Low deck, lower odds — still confirm.
Height above grade is the key number. Surrey's Building Bylaw lists decks over 600 millimetres above finished grade among the structures it regulates. A simple deck built close to the ground sits under that line, which makes it the case where a permit is least likely.
But no city publishes a blanket "no permit" rule for low decks on the pages we checked. Surrey says a building permit is needed "in most cases" when you add a deck to a house. White Rock lists "constructing, covering or enclosing a porch or sundeck" as work that needs a permit. Delta runs a dedicated sundeck permit application. None of them states a height or size below which a deck is exempt.
So: measure the finished deck height, then make one phone call to your city before you build. The numbers are below.
What each city's official pages say.
Quoted or closely paraphrased from each city's own website and bylaws, read on September 29, 2026. Where a city does not state a number, we do not guess one.
| Surrey (incl. South Surrey, Ocean Park, Morgan Creek) | The City's deck permit page: "In most cases, you need a building permit when constructing a deck addition on a house." Decks are subject to the Zoning Bylaw and the BC Building Code. The Building Bylaw, 2012, No. 17850 defines "structure" to include "decks over 600 millimetres above finished grade", and says a permit is required whenever construction regulated under the bylaw is undertaken. No separate exemption for low decks is stated. Building Information Line: 604-591-4366.Surrey — Deck Permit · Building Bylaw No. 17850 (PDF) |
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| White Rock | The City's Guide for Building Permit Applications (February 2025) lists "Constructing, covering or enclosing a porch or sundeck" among the work that requires a building permit. The City's permits page lists landscaping, a single retaining wall under 1.2 m and general maintenance as not needing one — decks are not on that list. No height threshold for decks is stated. Applications are made by appointment with a Building Official: 604-541-2149.White Rock — Guide for Building Permit Applications (PDF) · White Rock — Permits |
| Delta (incl. Tsawwassen & Ladner) | Delta has a specific Residential Carport or Sundeck Additions Building Permit, applied for online through DeltaOnline — paper and email applications are no longer accepted. Its checklist asks for setbacks and site coverage, railing construction and height, stair rise and run, and footing sizes and depth. Delta's Building/Plumbing Bylaw No. 8065 exempts retaining structures under 1.2 m and fences, but states no deck-specific exemption. Application Centre: 604-946-3380.Delta — Carport or Sundeck Additions permit guide (PDF) · Delta — Residential building permits |
| BC Building Code (all three) | Separate from permits: a guard is required where there is "a difference in elevation of more than 600 mm between the walking surface and the adjacent surface" — Sentence 9.8.8.1.(1)(a), as quoted from the 2018 BC Building Code in a February 2025 Building Code Appeal Board decision. Check the current edition for your build.BC Building Code Appeal Board — decision 1952 |
Three or four steps can cross the 600 mm line.
A deck flush with the yard is well under 600 mm. A deck three or four steps above the yard can end up over it — and past that height two things change: the BC Building Code calls for a guard on any side not protected by a wall, and in Surrey the deck falls inside the Building Bylaw's list of regulated structures.
Measure from the finished deck surface down to the ground beside it, on the lowest side — a sloping yard makes one edge taller than the others. If you are anywhere near 600 mm, confirm with the City before you build.
What the application asks for.
From Surrey's deck permit guide and Delta's sundeck permit checklist, expect to show:
- a site plan with property lines and the deck's setbacks from them, plus lot or site coverage;
- the deck's height from grade, and existing and proposed grades;
- footing and foundation details, framing sizes and spacing;
- stairs (rise and run) and any railings or guards;
- in Surrey, the location of trees on and near the lot — the City's trees team reviews deck applications.
Strata bylaws, covenants or a land-use contract on your title can add rules on top, so check those too.
What a ground-level deck looks like.
One of our recent ground-level cedar decks, during the build and finished. Shown to illustrate a low deck — not as an example of any particular permit decision.
Real Ironwood Grounds photos, taken from different spots on the same job.
We measure the height at the quote.
Ironwood Grounds builds simple ground-level and low cedar decks and deck replacements in South Surrey, White Rock and Delta. At the site visit we measure where your deck would sit against that 600 mm line and flag whether you should check with the City — before anything is ordered.
The questions homeowners ask.
Do I need a permit to build a deck in Surrey?
Often, yes. The City of Surrey says you need a building permit in most cases when constructing a deck addition on a house. Its Building Bylaw lists decks more than 600 millimetres above finished grade among the structures it regulates, so a low deck close to the ground is the case where a permit is least likely. Confirm with the City's Building Information Line at 604-591-4366 before you build.
Is there a deck height that needs a permit in Surrey?
The number in Surrey's Building Bylaw is 600 millimetres: decks more than 600 mm above finished grade are listed as regulated structures. The City does not publish a simple no-permit height for decks on the pages we checked, and a deck under 600 mm is not automatically exempt — especially one attached to the house — so ask the City.
Do I need a permit for a deck in White Rock?
The City of White Rock lists constructing, covering or enclosing a porch or sundeck among the work that needs a building permit, and we found no published exemption for low decks. Applications are made by appointment with a Building Official; call the Building Department at 604-541-2149 to confirm for your property.
Do I need a permit for a deck in Delta, Tsawwassen or Ladner?
Delta has its own building permit application for sundeck additions, submitted online through DeltaOnline. We did not find a published height or size below which a deck is exempt, so check with Delta's Application Centre at 604-946-3380 before you build.
My deck is a few steps up. Does that change anything?
It can. A deck three or four steps above the yard can end up more than 600 mm above the ground. Past that height, the BC Building Code calls for a guard on any side not protected by a wall, and in Surrey the deck falls within the Building Bylaw's list of regulated structures. Measure the finished deck height on its lowest side and confirm with the City.
Does a ground-level deck need a railing?
The BC Building Code requires a guard where a walking surface is more than 600 mm above the adjacent surface. A deck built close to the ground is usually well under that, but on a sloping yard measure the lowest side, because that is where the drop is greatest.
Sources, and an honest disclaimer.
This page is general information, not legal or permit advice. Bylaws change, and your property may have its own rules. Every rule above was verified on September 29, 2026 against these official sources:
- City of Surrey — Deck Permit
- City of Surrey — Building Bylaw, 2012, No. 17850 (consolidated PDF)Definition of "structure" and section 20. Consolidation lists amendments through May 25, 2026.
- City of Surrey — How to Apply for a Building Permit for a Deck (PDF, July 2014)
- City of Surrey — Residential Building Permits
- City of White Rock — Guide for Building Permit Applications (PDF, February 2025)
- City of White Rock — Permits
- City of Delta — eApply Guide: Residential Carport or Sundeck Additions Building Permit (PDF, June 2023)
- City of Delta — Building/Plumbing Bylaw No. 8065, 2021Section 2, Scope and Exemptions.
- Province of BC — Building Code Appeal Board decision 1952 (February 2025)Quotes BC Building Code 2018, Sentence 9.8.8.1.(1)(a).
Before building, confirm the current requirements for your lot with your city, your strata if you have one, and a surveyor if the property line is in question.
Verified on 2026-09-29.
More from Ironwood Grounds.
Thinking about a simple cedar deck?
Tell us your community and roughly what you have in mind. We will set a site visit, measure the height, flag any permit question, and put one fixed written quote in your hands.