Deck permit checklist — Arlington, Texas
Assembled from Arlington’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Arlington requires a permit for a deck.
The city's Work Exempt from Permitting technical bulletin lists an uncovered deck or uncovered patio 30 inches or less above grade at any point among the work that does not need a permit for 1- and 2-family structures regulated by the International Residential Code. Two conditions ride along with that exemption: once an uncovered deck or patio sits more than 12 inches above the average level of the adjoining ground it may not encroach into a building setback or a zero lot line maintenance easement set by the zoning ordinance, and no deck or patio may be placed so that it re-diverts surface water onto adjoining property or blocks use of an easement for maintenance.
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Sources
- deck — fee schedule ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Arlington publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
- General building work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Arlington before you build.