The floor outside
Decks & railings
Pressure-treated and composite decks with guards that meet the code’s height and load rules.
- Deck framing & spans
- Guard & stair design
- Composite or wood decking
- Lighting rough-in
Decks & Porches · Markham, York Region
Decks & Porches in Markham
Decks, covered porches and rear canopies in Markham, designed, permitted and built by one team. Footings are sized for the soil and set clear of the trees Markham protects, and the framing and guards are drawn to the Building Code before the set goes to the Building Standards Department.
- Building
designs - 200+
- Years of
practice - 10
- Trusted
partners - 20+
- Recent project
- London · 570 sq ft porch
- Municipality
- Markham, York Region
- Permit office
- City of Markham Building Standards Department
- From our office
- About 30 minutes
What’s included
Scope: what we take on, and what each part includes.
Outdoor structures fail at the ground and at the house: footings that heave and ledgers that rot. We design both properly, then build what we drew. In Markham the package goes to the City of Markham Building Standards Department, and it is drawn to that department’s checklist.
Front and back
Covered porches
Roofed porches tied into the house, with posts, beams and footings designed for the roof and its snow load.
- Roof framing & tie-in
- Posts & beams
- Footings below frost
- Ceiling & finishes
Shade without walls
Rear canopies
Freestanding or attached canopies over patios and decks, engineered for wind uplift as well as snow.
- Canopy structure
- Wind & snow loads
- Attachment to the house
- Drainage off the roof
Below the surface
Footings & structure
Footings sized for the load and dug below frost, with the ledger flashed and fastened so water stays out of the house.
- Footing size & depth
- Ledger & flashing
- Frost protection
- Utility locates
The package
When you need it, and what you get.
Find your situation below. If it’s there, this is the service, and the card underneath is everything you get from our one office.
You need this when
05 common situations
- Deck feels looseIt moves when you walk on it
- Covered porchKeep the front door out of the rain
- Shade over the patioWithout building a room
- Built without a permitThe city wants drawings
- One contractorDrawings, permit and build
- Not sure it applies?Tell us about it on a free call and we’ll say whether this is the right service.
What you get
07
items in your package, all from one P.Eng and BCIN team.
Drawn & stamped in-house
- Site visitMeasured on site
- Permit drawingsPlan, elevation, section, footings, guards
- Structural designP.Eng stamp where the span needs it
- Building permitFiled and followed to issue
- Utility locatesBefore anyone digs
- ConstructionOur crew, footings to finishes
- Inspections & close-outThe permit closed when it’s done
How it runs
Process: 4 steps from first call to sign-off.
Four steps, with the footing inspection setting the pace.
Site visit
We look at the grade, the wall the structure will attach to, the access for materials and how you want to use the space.
Design & permit
Drawings for the permit, with the structure sized in-house, filed with the city and answered at no extra charge.
Build
Locates, footings, framing, decking or roof, guards and stairs, inspected at the footing and framing stages.
Finish & close out
Railings, lighting and finishes, the final inspection, and the permit closed.
- Property address
- Photos of the yard and the wall the structure would attach to
- Rough size, and whether you want it covered
- A survey, if you have one
- Any city letter about an existing deck
Case files
Our Projects: real permits, real builds, real value added.
Open any file for the scope, the disciplines involved, what we delivered and what the owner came away with.
- Files
- 08
- Municipalities
- 07
A compact two-storey suite in a Toronto backyard. Architectural and structural drawings, zoning review and a framing package that makes every square foot count.
- Location
- Toronto
- Area
- 700 sq ft
- Sector
- Residential
- Disciplines
- Architectural · Structural
Delivered
- Architectural drawings
- Structural framing design
- Zoning review
- Building permit application
New living space on a lot the owners already had.
Start a project like this
Structural walls came out and rooms were added to open the plan. Beam and column design, permit drawings and renovation coordination through to final inspection.
- Location
- Richmond Hill
- Area
- 2,700 sq ft
- Sector
- Residential
- Disciplines
- Structural · Architectural
Delivered
- Load-bearing wall removal
- Beam & column design
- Permit drawings
- Renovation coordination
An open layout where the load-bearing walls used to be.
Start a project like this
A code-compliant second unit with its own entrance, fire separations between the units, HVAC design and the full permit package.
- Location
- Vaughan
- Area
- 1,100 sq ft
- Sector
- Residential
- Disciplines
- Architectural · Mechanical · Fire safety
Delivered
- Separate entrance
- Fire separations
- HVAC design
- Full permit package
A legal second unit that brings in rent and adds property value.
Start a project like this
A new build taken from the client’s sketch to occupancy, with the architectural, structural and mechanical design done by one team.
- Location
- Haldimand County
- Area
- 1,750 sq ft
- Sector
- Residential
- Disciplines
- Architectural · Structural · Mechanical
Delivered
- Architectural design
- Structural design
- Mechanical design
- Permit drawings
Built to the client’s own plan, with one team answering for every discipline.
Start a project like this
A two-storey garden suite laid out to get the most usable space from the footprint, designed and permitted as a rentable unit.
- Location
- Richmond Hill
- Area
- 1,250 sq ft
- Sector
- Residential
- Disciplines
- Architectural · Structural
Delivered
- Layout planning
- Architectural drawings
- Structural design
- Permit application
Rental income and a higher property value.
Start a project like this
A dental office converted into a supermarket. Interior renovation, a new plumbing system and fire separations upgraded to the Ontario Fire Code.
- Location
- Kitchener
- Area
- Dental → grocery
- Sector
- Commercial
- Disciplines
- Architectural · Plumbing · Fire safety
Delivered
- Change-of-use permit
- Interior renovation drawings
- New plumbing design
- Upgraded fire separations
A dental office reopened as a supermarket, compliant with the Ontario Fire Code.
Start a project like thisA custom covered porch that turns the front of the house into usable outdoor space. Addition design and structural drawings for the permit.
- Location
- London
- Area
- 570 sq ft
- Sector
- Residential
- Disciplines
- Architectural · Structural
Delivered
- Addition design
- Structural drawings
- Permit application
More usable outdoor space and added home value.
Start a project like this
Site grading to manage drainage and prepare the land for a new driveway, drawn as a grading plan for the site alteration permit.
- Location
- Guelph
- Area
- 11,700 sq ft
- Sector
- Site
- Disciplines
- Site engineering
Delivered
- Grading plan
- Drainage design
- Driveway extension layout
- Site alteration permit
Drainage handled and the land ready for a new driveway.
Start a project like thisPhoto plates
Project Gallery: from the framing to the finished room.
Additions, basements, kitchens, new builds and commercial fit-outs. Drag a row to scrub through it, or open any photo full size.Tap any photo to see it full size.
21 platesResidential, commercial & new build
The drawing set
Drawing Samples: sheets from real permit sets.
Framing schedules, wall assemblies, dimensions and a city review stamp, as issued. Client title blocks are trimmed off to protect the people we drew them for.
- Sector
- Residential
- Discipline
- Architectural · Structural
- Location
- London, ON
- Scale
- —
Drawing set
Sheets in this set
Sheet title
Existing basement plan
The existing house recorded before any design: beams, joists and bearing walls.
Drawing no.
2 of 5
Service area
Where We Work: within 90 minutes of Richmond Hill.
From the office we cover the whole GTA, north to Barrie and Orillia, east to Peterborough and Cobourg, west to Kitchener and Brantford, and down through Niagara.
Our office
Service area
Completed project
Drive time, off-peak
Municipalities we serve
46 across 8 regions
York Region
- Richmond Hill (completed project)Office
- Vaughan (completed project)
- Markham (completed project)
- Aurora
- Newmarket
- King
- Whitchurch-Stouffville
- East Gwillimbury
- Georgina
Toronto & Peel
- Toronto (completed project)
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Caledon
Halton
- Oakville
- Burlington
- Milton
- Halton Hills
Durham
- Pickering
- Ajax
- Whitby
- Oshawa
- Clarington
- Uxbridge
- Scugog
Simcoe & Dufferin
- Barrie (completed project)
- Innisfil
- Bradford
- New Tecumseth
- Orillia
- Wasaga Beach
- Collingwood
- Orangeville
Waterloo, Wellington & Brant
Hamilton, Niagara & Haldimand
- Hamilton
- Grimsby
- St. Catharines
- Niagara Falls
- Haldimand County (completed project)
Kawarthas & Northumberland
- Peterborough
- Kawartha Lakes
- Port Hope
- Cobourg
Past the 90-minute line
We've also completed projects in London and Strathroy. Farther out than that? Call (416) 990-9179 and ask.
Permits filed with municipalities including
Before you call
FAQ: decks & porches in Markham, answered.
Anything we haven’t answered here, we’ll answer on a call. The first consultation is free.
(416) 990-9179Rarely. Markham’s by-law 2011-232 is written for larger sites, so a backyard deck’s grades go on the permit drawings we file with the City of Markham Building Standards Department. If the deck is built with an addition or a new infill house, we show its grades in the city’s RIGS review for that work.
Where the lot is in a TRCA Regulated Area, yes. TRCA asks for its own permit before anything is built there, a deck included, and that permit has to be in hand before the City of Markham Building Standards Department issues the building permit. TRCA asks for a pre-submission consultation, so on a regulated lot, in Unionville or in a newer community like Cornell, we book it before the deck is drawn.
Yes. We take on decks & porches across Markham, including Unionville and Thornhill, about half an hour from our Richmond Hill office. The first consultation is free, by phone or on site.
Three things to start: property address; photos of the yard and the wall the structure would attach to; and rough size, and whether you want it covered. Send those and we tell you what the City of Markham Building Standards Department will ask for before we quote.
It can. Markham’s Tree Preservation By-law 2023-164 protects City trees as well as private ones, so we locate any City tree near the porch on the survey and keep the footings out of its roots where the layout allows. A private tree on your lot needs a permit before it is injured once it measures 20 cm or more across at 1.37 m above ground, whatever its health, and we apply for it when the porch is filed with the Building Standards Department.
That depends partly on the district, so we ask before anything is drawn. Thornhill, Unionville, Markham Village and Buttonville are Markham’s four heritage conservation districts under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, and a new porch changes the front of the house, so we confirm what the district expects of its roof, posts and railing before the drawings go to the Building Standards Department.
Yes. A deck has to comply with the zoning by-law that covers your lot, including how close it comes to the lot lines, and for most of Markham that is Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19, though some properties fall outside it. We check the City’s interactive zoning map for your address and place the deck to suit before the Building Standards Department reviews its structure.
By Markham. York Region runs regional roads and servicing, while the City of Markham Building Standards Department reviews deck and porch drawings, issues the permit and inspects the footings and framing as the deck goes up.
Yes. We draw the footings, framing and guards, upload the set through ePLAN and answer the examiner there, and our crew builds the deck once the Building Standards Department issues the permit.
Size, height and footings set the base, and a Markham lot can add approvals on top: a TRCA permit if the yard is in a regulated area, a tree permit if a footing has to go near a protected tree, or a heritage check for a front porch in one of the four districts. We price from a written scope after the site visit, and the first consultation is free.
Searched & answered
People Also Ask: what Markham searches about decks & porches.
Short answers to the decks & porches questions people search most, and the broader topics they lead to.
Not covered here? Book a free consultationUsually, yes. Each municipality sets its own line. The GTA rules we work with go by the deck’s height above the ground, and some also count any deck fastened to the house. A roofed porch fastened to the house needs one under each of them. Cities word the rule differently, so Fine Engineering checks your municipality’s own wording before a deck is drawn.
Start with drawings and, in most cases, a permit, then build from the ground up. Once the permit is issued, call for utility locates, dig the footings to the depth your soil needs and call in each inspection the permit lists as that stage is reached. Then come the framing, the decking, the guards and stairs, and the final inspection. Fine Engineering draws and builds decks across the GTA.
As part of the deck, on the same permit drawings. The stringers are cut to the drawing and fastened to the deck framing, and the guard rule that applies to the deck applies to the open sides of the stair too. Fine Engineering draws the stair, its stringers and its guard on the permit set.
Either the main roof carries down over the porch, or a lower shed roof hangs off the house wall. Both put new roof and snow load on the house, so the join needs flashing and the existing wall and roof framing has to carry it. Fine Engineering checks that framing before the porch roof is drawn.
For a permit, the zoning by-law decides. Zoning is applicable law, so a permit is only issued for work that complies with it. If a covered porch would take the lot past what its by-law allows, the owner makes the porch smaller or gets a minor variance first. Fine Engineering reads the by-law for your lot, including how it treats a roofed porch, before the porch is drawn.
Most often because water crosses a property line, the ground slopes too gently away from the house, or the swales and elevations do not tie into the survey. Reviewers also return plans that lack erosion control, or an engineer’s stamp where one is required. Fine Engineering designs grading to each municipality’s own criteria and revises the plan to answer the reviewer’s comments.
Good to know
Deck permits in Markham
In Markham the reviewer is the City of Markham Building Standards Department. Every Markham lot sets its own terms: the height above grade, the wall the deck fastens to and the soil under the footings decide the design before anything is dug.
We walk the site with the survey, usually within a day or two of the call, before anything is drawn, then file the decks & porches package to the City of Markham Building Standards Department’s own checklist.
Deck building across Unionville and Thornhill
Housing in Markham runs to heritage village cores in Unionville and Markham Village surrounded by 1980s to 2000s subdivisions and newer planned communities like Cornell. A front porch on a heritage house in Unionville faces the street, so its posts and railing are drawn to suit the house. In a planned community the deck is drawn so the lot still drains the way the subdivision grading intended.
What a Markham deck permit set shows
Markham accepts permit drawings only through ePLAN, so a deck set goes up as electronic sheets: a site plan from your survey with the deck drawn against the lot lines, a footing plan with sizes and depths, a framing plan with beam and joist spans, and the guard and stair details. A covered porch adds the roof framing and the posts that carry it.
Backyard decks and the trees Markham protects
Each deck footing is a small hole, but it can still cut a root, and Markham’s by-law counts injuring a protected tree as well as removing it. We plot the trees from the survey, including a neighbour’s tree close to the lot line, and set the footings away from the trunks.
Where a tree stands close, the deck can span its roots on fewer footings spaced further apart, or wrap around the trunk with a framed opening. When neither works, we apply for the tree permit before construction, using the same footing layout the deck permit shows.
Contact us
Footings deep. Ledger flashed. A deck that stays put.
Send us a few photos of the yard and we’ll tell you what the permit needs, on a free first call.
First consultation free(416) 990-9179