Fence or deck costs in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids prints its banned fence materials right on the permit application. Chain link can't go in a front yard. Used materials and found objects are banned too, and the form gives old doors as an example. When you sign, you agree that the finished side will face outward and that the fence stays on your property. Masonry walls, retaining walls and fences taller than 6 feet need a building permit on top of the zoning permit.

Any deck attached to or next to the house needs a building permit. A freestanding deck away from the house needs one at 200 square feet or more if it has supporting beams, joists or posts. Footings must sit below frost depth, with at least 42 inches of ground cover from the bottom of the footing to grade, and posts set in the ground must be treated for ground contact.

Check the wires overhead before you settle on a spot. Overhead power lines have to clear a deck by at least 10 feet, and existing lines may need to be raised. The footing inspection happens after the holes are dug and before concrete goes in, and the city notes that inspectors' schedules fill up quickly at certain times of the year, so call for it more than a day ahead.