The homes and lots in East End & Warm Springs
Craftsman bungalows, Queen Anne cottages and foursquares on narrow alley lots, plus the larger revival-style houses of Warm Springs Avenue. In the East End Historic District the Craftsman bungalow leads with 127 homes, 29 percent of the total, and the city lists local sandstone, brick, locally milled lumber and Miracle Brick, a cast concrete block made to look like cut stone, as the district's building materials. Lots there were platted 25 feet wide and 122 feet deep, 30 feet on corners, with an alley through the middle of each block, and contributing houses are scattered through the grid rather than grouped. Warm Springs Avenue works at a different scale: Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, Tudor Revival and bungalow houses sit far back behind lawns and circular or long driveways, and some lots on the south side of the avenue exceed an acre. Above the old grid, newer homes on the Warm Springs Mesa and the slopes toward Table Rock fall outside both districts and follow a different set of rules.
- Historic district review
- Hillside overlay
- Wildfire (WUI) overlay
Two local historic districts cover the older core. The East End Historic District, designated by Boise in 2004, spans 39 mostly residential blocks; the Warm Springs Avenue Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1979 and designated locally in 1996, with a period of significance from 1910 to 1940. Constructing a deck in either district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and the building permit cannot be pulled until that decision and its 10-day appeal period are complete. Work that staff treat as minor gets a 15-day administrative review, while major projects go to a public hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission. The historic flag covers the two districts only. The hillside and wildfire flags apply only to upper parcels around the Warm Springs Mesa and toward Table Rock and the Military Reserve, not to the flat historic blocks, where slopes can pass the 15 percent Hillside Development Overlay trigger and foothills fire-hazard areas fall under IR1 ignition-resistant construction; the Fire Code Official has final say on those lines. In practice a lot usually answers to the historic rules or to the hillside and fire rules, rarely both, and there is no subdivision HOA on the historic blocks.
What a East End & Warm Springs deck has to account for
- Locate the hot water before the auger. Homes on the Boise Warm Springs Water District system take water that leaves the wells at 176°F and cools only slightly on the way, and the district advises that only trained professionals work on geothermal installations and that leaks can reach the surface. Service lines and old abandoned piping can cross back yards, so footing locations are confirmed with the owner and the district, not only through Digline 811, before anyone digs.
- Scale the deck to the block. The East End's design goals ask new work to keep the neighborhood's residential character and scale and to respect its modest character, and district policy calls for preserving the traditional spacing between structures. On a lot two original 25-foot parcels wide with an alley, that favors a low rear deck that stays within the width of the house, leaves the side yards open and does not run back toward the alley garage.
- On Warm Springs Avenue the stated goal is to maintain the district's stately elegance, which the city ties to generous open space and landscaping. Deep lots leave room for a sizable rear deck that cannot be seen from the avenue, but the lawn and mature plantings are part of what reviewers protect, so a deck that sits beside the garden rather than replacing it fits best. North-side lots are smaller and alley-served, and construction there is staged from the alley.
- Old masonry is a poor ledger host. Sandstone, brick and Miracle Brick foundations vary in strength from house to house, the 2018 IRC that Boise enforces does not allow a deck ledger to hang on masonry veneer, and a row of new anchors drilled into a contributing house's original wall is a visible change reviewers notice. A freestanding frame on its own beam and footings, set just off the wall, is usually the cleaner and cheaper answer, and it is reversible, which suits historic review.
- Expect shade and litter. Boise's 2020 neighborhood almanac put the East End's tree canopy at 19 percent, above the 14 percent citywide figure, and grassy strips between sidewalk and street line many blocks. Big trees bring leaf drop, damp boards on the north side of the house and roots where footings want to go, so footings are laid out to miss major roots and capped boards with open gaps keep debris from sitting on the surface. Our deck maintenance notes for Boise's climate cover the spring cleanup.
- Upper lots near Table Rock and the Military Reserve face open foothills. Posts get taller on the downhill side, footings stay back from the slope face, the space under the deck is kept empty or closed in with noncombustible skirting, and decking is chosen against a current fire-performance listing, as laid out in our guide to wildfire-resistant decking in the foothills. The Military Reserve covers roughly 734 acres, and its trails begin at the end of residential streets, so dry grass and brush sit a fence line away.
- Small landings count. A bungalow's rear entry often sits two or more feet above the yard, so even a replacement for a rotted stoop crosses Boise's 12-inch permit threshold, and inside a district it is also deck or porch construction for historic purposes. Low-voltage deck lighting needs no electrical permit in Boise, but 110-volt outlets and fixtures do, which matters when a landing is wired for a light by the door.
- Material and color are settled with staff, not assumed. Painted wood guards with square balusters, a painted fascia and muted boards suit most East End bungalows, while on the avenue's revival houses a guard that echoes the porch or trim detail of the main house reads as compatible. A capped composite board can work on a rear deck out of view of the street; we bring samples and photos of the rear elevation to the concept review, and our Boise deck permit guide explains how the certificate and the building permit fit together.
Around: Warm Springs Avenue · Table Rock · Military Reserve · Kelly Hot Springs (historic) · Warm Springs Mesa · Old Idaho Penitentiary · Franklin Street
East End & Warm Springs deck questions
- Does a deck on Warm Springs Avenue need historic approval?
- Yes, if the house is inside the Warm Springs Avenue Historic District, which Boise designated locally in 1996 after its 1979 National Register listing. Constructing a deck is on the city's list of projects requiring a Certificate of Appropriateness, and the building permit cannot be pulled until the decision's 10-day appeal period has passed. The district's design goal is to maintain its stately elegance, so a rear deck that preserves the lawn and plantings fits best.
- Are East End homes near Table Rock in the wildfire overlay?
- Parcels at the foothills edge can be. Boise assigns IR1 ignition-resistant construction to foothills fire-hazard areas, and the Fire Code Official has final say on which parcels are included. If your lot is in IR1, the decking, the framing near grade and the space beneath the deck all get extra attention, and we confirm the specific requirements before ordering materials.
- Can I attach a deck to an East End house with a Miracle Brick or sandstone foundation?
- It is possible with engineered masonry anchors and careful flashing, but old block and stone vary in strength and condition, and the code does not allow a ledger on masonry veneer at all. In many cases a freestanding deck on its own beam costs less and carries less risk than drilling into a historic foundation, and it leaves the wall untouched for historic review.
- Is the geothermal water a concern when digging deck footings in the East End?
- It can be. The Boise Warm Springs Water District says its water leaves the wells at 176°F and cools only slightly before reaching homes, and that leaks can surface. Service lines may cross a back yard, and Digline 811 may not mark private or abandoned piping. We ask the owner and the district where lines run before setting footing locations, and we hand-dig near any suspected line.
- Does a small East End deck have to go to a public hearing?
- Usually not. Minor projects identified at concept review are decided by staff, with a 15-day review and a 10-day appeal period, and a low rear deck out of view of the street is a common example. Major projects go to a public hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission, and wraparound or street-facing designs are more likely to land there. A complete concept submittal with photos, a site plan and material samples keeps a project on the staff track.
- Can I use composite decking on a Warm Springs Avenue home?
- Often, on a rear deck set well back from the avenue, but it is a judgment the city makes against its historic guidelines rather than a published yes or no. Deep lots on the south side of the avenue keep most rear decks out of view, which helps. Muted wood-tone boards with a painted guard that echoes the house's trim are the usual starting point.
Sources
- City of Boise — East End Historic District
- City of Boise — Warm Springs Avenue Historic District
- City of Boise — Certificate of Appropriateness
- Boise Warm Springs Water District — Safety
- Boise Warm Springs Water District
- City of Boise — Geothermal
- City of Boise — Hillside Development Overlay
- City of Boise — Wildland-Urban Interface Overlay
- City of Boise — Military Reserve
- City of Boise — Neighborhood Data Almanac (March 2020)
- 2018 IRC (Idaho) — Chapter 5, decks (R507)
- City of Boise — Residential Construction guide
Last reviewed .