Fence or deck costs in Springfield

In Springfield, the code your new deck answers to depends on which side of the city limits you're on. The city builds to the 2018 International Residential Code with local changes, adopted in 2019. Greene County, outside the city, works under the 2012 codes. In September 2026 the city sent an update to the 2024 codes to City Council for a first reading, tentatively set to take effect January 1, 2027.

Inside the city, Building Development Services puts frost depth at 24 inches below grade. That's the figure on its form for footings under backyard buildings over 600 square feet.

If a pool is in your plans, the fence becomes part of the pool. The city's barrier rules call for a fence at least 48 inches tall, measured on the outside, with no more than 2 inches of gap at the bottom. Openings can't pass a 4-inch ball. Chain link needs mesh no bigger than 1¼ inches square, unless slats close it down. Pedestrian gates swing out, away from the water, and close and latch on their own. A wall of the house can serve as part of the barrier, but doors through it to the pool then need an alarm, a self-closing latch or a power safety cover on the pool. A hot tub with an approved safety cover is exempt.