I am thinking of putting in a nice deck over the creek bank we live on. Anyone with a good referral on contractor in Houston?

Thank sounds like a problem waiting to happen. Good luck, I cannot offer any advice other than to consult a good engineer if you truly plan to do this on an active bank.

Agree with above, probably a bad idea without engineering... and review of survey. Likely whatever you construct cannot be insured, then you run the possibility it will be on a drainage easement, which then could lead to problems with neighbors up creek and down creek. I would approach it one of two ways... follow the book by the letter, or build something that is usable, safe but that you could life without next time it rains.

maybe I wasn't clear. here is what I'm talking about... deck

you were clear, the problem is that soil on banks of any body of moving water is constantly moving so building something on it is either going to be temporary (will fall down in a heavy rain at some point) or really expensive and require thorough engineering to keep it in place.

thanks. appreciate the input!!!

BlackGoldAg2011 said:

---

you were clear, the problem is that soil on banks of any body of moving water is constantly moving so building something on it is either going to be temporary (will fall down in a heavy rain at some point) or really expensive and require thorough engineering to keep it in place.

---

Totally agree with you BGA. We live next to a creek that's in our backyard. Moved here in 2006 and since then the creek has slowly redirected itself to the point whereby we have lost at least 20' (nope, that's not a typo) of bank on our side of the creek and the neighbor across the creek has gained the 20' on his side.

It amazes me the forces of the water flow during major storms and the damage they can do to any structure you try to build on or near the creek banks. We originally thought about building a bridge across the creek to be able to get across, but am glad we decided against it as it would have been washed out within the first year due to some major storm flooding in our area and we live well within the city limits of Sherman, TX. I'm and ole country boy, so we've got city in the front and country in the back!

A good deck builder will know what to do. If erosion is a possibility, drill deeper holes for your support columns. No biggie at all.

Gotta say it doesn't cost much more to find a licensed landscape architect who is schooled in what's best
> "find an architect" via TBAE website in your area.
> weed some out via BBB
> make some calls about not wanting it to slide into creek, listen to responses to see who know what and who doesn't
> see who has good connections with installation, all in-house would be best

tgivaughn said:

---

Gotta say it doesn't cost much more to find a licensed landscape architect who is schooled in what's best
> "find an architect" via TBAE website in your area.
> weed some out via BBB
> make some calls about not wanting it to slide into creek, listen to responses to see who know what and who doesn't
> see who has good connections with installation, all in-house would be best

---

Agree with this. The biggest issue is will be how far down the footings will have to go to support it properly. It's possible but it has risks. I'd also check with your insurance as suggested above to see what requirements you might need to make sure it's insured and wouldn't void anything else.

I don't have a referral for you but we have done similar for customers here in BCS.

It's hard to find a foundation repair company that drills bell-bottom piers but they should be capable of installing. Our piers consist of an 8" shaft and 24" bell drilled to a depth of 12 feet. Install a 4x4 or 6x6 Simpson Strong Tie Post base depending on your requirements and start decking up from there.

If you need to go bigger or deeper than that you can contact a drilling company. However much bigger than 8/24 and you need heavy equipment which may be a limiting factor if in a backyard or on rough terrain.

I'm not saying it's a good idea either way sight unseen, but hope it helps you to get going in the right direction.

Are you going for a composite deck or wood?

Wildman15 said:

---

Are you going for a composite deck or wood?

---

WOOD

I'd check the FEMA flood maps to determine the 100 and even 500-yr flood plains, just to be sure. Then I'd probably get a soil analysis, or at least assume the least amount of soil capacity. You can use the tables in the IRC to estimate the loading based on the deck size. Then you can then determine from there the depth of the concrete columns you'll need.

Some of the design consideration will depend on the size and extent of the overhang (differential between the ground and underside) on the deck. If you're looking to build a pretty simple deck, it shouldn't be that difficult, however if you're going to build something more elaborate then you may want to consult an engineer.

It also depends too, on if you plan on connecting it to your house. If it's free-standing then the codes are a little more forgiving in terms of foundation requirements. Check out Section R507 of the 2015 IRC and it'll shed some light on some of the requirements. It'll also direct you to R403.1.4 which is the section on minimum depth for exterior footings.

I think from an engineered perspective, you don't really have to do all that much. I would be extremely wary of erosion from the bank, however. You could design it to code and still have to bank slough out from underneath you.

I have recently looked at the bank from where our yard is to the actual slope and there has been erosion in the last two years, which is when we bought the house. It wouldn't be connected to the house and would be a simple design. Thanks for input.