I would like to build a deck 18x 13 on top of the garage roof. Have no knowledge , where do i start?

Question

I just bought a condo in brooklyn and initially the owner/builder had a deck in the plan. I live on the second floor and the deck was supposed to be on the roof of the garage which is on the first floor. The proposed size was 18 x 13 and for some reason he was not interested in building that before the closing. Now its upto me what to do with the space. Now the question is where to start and what to and do?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

I have a deck on my garage. It's a 2 car attached, about 25' x 15". Let me tell you, it's awesome. If I had a dollar for every time I had a guest tell me they would buy my house just because of the deck on the garage, I'd have quite a few!

The main thing is finding out if the city will let you do it. So, before you do anything, call your local city hall & talk to the building & code department. They'll give you an answer in 5 seconds.

If they give you a green light, call in a bunch of contractors, maybe 4 or 5 & have them quote the job. Make sure to cover all the specifics like, what will they build it out of (treated wood?) Find out what they would use for the decking (4"? 6"? Pine?), if they are licenced, bonded & insured, etc.

The only thing I would suggest is to make sure they use screws on the decking, not nails. If you have a real low pitch on top of the garage, you'll get leaves & twigs & stuff stuck under the deck, on the roof. You'll want to clear that stuff off as often as you clean your gutters... and being able to take the deck up to do the job will make it MUCH easier. So, screws, no nails.

If code will let you do it, make sure you do! I'd say you'll probably get 3 times your money back on the project when you go to sell. You'll also receive a bunch of "best party of the year" comments for the life of it!

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

this makes sense and its a condo, not a house but definitely it will boost the price up.

Answer 2

dude, get a professional to finish it for you, otherwise it will be a serious safety hazard

Answer 3

cool

Answer 4

Make sure you are allowed to do that.

Check with your owner's assn.

Answer 5

Consult a licensed contractor. The garage roof may not be structurally engineered and built to support an additional deck. You will also have some legal recourse if there are any permitting or faulty construction issues later.

Answer 6

get a contractor!

Answer 7

get out the yellow pages see "c" for contractor then call one

Answer 8

You'll need to get a building permit and hire a competent carpenter. Don't try to do it on your own. This isn't a "starter" project... you need someone who knows what they are doing.

Answer 9

get in touch w/ a contractor to get it done professionally, which you will probably need anyway if its coming out from the second floor. or, you can go to a hardware store and buy any books and magazines they have on building decks.

Answer 10

if you have no knowledge, then you likely have no experience. better off to hire a professional. also check on the contractor's license AND reputation.

Answer 11

if you want it done for you just hire a contractor, he will get permits and the legalwork done. Depending on what needs to happen hes gonna tell you if you can or if you can't and give you a quote if you can.

If you want to do it yourself then head to your city hall and go talk to someone in the zoning department and they can get you started on all the paper work.

Answer 12

ok first u hirer a person who will build it for u so that it wont break when you put things on it and also so it wont look like crap

Answer 13

Get a permit. Check the zoning requirments. Check to see if the roof can support the deck. Then you have to install the deck in a way that allows the underlying roof to be mantained. Good luck!

Answer 14

depends on where you are... but you might better start with getting permits and then you can go to the local home depot or lowes if you live in the U.S. and they can help you get the supplies you need.
I would think you would need to start with a frame with supports for the base that goes on top of the garage.. For one you have no clue where the supports are under the roof of the garage so build one... Then a plattform our of decking material.. I'd use all treated lumber for everything. You will need codes for railing...

Answer 15

go to lowes talk to the manger of the lumber yard he can direct you to the department with all of their plans. also you can check on their project classes and sign up.

Answer 16

First off, you need to get a good builder in to see if its possible. The roof may need strengthening.
If yes and in the UK, check with the local council (planning authority) as you will probably need consent before starting work. I don't know the geography of the site, but overlooking neighbours may be a sticking point. My council are not keen on balconies because of this fact.

Answer 17

Permits.

Answer 18

if you can get the plans he was going to use that would be a start. check to see if you can get the permit before starting anything(building or getting materials). you will have to find out the load limit of the roof (this will directly impact wether you can even get a permit to build it), getting a permit for the deck may involve reinforcing all of the load bearing structure for the roof and even the roof itself but if it was in the plan to begin with these factors are probably good to go . the seller may have lost intrest in building it if he found out it would cost more to do it than he would get back so close to the sale.

Answer 19

If you don't know what your doing, you may be opening up a whole can of worms that you may not be prepared for!! There may be a reason that the last owner didn't go ahead with building it ?The old structure may not be able to support that size or zoning laws may prevent it without special permits ???I suggest you consult a professional.The city or town you live may have a department that can help you(zoning ,etc.) , Find out beforehand or you may end up with fines or even having to tear it down?carpenters union may be able to help also?

Answer 20

Because its raised specific knowledge is needed also can the roof support the wieght.The rail needs to be a certain height.if something happened you could be sued .In this case you need a builder