in your area, including snow, so a table from another region may not apply.
How deep do deck footings need to be?
Footing depth is set locally. It is typically tied to the frost depth your jurisdiction has adopted and to soil conditions, and footing size depends on the load each post carries. Your building department can tell you the required depth, and its prescriptive guide or a design professional provides the size.
Can the framing plan and footing layout be on one sheet?
Some departments accept a combined drawing for a small deck, and others prefer them separate so each stays readable. A combined sheet gets crowded quickly once dimensions and labels are added. When in doubt, keep them separate and make sure post and footing locations agree between the two.
What does VERIFY IN FIELD mean on a PermitSketch sheet?
It marks a value that was left blank or was not confirmed on site when the sheet was generated, such as a width that was estimated instead of measured, or a beam size nobody entered. PermitSketch never fills these in for you. It is a prompt to check that item on site and update it before you rely on the drawing. Every generated sheet is also labelled DRAFT - FOR REVIEW.