TL;DR
A cantilever is the portion of a deck's joists that projects beyond the supporting beam, carrying the deck edge on overhang rather than on posts at the rim. Deck-framing rules under IRC R507 cap the overhang at one-fourth of the joist's backspan, so joists spanning 12 feet may extend about 3 feet past the beam.
What it means
A cantilever is the portion of a deck's joists that projects beyond the supporting beam, carrying the deck edge on overhang rather than on posts at the rim. Deck-framing rules under IRC R507 cap the overhang at one-fourth of the joist's backspan, so joists spanning 12 feet may extend about 3 feet past the beam. Builders use the technique to pull posts back from view, dodge footing conflicts with patios or utilities, and soften the structure's look. Past the limit, the edge bounces and rail posts lever dangerously, which is why span tables and inspectors treat the ratio strictly. Hot tubs and other point loads do not belong on the overhung portion without engineering.
Where it sits in the glossary
Cantilever is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
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