Got called out by a city inspector in Charlotte for using the wrong post depth on a slope. Now I triple check the code before every job.

3 comments

3 Comments

Forget the frost line for a second. On a slope, you're dealing with soil stability and lateral pressure. The post needs extra depth on the downhill side for proper bearing. The code usually calls for a certain amount of embedment below the natural grade on that low side, not just a flat measurement from the high point.

paulw632mo ago

Actually, the depth is about frost line, not the slope itself...

charles9191mo ago

Wait, didn't @tylermurray have a buddy whose deck posts shifted on a hill because they only measured depth from the high side? I mean, I heard that story from a friend - his whole post line started leaning like a year later and they had to redo the whole thing.