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Decks and Platforms
Shoreland
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St. Louis County Land-Use Permits
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About Decks and Platforms
Decks and platforms are similar structures,
which have different performance standards outlined in St. Louis County's Zoning
Ordinance #46. You must obtain a land-
use permit prior to constructing a deck but
not a platform.
Information on permit applications and
fees are available from the Planning Department. Performance standards include
the following:
Attached Decks
An Attached Deck is defined as a horizontal, unenclosed platform that is attached to
or functionally related to a home, cabin or
other structure. An attached deck may not
have a roof, extended soffit or walls, but
may have railings, seats, or other related
features.
A screened or enclosed deck is considered
an addition and must meet the performance standards for additions. They are not
allowed within the minimum allowed set-back.
If you are building a new home or cabin
and would like an enclosed deck on the
lake side, consider placing your home further back than the minimum setback to
allow room for construction of an enclosed
or screened deck addition. See brochure on
"Additions" for more information on performance standards.
Additional Standards for a Deck attached to a Nonconforming Home/Cabin
A nonconforming principal structure, such
as a home or cabin, does not meet the performance standards set out in the zoning
ordinance. You may construct an attached
deck addition for a nonconforming home
or cabin, as long as all of the following performance standards are met.
Deck addition towards the shoreline:
- Stairs and landings are considered part
of the attached deck
- Maximum depth -12 feet
- The distance between the deck and the
ordinary high water level is less than 50
percent of the required setback for the
zone district, see page 3
Deck addition on the side and no closer to
the shoreline:
- Stairs and landings are considered part
of the attached deck
- If within the shore impact zone, maximum depth - 12 feet
- If outside the shore impact zone, maximum depth - 16 feet
- The distance between the deck and the
ordinary high water level is less than 50
percent of the required setback for the
zone district, see page 3
Deck additions to the rear:
- If within the shore impact zone, maximum depth - 16 feet
Detached Decks
A detached deck is defined as a horizontal, unenclosed platform that is freestanding and greater than
18 inches in height at any point. It may not have a roof, extended soffit or walls but may have railings,
seats, or other related features and must meet the following performance standards if the deck is
within the shore or bluff impact zone:
- Maximum size - 150 square feet
- Maximum height from ground to top of railing - 12 feet
- Painted/stained an unobtrusive color
- Screening provided by having a buffer of natural vegetation between the shoreline and the detached deck
- There are no other accessory structures or satellite dishes located within the shore impact zone
Platforms
A platform is a freestanding, horizontal surface that is no more than 18 inches in height at any point and
does not have rails, seats or other elevated features. You do not need a land use permit to construct a
platform as long as all of the following performance standards are met:
- Maximum size - 120 square feet
- Maximum height - 18 inches
- Minimum setback from high water level - 10 feet
- Is not located within a bluff impact zone
Natural Vegetation Importance
Natural vegetation, including trees, shrubs and
ground cover, is important to your lake's water quality. It acts to filter natural and man made pollutants
from rainwater runoff. When trees and other natural vegetation are removed and replaced by buildings
or grass, a gap is created in the lake's natural filter.
This increases the amount of pollutants in the rain-
water draining into the lake and over time will impact the lake's water quality. See the Planning Department's "Land Alteration and Vegetation Removal Brochure" for more details.
Land-Use & Dimensional Standards
The St. Louis County Zoning Ordinance divides the
county into both land-use districts (e.g. Residential:
RES, Shoreline Mixed-Use: SMU) and dimensional
districts (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.). Refer to table below.
Identify your land-use and dimensional district in the
accompanying table as a starting point for project
planning. Be aware that there may be circumstances
that alter dimensional standards for your property.
Special Circumstances
Within the ordinance, there
are many circumstances that may stipulate varying
setbacks for your proposed project(s). Examples
include: lots created prior to 1993, non-conforming
lots of record, size of proposed structure, locations
near bluffs, rock outcrop, rivers, streams, lakes,
shore impact zones, wetlands, and others.
Please contact the Planning Department to identify
your specific land-use and dimensional district, and
any special standards required for your property
prior to designing your project.
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B.I.C. Realty