Fort Collins, CO Guides
Fort Collins Deck Guides
Seven guides to the rules and choices behind a Northern Colorado deck: when Fort Collins and Larimer County want a permit, how deep footings go and what snow they carry, what the wildfire code asks of deck boards, railing and stair code, and composite versus wood at 5,000 feet.
Each town's permit office is listed on the service area page.
Services and pricing
About the Fort Collins deck guides
Where do the rules in these guides come from?
From the City of Fort Collins residential deck, pergola and patio cover guides (revised in 2026) and its building code page, Larimer County's deck handout, structural design table and 2025 Wildfire Resiliency Code, and the building pages of Timnath, Wellington, Berthoud, Johnstown and Severance. Each guide links its sources and says when it was last reviewed.
Do these guides replace a call to the building department?
No. They set out the rules that decide most deck jobs and name the office to ask. Fort Collins Building Services is at 970-416-2740 and Larimer County Building at 970-498-7700.
Which guide fits my project?
A new or rebuilt deck in Fort Collins: the deck permit guide. A pergola or patio cover: the pergola permit guide. A house outside city limits: the Larimer County guide, plus the wildfire code guide west of town. Footings or a roof over the deck: the footing and snow load guide. Picking boards: composite vs wood. Railings and stairs: the code guide.
Ready for a number?
Send the job, a rough size and the address. The quote is free.