Fence or deck costs in Eugene

Eugene's no-permit list comes with strings attached. The city's form for one- and two-family homes says a low deck, a small shed or a patio slab skips a permit only if it doesn't sit over a septic system or a public pipe. It also can't reach into a public utility easement, a floodplain, a required setback or a stormwater treatment area. Miss one of those and you're back to needing a permit.

For a deck, the height line is 30 inches. A porch or deck whose floor is no higher than that is on the list, as long as any covered part stays at least 3 feet from your property line. The city sends fence, height and setback questions to its Land Use staff, and easement and flood questions to Public Works.

A taller deck has a shortcut. Oregon's Building Codes Division publishes a permit-ready plan for a single-level, wood-framed deck attached to the house. Build it as drawn, and the parts it covers skip local plan review for code compliance. The city can still look at your soils, slopes, setbacks and flood hazard, and plan review fees can still apply.

The plan has its limits. It isn't drawn for a hot tub or any other big concentrated load, and you can't change it without local review and the building official's approval. Its notes fit a wet valley: footings on undisturbed native soil, and pressure-treated framing with every field cut treated too.