Service area · Brookhaven, Georgia
Brookhaven reviews a deck much as it reviews an addition: site plan, coverage table, trees, and stream buffers. We guide you through that process and build decks that fit the city's tight lots.
Building in Brookhaven
Brookhaven became a city in December 2012, and most of it had been built out by 1980. In neighborhoods such as Ashford Park and Drew Valley, many of the original houses have been replaced or joined by larger new homes on the same modest lots. Historic Brookhaven, around the Capital City Club golf course, is older still and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
That mix produces two kinds of deck project. On an older one-story house the back door sits a step or two above the yard, so the deck is low and wide. On a newer infill house the main floor is higher, the lot is already heavily covered, and the deck has to fit what the coverage numbers allow.
Nancy Creek runs through the city, so stream buffers come up more often than homeowners expect. As deck builders serving the Atlanta area, we check each of these before proposing a deck size.
We build throughout the 30319 zip code.
Local factors
The city's site plan checklist calls for a table of existing and proposed impervious surfaces in square feet, with the lot size and the percentage covered, plus the maximum lot coverage for the zoning district. On a lot that already holds a large house and driveway, that table can set the size of the deck.
If a project removes no trees and affects less than 20 percent of any tree's critical root zone, the plan can say so. Otherwise the city requires a tree survey and health assessment from a certified arborist. The root zone is figured at 1.3 feet of radius for each inch of trunk diameter, and trees on the property line count.
Plans must show any state waters within 75 feet of the property, with the 25-foot state buffer and the city's 50-foot and 75-foot buffers, or state that there are none.
Brookhaven routes deck and porch permits to DeKalb County to check for water and sewer easements. If one is found, a full county watershed review follows.
Permits
Deck and porch permits are filed through the City of Brookhaven's online Project Portal. The city lists these submittals for every deck or porch:
Review follows a set sequence: plan review by each department, a comment letter posted to the portal, resubmittal, approval with stamped plans, fee payment, and permit issue. The checklist does not give a review time, so we plan the schedule around the comment cycle.
Requirements change, so we check the current checklist with the city when we plan your deck.
Sources, checked October 2026: City of Brookhaven: decks and porches for residential construction; City of Brookhaven: comprehensive building permit checklist.
What fits here
On tight infill lots, a compact deck sized to the coverage table usually beats a large one that draws extra review. Stairs that run along the house instead of out into the yard save space, and a slim aluminum or cable rail keeps a small deck from feeling boxed in.
On older one-story houses, a low deck close to grade needs good airflow underneath and framing lumber rated for ground contact. Where large trees shade the yard, capped composite boards avoid the mildew that builds up on wood, and footings can be placed to stay out of the root zone.
Lot already near its coverage limit? We check the numbers before you design.
Call (470) 279-4199Common questions
Brookhaven has a permit process specifically for decks and porches on homes, filed through its Project Portal with a site plan and construction drawings. Plan on a permit for any new or rebuilt deck, and confirm with the permit counter if you are only replacing boards.
Because footings and construction traffic can damage roots. If your deck stays clear of trees, the plan carries a short statement to that effect. If it affects 20 percent or more of a tree's critical root zone, or a tree has to come down, the city asks for a survey and assessment from a certified arborist.
The city asks for every existing and proposed feature to be listed in the impervious coverage table, and staff decide how each one counts. We work from your survey to check the coverage numbers before the design is final.
Historic Brookhaven is on the National Register of Historic Places, which is a federal listing and does not by itself regulate what an owner builds. Local zoning and any neighborhood covenants still apply, so we check both for your address.
Service area
We build, replace, and repair decks throughout Brookhaven and the neighborhoods around it.
Start with your address
Tell us your address and send your survey if you have one. We will check coverage, trees, and buffers, and give you a written scope.
