I’m thinking to build a small deck out the back of my inlaws’ place to replace their ground level rubbish storage area, just to get rid of the stairs to hopefully avoid falls as they age.
The bins even on the deck would be hidden behind a fence, so no eyesore for the neighbours. The deck wouldn’t be used except for bins, so no privacy issues.
It would however be hard against the boundary fence which might be against the law. I’m guessing that there are requirements for the build in regards to high wind and possibly termites.
My Google fu has failed me in finding laws for building decks here. Can anyone point me in direction of appropriate articles or websites? Or just search terms.
Also, is there anything like timber recycling where materials from demolished houses can be bought for these sorts of projects?
In Kagoshima-ken.
3 comments
I’m assuming you’re going to use the deck like a small veranda to hold bins? If so, you shouldn’t have any problems regarding 建築基準法 (building standards laws) and 地方税法律 (regional tax laws). The only issue you may have is building it right against your property lines. Building codes require you to leave 0.5-2m between the structure and your property line depending on where the building is zoned. There may also be special codes depending on your city planning zone, fire zone, natural disaster zone, etc. You can check all this at your local city or town hall.
Things get complicated when the deck gets bigger. We had ours built at the same time as our house so the architect and builder explained all the little details but property tax laws will come into play. And if you’re adding it to an existing building, you may need to apply for a building permit with the city depending on the size and zoning regulations.
Not a lawyer, from what I’ve heard from farmers around the country is if it’s temporary it’s fine. As in no concrete in the ground. So level the ground, some sand and small rocks then buy some of those concrete stands from your local hardware shop. Then you bolt the supports to that and ‘tada’ it’s temporary
Use your own judgement, but honestly I don’t think you’ll get in trouble for building a small deck and a fence. That goes double if it’s even remotely rural.
I don’t know if this is true or not, so take it with a grain of salt, but according to my local home center pressure treated lumber that’s readily available has an estimate lifespan of about 10 years if exposed to the elements. You can extend that to maybe 12-14 by oiling it. We have some friends who built their house about 10 years ago and their fence is just falling apart now. So the 10 year lifespan sounds plausible to me.