What matters for project planning
The Guide to Development is the practical document for this trade, because it is where site-plan and permitting expectations are actually spelled out -- and a deck is a permitted structure with setback, footing and guard requirements rather than a weekend project. Floodplain status through the FEMA mapping the city points to matters on the smaller number of parcels it reaches, where it can govern whether and how a structure may be placed at all. The Vision 21 plan itself operates above the level of an individual lot. What it does not cover is the constraint that decides most designs here: frost depth.
Official sources
Verify the property, not just the city
None of the citywide detail above substitutes for a parcel-level check. Flood-zone status, historic-district overlays, drainage easements, soil type, and anything concealed in the existing structure still need confirmation from the city or county and from whichever provider you choose.
Sources reviewed 2026-07-26. External requirements and maps can change.