Sioux Falls Deck Guide: Permits, Footings, Licenses (2026)

Updated October 29, 2026. General information only, not legal or engineering advice. Rules change, so confirm with the city or county before you build.

Quick reference

Topic	What to know	Source
Deck permit	Required in Sioux Falls for decks of any size or material	City of Sioux Falls
Permit fees	Start at $40 and rise with project cost	City of Sioux Falls
Footing depth	42 inches listed for Sioux Falls	MeltPlan code summary
Ground snow load	35 psf listed for Sioux Falls	MeltPlan code summary
Building code	No statewide residential code; Sioux Falls listed on the 2021 IRC	MeltPlan code summary
Contractors	City license required for the type of work; state contractor's excise tax license	City of Sioux Falls; SD Dept. of Revenue
Climate	About 27.85 in. precipitation and 45.3 in. snow a year; records 110°F and −42°F	Wikipedia (NOAA data)
Digging	Call 811 before digging footings	City of Sioux Falls

Do you need a permit to build a deck in Sioux Falls?

Yes. In an April 2026 list of home-improvement reminders, the City of Sioux Falls said a permit is required for decks of any size or material. Unlike many cities, there's no exemption for a small, low, freestanding deck. Applications, plan uploads, fees and inspection requests all go through the city's Customer Self Service portal. The city's building permit page says fees start at $40 and can be higher based on the project's total cost, and its permit FAQ says work must begin and an inspection be requested within 180 days of the permit being issued. If you aren't sure whether a project needs a permit, Building Services takes questions at 605-367-8670.

What about Brandon, Harrisburg, Tea and Hartford?

Each is a separate city with its own building permit process, so a Sioux Falls permit doesn't apply there. Rural addresses fall under Minnehaha or Lincoln County. Check with the city or county where the house sits; some Harrisburg-area addresses, for example, have school district and city boundaries that don't match.

How deep do deck footings have to go?

South Dakota has no statewide mandatory residential building code, so local governments adopt their own. A MeltPlan summary of South Dakota residential requirements lists Sioux Falls on the 2021 International Residential Code with a 42-inch frost depth and a 35 psf ground snow load, noting that the figures were current as of late 2023 or early 2024 and should be confirmed with the city. Footings below frost depth keep posts from being jacked up when the ground freezes. Ask the builder to show the footing depth on the permit drawings.

Who can build a deck for you?

The City of Sioux Falls licenses residential building contractors along with electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors, and it publishes an online lookup of contractors who hold a current city license. The city advises homeowners to confirm a contractor's license for the type of work before it begins. The licensing office is at 605-367-8672.

At the state level, the South Dakota Department of Revenue says anyone who contracts for construction work, including repair and remodeling of real property, needs a contractor's excise tax license, and the state's contractor's excise tax is 2 percent of a prime contractor's gross receipts. That's a tax license, not a test of skill.

What if I build it myself?

Homeowners can take out a building permit for their own deck. The city's permit FAQ notes that homeowners doing their own work must get separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, so lights, outlets or a hot tub circuit are separate permits from the deck itself.

What does the climate do to a deck?

Sioux Falls averages 27.85 inches of precipitation, concentrated in the warmer months, and 45.3 inches of snow. Its average January daily temperature is 17.9°F, and records run from 110°F on June 21, 1988, to −42°F on February 9, 1899. For a deck, that means wet wood in summer, freeze-thaw in spring and fall, and snow sitting on boards for weeks. Flashing over the ledger, end-cut sealer on treated lumber, gaps between boards and footings below frost all help.

Older homes and historic districts

Sioux Falls has several districts on the National Register of Historic Places, including All Saints, Cathedral, Hayes, McKennan Park and Sherman. Houses there often have taller foundations, older framing and back doors that weren't planned for a deck. Attaching a ledger to old framing takes care, and a freestanding deck with its own beam near the house is sometimes the better choice.

Call 811 before digging

The city reminds residents to call 811 before digging to avoid striking public or private utility lines in yards or the right-of-way. Footing holes are exactly the kind of digging that hits buried lines.

Questions to ask a builder

Do you hold a City of Sioux Falls residential contractor license, and a state contractor's excise tax license?
Will you pull the permit, and which inspections will the city do?
How deep will the footings go, and how will the ledger be attached and flashed?
What size and spacing will the joists be for the boards I chose?
If I want a roof later, can the footings be sized for it now?
What does your workmanship warranty cover, and what do the material warranties cover?

Common questions

Is there a size limit below which a deck needs no permit in Sioux Falls?

No. The City of Sioux Falls says a permit is required for decks of any size or material.

What frost depth is used for deck footings in Sioux Falls?

A South Dakota code summary lists 42 inches for Sioux Falls. Confirm on the permit plans with the city.

Does South Dakota license deck builders?

There is no state trade license for deck builders. Sioux Falls licenses residential contractors, and the state requires a contractor’s excise tax license for construction work.

Sioux Falls deck permit and footing guide (2026)