Decks & Patios in Studio City
Decks for a Studio City lot with an ADU, sized to the door they serve, framed low or raised, and permitted through LADBS on one set by Cedarline Design Build.
Who gets the deck, the main house or the new unit? Settling that comes first on a walk through a Studio City yard, since the answer fixes where the frame sits, which threshold it meets and how far it rises off the ground. We stand at each door, trace the route from both homes to the gate and fit the deck to whichever home the owner picks.
Height follows the door
A new ADU on a slab has a threshold only a few inches off the ground, so a deck for the unit stays low and close to the soil. The main house may sit on a raised floor, and a deck at its back door then needs stairs, possibly a guard, and taller posts with bracing. A low frame calls for airflow and a clear gap between the joists and the dirt so the wood can dry. A raised frame moves the effort to footings, ledger bolts and the stair landing, which is why the two decks are priced on different terms.
Boards for valley heat
Inland heat and dry air work on deck boards from the top face down. Pale capped composite keeps a cooler surface than a dark board and does not split as it dries, though it can still feel warm by late afternoon. Pressure-treated framing under it gets joist tape along the top edges, so screw holes do not hold water after a rare hard storm. Clips tucked under the board edges keep screw heads off the deck surface, and a light gray or tan board also throws less heat toward the ADU windows. Samples go down on the actual site so the owner can judge them in the sun.
Decks & Patios in Studio City: common questions
Start from the gate. The route from each home to it should stay separate, so the deck for one home never becomes the hallway for the other. Where the two outdoor areas meet, a planted bed, a low bench wall or a different surface draws the edge, and turning the ADU deck away from the main house's windows keeps both out of view.
LADBS handles permits for Studio City. A roofed patio cover goes through plan check, as does any deck attached to a house or unit. A freestanding deck can skip a permit only when it sits at or below 30 inches above grade, covers 200 square feet or less and no exit door opens onto it. Pavers laid on grade generally need none.
Yes. Once the deck goes on the ADU set, LADBS reads its footings, ledger and setbacks during the unit's own review, and the inspector can look at the deck framing during inspections the unit already needs. A deck added after the ADU is finaled would generally need a permit of its own.
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