I'm looking to build a ground level deck - top of the deck ~9" off the ground. It will be adjacent to my house and an 18" high deck that is attached to the house. I see that the minimum height is 13" for this floating deck system - I live in a cold northern climate so there is a deep frost line which is why I'd like avoid having to dig deep footers.

Would it be OK to excavate where the deck is going by clearing out ~4" of sod and dirt (or even going a few inches lower and building a compacted gravel base) and then laying the concrete piers ontop of that? This would give a final deck height of 9" but I'm concerned about the cleared out area become a collection area for rain water and I read that the piers shouldn't be buried.

Thanks for any advice!

You can probably search the forum, but i think the maximum dig depth is 3 inches and thats for leveling.

Yes you can clear away the foot print of the deck to get the deck to the height you would like. If you have good drainage you should not have a problem. Do not back fill around the blocks or bury the blocks.

Deckman