#FAIL
I wish that hashtag referred to a funny internet meme, but this time it marks the result of our deck footing inspection. We scheduled the inspector to check the six holes we had dug, expecting a quick confirmation that everything was in the right place and at the correct depth. I figured it would be straightforward.
We’d even gone a step further and attached some ledger boards so the inspector could review those as well. My hope was that he’d catch any problems now rather than after we finished the whole deck, since the second inspection only happens when the deck is complete in our county.
When he arrived, the inspector’s reaction made my heart sink: he shook his head, said “we’ve got some problems here,” and started taking notes. At that moment I realized this wasn’t going to be an easy pass.
After a few moments of silence, he explained the issues. First, I’d missed two small but critical letters on a county diagram: “P.T.” The abbreviation means the house’s rim board—where I had attached the ledger board on the siding side—needs to be pressure-treated wood. Ours wasn’t. Although we had installed waterproof flashing behind the ledger, the inspector said that to use a ledger there we’d either have to replace the rim board with pressure-treated lumber (which would involve altering the house structure) or lower the deck about two feet so the ledger could be bolted into the masonry foundation instead.
That wasn’t the only problem. On the brick side of the house, he told me I couldn’t rely on screws into the brick because the brick veneer isn’t sound enough to bear the deck’s load. I thought long screws that penetrated through the rim board would solve it, but in our county that wasn’t acceptable. He drew a sketch showing how the air gap between the brick and the house prevents vertical load transfer—the brick primarily supports its own weight, not the deck’s. Again, the practical solution would be to lower the ledger so we could bolt into the masonry foundation.
The inspector offered an alternative: forget the ledger approach and build a freestanding deck supported solely by posts in the ground. Lowering the deck two feet was undesirable—we wanted a deck level with the doorway so we could easily walk out and carry food and chairs—so freestanding became the best option. That meant revisiting our plan, digging additional holes, and preparing for another footing inspection after the adjustment.
I admit I was crushed at first. It felt like starting over. I took a moment to collect myself, asked a few clarifying questions, and thanked the inspector. He handed me the official rejection slip, which stung, but at least he had been helpful and clear about what needed to change.
Back inside, Sherry reminded me that failing one inspection isn’t unusual in our county—many people fail at least one because the inspectors are strict. She pointed out the upside: we caught the issue before building the entire deck, which would have been far worse if we’d had to tear it down later. She also noted that the inspector’s suggestions gave us a clear path forward and that this experience would make a good story to share. Her positive attitude helped shift my perspective from frustration to problem-solving.
We arranged to meet with the reviewer who originally approved our plans and asked him to draw a revised plan for a freestanding deck. I wondered why this option hadn’t been suggested earlier, but I was relieved to work directly with the county planner who would approve the changes. He minimized the extra work by keeping the new post holes to a reasonable number—seven—and planned to reuse as much of our purchased material as possible. Best of all, he confirmed we could repurpose our ledger boards as rim boards, with flashing over them, so they would serve as stabilizing perimeter boards while the new posts and footings would carry the structure’s load.
The main revision from our original plan is the addition of seven posts and girders to convert the deck to a freestanding structure. Girders will run parallel to the ledger boards but attach to the posts so no weight is borne by the house. This keeps the deck level with the doorway while meeting code and ensuring a safe load path.
The meeting also opened a clearer line of communication with the building department. I’ve already followed up with the reviewer twice with questions, which gives me confidence that the next inspection will go more smoothly.
So we’re back to digging a few more holes and picking up some additional materials, but we’ll wait to purchase everything until we pass the footing inspection. My dad took the news well, and we’re moving forward with a revised plan that should meet code and give us the deck we want. It’s another reminder that DIY projects rarely go perfectly on the first try, but when you catch mistakes early and adapt, the results are worth the extra effort.
Have you had an inspection fail on you? Or any other do-over moment that ended well? I’d love to hear your stories—especially the ones with happy endings. For now, we’ll keep digging and keep our fingers crossed for an approved footing inspection soon.