Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - What to do with a 2x10 kitchen knockout

We are currently working on the plans to replace an old deck not built to code off the back of our kitchen.

The new deck will sit 48" above ground and for all purposes be a 16x18 foot square deck.

The only thing left to decide is what to do with the 10 foot free-standing kitchen knockout on the back of the house. It extends 2 feet from the foundation and the tops of the joists will sit approximately 3" above the knockout's lowest point, so I cannot extend the ledger board the full length of the deck. (Approximatly 6 feet of the deck will be attached to a ledger board.)

In order to get around this issue, I was planning on installing an additional beam that runs the length of this knockout. (Approximately a 10 foot beam attached to 2 additional concrete piers/posts.) The beam would be flush with the knockout's front so the, joists would not be cantilevered.

Is there a better way of handling this knockout or should my plan work?

Thanks in advance.

Not seeing what you see, it is difficult to give total advice. If the deck must be 3" above the bottom rim of the kitchen, you could cut down on your ledger board by the 3", allow it to traverse under the kitchen, attaching the ledger to the house with proper bolting, run all your joists as you planned, but cut down on the tops, allowing them to extend under the kitchen. At each corner of the kitchen jut out, supply proper vertical support, which will give the deck stability, as well as the kitchen cantilever. If this wouldn't work, maybe you could post pictures of what you are proposing, and we will take another look at it.

Thanks for the suggestion. Your solution will actually simplify things considerably and that is the approach I will take. The plan is very similar to my original intent until I measured and found the 3" deviation. I overlooked the option of notching the joists.

I'll clear it with the building inspector before officially submitting the plans, but I think he will be okay with it.

Thanks again.