--- title: "Hiring a Carpenter in New Hampshire: Deck Permits, Frost Footings and the 2024 Residential Code" description: "Hiring a carpenter or deck builder in New Hampshire: deck permits and fees, the 2024 residential code transition, frost footings, snow on decks and costs." doc_version: "2026-11-03" last_updated: "2026-11-03" --- # Hiring a Carpenter in New Hampshire: Deck Permits, Frost Footings and the 2024 Residential Code > A 200-square-foot pressure-treated deck runs about $6,800 to $12,800 in New Hampshire. Carpenters need no state license, so references, insurance and a written contract matter most. Decks usually need a town permit; Manchester charges 1% of the cost plus $25. The 2024 residential code took effect July 1, 2026, with the older code still accepted on permits through December 31. Published November 3, 2026 ## Key facts - **License:** None at state level; a town building permit for most decks - **Code:** 2024 IRC since July 1, 2026; 2021 set allowed on permits through Dec. 31, 2026 - **200 sq ft deck:** About $6,800 to $12,800 (New Hampshire calculator default) Decks are the job most New Hampshire homeowners hire a carpenter for, and they take a beating here. Snow piles on them for months. Frost pushes on their footings. Sun on the south side bakes the boards in July. A deck in Londonderry or Windham built by a careful carpenter lasts decades; one built fast sags, rots at the ledger and pulls away from the house. The same skills, and the same questions, carry over to porches, stairs, trim and the other carpentry that keeps older houses together. ## Do you need a permit for a deck? Almost always, where the town has a building department. A deck is a structure attached to the house, carrying people above the ground, and towns treat it that way. Manchester's [fee schedule](https://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/Planning-and-Comm-Dev/Building/Fees) lists decks with additions and sheds at 1% of the project's cost, and charges $25 to apply for any building permit. A $10,000 deck in Manchester comes to about $125 in permit fees. In smaller towns, such as New Boston, Weare or Wilton, practice varies. Some have a building inspector and a permit process like Manchester's. Some have neither, and under [RSA 155-A:2](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XII/155-A/155-A-2.htm) the State Fire Marshal's office may handle enforcement where a town has none. Ask the town office before work starts. A carpenter who builds decks regularly will know the local process. Ask who pulls the permit, what drawings it needs, and how many inspections there will be. Most towns inspect the footings before concrete and the framing before the decking goes on. ## The 2024 residential code and a deck permitted this winter New Hampshire updated its building code in 2026. [RSA 155-A:1](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XII/155-A/155-A-1.htm) now adopts the 2024 International Residential Code, with state amendments, effective July 1, 2026. The [Town of Bow's memo](https://bownh.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7436) on the change sets out the transition: through December 31, 2026, a permit may be filed under either the 2021 or the 2024 code, and from January 1, 2027 only the 2024 code applies. For a deck designed this fall and permitted next spring, that means the 2024 code. Ask your carpenter whether their standard details, such as ledger attachment, footing size, beam spans, guard height and stair geometry, have been updated for it. A carpenter who says "we've always done it this way" may be right, or may get a failed inspection. ## Frost footings and ledgers that do not pull loose Two parts of a deck do most of the structural work, and both are hidden once it is built. **Footings.** Deck posts sit on footings that must go below the frost line, or the ground will lift them each winter. Frost goes deeper in Conway or Lancaster than in Nashua. Ask how deep the footings will go, how wide, and whether they will be poured concrete piers, precast footings or helical piles. Ask what happens if the crew hits ledge, which is common across the state. **Ledger.** Where the deck attaches to the house, a ledger board bolted to the house framing carries half the deck's load. It must be flashed so water cannot get behind it and rot the house's rim board. A ledger nailed to siding, or not flashed, is a common cause of deck failure. Ask how it will be attached, with what bolts or structural screws, and how it will be flashed. Every footing is a hole in the ground, so the carpenter must call Dig Safe and wait the required notice before digging. ## Snow on decks and the lake-house setback New Hampshire decks carry snow. A deck under a roof edge in Bartlett or Conway may get the roof's snow dumped on it. Ask the carpenter whether the design accounts for your town's snow load, and keep the deck shoveled in a heavy winter. Lakefront owners face another rule. Under [RSA 483-B:9](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/L/483-B/483-B-9.htm), primary structures on protected shoreland must sit behind a primary building line 50 feet from the water, and the buffer nearest the water has strict limits on clearing and on removing stumps and rocks. A new deck on a camp in Sunapee or Newbury may need a state shoreland filing as well as a town permit. Ask whether your carpenter has built on shoreland lots before. ## High decks over walkout basements Many New Hampshire houses sit on hillsides, and a deck off the kitchen of a walkout in Bedford, Merrimack or Salem can stand eight or ten feet above the yard. A tall deck is a different structure from a low one. The posts are longer and need bracing against sway. The guards matter more, because a fall from that height is serious. The stairs are long and need a landing. Ask the carpenter how the deck will be braced, what size posts and beams they propose, and whether they use hardware that ties the deck to the house against sideways movement as well as downward load. Ask what the space under the deck will be: gravel, a patio, storage. Water dripping through the boards onto a patio below freezes in winter, so if you want a dry space underneath, that needs to be designed in from the start, and it costs more. ## Booking a carpenter in a short building season Outdoor carpentry in New Hampshire runs mostly from April to November, and good deck builders book their summers in winter. In the southern towns there is more choice. In the hill towns and up north, a carpenter may cover a wide area and have a long waiting list. If you can, get quotes in January and February for a spring start. Ask when the carpenter could realistically begin and how long the job will take once started. Ask what happens if footings cannot be poured because the ground is still frozen or soaked in mud season. And ask whether they work on more than one job at once, because a deck that is half built for three weeks while the crew is elsewhere is a common complaint. ## Porches, stairs and finish work in older houses Carpentry in older New Hampshire houses goes well beyond decks. Porches on Victorians in Concord or Milford, staircases in farmhouses in Hollis, and window and door trim all wear out. Finish carpentry, such as trim, built-ins and stair rails, is a different skill from framing, and many carpenters specialize in one or the other. Ask to see photos of work like yours, and ask whether the carpenter will match existing trim profiles or replace them. In a house built before 1978, cutting or removing painted trim disturbs lead paint, and a paid crew should follow federal lead-safe practices. ## Pricing a 200-square-foot deck A 200-square-foot pressure-treated deck runs about **$6,800 to $12,800** in the [New Hampshire carpentry cost estimate](/s/greater-manchester--nh/carpenters/cost), with footings to frost depth included. Composite decking, aluminum or cable railings, wide stairs, height off the ground and demolition of an old deck add to it. Compare quotes on: size and shape, footing type and depth, framing lumber and spacing, ledger attachment and flashing, decking material and fasteners, railing type, stairs, permit, inspections and cleanup. With no state contractor registry, a written contract with a payment schedule tied to the footing, framing and final inspections is your best protection. ## FAQ ### Do carpenters in New Hampshire need a license? New Hampshire has no state contractor license or registration, so a signed written contract with the scope, price, schedule and payment terms is your main protection; the Consumer Protection Act (RSA 358-A) and the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Bureau handle disputes. ### How much does a deck cost in New Hampshire? The calculator default, a 200-square-foot pressure-treated deck with frost-depth footings, is about $6,800 to $12,800. Composite decking, railings, stairs, a second story height or built-in features push it higher. Removing an old deck is extra. ### Composite or pressure-treated decking? Pressure-treated wood costs less up front and needs stain or sealer every few years. Composite costs more but needs little upkeep and does not splinter. Either sits on a pressure-treated frame, so the framing quality matters just as much. ### How long does a deck permit take? It varies by town, from a few days to a few weeks in busy spring months. Small towns without an inspector may have a simpler process or none. Ask the carpenter to submit plans early so the permit does not delay the start. ### Do carpenters do finish work like trim and built-ins? Many do, and some specialize in it. Finish carpentry, such as trim, stairs, bookcases and window casings, is a different skill from framing a deck. Ask to see photos of finish work similar to what you want. ## Sources - [Manchester Building Division: permit fees](https://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/Planning-and-Comm-Dev/Building/Fees) - [Town of Bow: 2024 code adoption memo](https://bownh.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7436) - [RSA 155-A:1: the state building code](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XII/155-A/155-A-1.htm) - [RSA 155-A:2: where a town has no building inspector](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XII/155-A/155-A-2.htm) - [RSA 483-B:9: shoreland setbacks](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/L/483-B/483-B-9.htm) --- Published by Tavlee: sourced contractor research, every claim linked to where it was found. Canonical: https://tavlee.com/s/greater-manchester--nh/carpenters/guide ## Sitemap [Full site index](https://tavlee.com/sitemap.md)