Carrollton & Carroll County
Deck Builder in Carrollton, GA
New decks, screened porches, rebuilds and repairs, built to Carrollton's setbacks and permit rules.
Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat 8am to 1pm, closed Sunday
CompletedBefore you build
Which office is yours?
A Carrollton address can mean two different building offices. Inside the city limits, your deck goes through the city building official at City Hall. A house outside the limits, even one that gets Carrollton mail, sits in unincorporated Carroll County and answers to the county. The boundary decides it, not the mailing address.
We find out which side of the line your lot is on before we price anything, then check your zoning district and the setbacks that come with it. The rules below are the ones that most often shape a deck here.
Carrollton also owns Lake Carroll, a city reservoir, so some decks end at the water. That brings the shoreline rules in the city code into the job.
Rules that matter for your project here
What Carrollton and Carroll County require.
Inside city limits
The city building official issues permits through City Hall and takes calls at 770-830-2000. We ask the official about your specific deck before work starts.
Setbacks by zoning district
Rear setback is 20 feet in all of these districts. Side setback is 5 feet (15 total) in R-8 and R-10, 10 feet in R-15, and 15 feet in R-20, ER-1 and ER-3. Measured to the wall of the structure.
Source: Carrollton UDO Sec. 4.01.02
Steps and porches past the line
Steps, porches and fire escapes may project up to 3 feet beyond a required setback. Decks are not named in that list, so we confirm with the city how yours is treated.
Source: Carrollton UDO Sec. 4.01.02
Fences and privacy screens
In a single-family district a front-yard fence tops out at 48 inches. Side and rear fences can reach 8 feet, except where the yard borders a street: within 10 feet of the right-of-way the limit drops to 48 inches.
Source: Carrollton UDO Sec. 5.02.03
Detached structures
A detached accessory structure can sit 5 feet from a side or rear line only if it is more than 50 feet from any street and 10 feet from other buildings. Residential lots are capped at three accessory structures.
Source: Carrollton UDO Sec. 5.02.02
Lake Carroll shoreline
The shoreline may not be altered without written consent and a permit from the building official. Docks and piers can reach no more than 20 feet into the lake. See our Lake Carroll page.
Source: Carrollton Code Sec. 70-58
Outside the city: Carroll County
Decks are not on the county's list of work exempt from a permit, and its accessory building packet names them. Inspections run in three stages: foundation, frame and final, called in to 770-830-5867 by 4:30 pm the day before.
Source: Carroll County building permits and inspections
County exemptions
No county permit is needed for fences up to 6 feet, retaining walls up to 4 feet (footing to top, unless holding a surcharge), or a one-story shed up to 200 square feet. Over those, you need one.
Source: Carroll County Code Sec. 18-15
Building code
Georgia's state minimum for houses is the current Georgia-amended 2024 International Residential Code. Every deck we frame is built to it.
Source: Georgia DCA state minimum codes
Codes change and lots differ. Treat this as a map of what to ask, and confirm your own parcel with the office that covers it.
What we build
Pressure-treated, Trex, or a mix.
Pressure-treated pine is the traditional deck. It takes stain well, though fresh boards need time to dry before stain will hold, so we tell you when to coat them instead of doing it on day one. Trex and other composite boards go over a pressure-treated frame and skip the staining. Ours are laid on joists 12 inches on center with joist tape on the tops.
Roofed and screened decks are a regular job: framed and roofed, with tongue-and-groove pine ceilings, a fan, soffit, fascia and gutters, then screened. We also extend existing decks, add stairs and rails, and build decks sized for a hot tub; the hot tub deck guide explains the weight involved.
Repairs start with the structure. If the posts, joists or ledger are rotted, we say so and rebuild the frame rather than screw down new boards over a problem. If the frame is sound, we re-deck it, sometimes in Trex over the existing framing. See the full deck lineup or staining.
Completed
Completed
CompletedHow it goes
From first call to final walk.
Send a quote request
Tell Ambrose what you want and where the house is. The size of the yard and the shape of the old deck save a trip.
Check the address
City or county, which zoning district, and whether an HOA or the lake has its own say.
Estimate and permit
You get an estimate. If the job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork with the office that covers your lot.
Build
Footings, a flashed ledger, framing, decking, rails and stairs, in that order.
Inspection and walkthrough
We schedule the inspections the office requires, then walk the finished deck with you.
Questions
Carrollton deck questions.
Do I need a permit for a deck in Carrollton?
Outside the city, Carroll County requires one, since decks are not on its exempt list. Inside the city limits we ask the building official about your specific deck before we price it.
How close to the property line can a deck go?
It depends on your zoning district. Side setbacks run from 5 to 15 feet and the rear is 20 feet. Steps and porches can project 3 feet past the line, and we confirm how the city treats a deck.
Trex or pressure-treated?
Pressure-treated wood is fine if you are willing to restain it as it weathers. Trex skips the staining and goes over a pressure-treated frame. If you never want to pick up a brush, choose composite.
Can you build a deck at Lake Carroll?
Yes. A deck on your own lot is a normal job. Anything that touches the shoreline needs the building official's written consent, and docks stop at 20 feet.
Can you repair a deck instead of replacing it?
When the frame is sound, yes. We replace boards, rails and stairs, or re-deck the whole surface. When posts or joists are rotted, we rebuild the structure.
Tell Ambrose about your deck.
Send Ambrose a quote request. Describe the yard and the old deck you have now.