3 months and $1700 later

[ForceFed70]

I finally have my building permit!

$1100 in surveying
$600 in permit fees (more to come).

And I still had to fight like crazy to get the permit.

They wanted a professionally completed site plan showing topology and all grading changes...My building site is almost flat! But since I am building within 45' of a slope apparently you need to obtain a "development permit". Then he started talking about wildfire mitigation plan.. I live in a residential area! Finally talked to a different guy who was willing to use a more common sense approach and approve the permit.


Frustrating but it's finally over with. Gotta get one of my foundation walls engineered tho

Kinda scary that I've spent all this effort and $$$ but haven't even started to build anything yet! Anyone else have problems getting their permit when it should have been straight forward?

 

[Boyd Who]

Holy ****!!

Makes me glad I live where I do. Survey? We don' need no stinkin' survey! The town came out and located the survey pins for my lot (no charge), then it was a simple drawing of the yard showing where I wanted the new garage to sit. The building permit was $77.00, IIRC.

 

[srmofo]

It will really piss you off when the "experts" over at city hall cant even read your professional blueprints or siteplan.

 

[blue dog]

Part of my business as a general, i do expediting, basically i am a guy that people like yourself will hire to get there permits for them. It really is a shame that all these cities make it as hard as possible for the average guy that wants to build a home or shop etc etc. It has become worse in the last 6 or seven years, basically when the market was booming. Basically you have a city institution that is governed by no one but it's self, and they make up the rules as they go, kinda like the DMV.
You need to ask as many questions as you can and document all answers given. Write down the persons name and date and time that you speak with every time, ask to be shown documentation of all things that are being requested like the development permit and wildlife mitigation plan and on and on.
I know it is enough to drive a guy insane, that is why with my experience with the building department and zoning and planning and city council, i decided to become a independent expeditor, it made me sick to watch first timers get the run around trying to get a permit.
My advice to you is to request all info needed right up to the point of issuing a permit, make them show you why you need what and if all else fails, become loud and forceful, basically showing disgust at the ignorance of the city employees.
It really is a rusty cog in the machine, that needs to be overhauled.

 

[SGTJIM]

I feel your pain. Fighting weather and other deadlines, the inspector wanted a simple clarification on the bracing method used in my garage's construction. What should've (and could've) been taken care of with a five-minute phone call and a fax turned into a two-week game of telephone tag between the inspection office and my builder. Of course, you can't get impatient with them because they're holding all the cards. In this case, I remained persistent but polite. Six hundred eighty-eight dollars later I had the permits in hand, but the initial two-week delay ultimately set me back over a month. All in all though, it could've been worse...

 

[kwb]

No surveys required - shop permit was ~$2k, house remodel was ~$3k..... all so I could spend more money to build the things and subsequently pay more property taxes.

Rural part of the county, house is valued at about average for the county.

 

[MattT]

Of course, you can't get impatient with them because they're holding all the cards.

No they ain't. They work for someone you get to vote for or against. Call their boss

Or you could do what a guy I know did. Buy the AG zoned land behind the zoning nazi's house and set up a free range hog farm on it Wasn't a damn thing the piece of trash could do about it

 

[ddawg16]

Engineering $1200 (2 story garage)
Survey $800 (I didn't need it, but wanted it so I could get as close to the property line as possible...I gained 6" I thought I didn't have)
Tree Removal $800 (tree was on neighbors yard...6" from my garage...survey convinced him that it needed to come down)
Permits $550

And that was before lifting a hammer...

All worth every penny...The tree dumped leaves in my yard every day...hated that tree...survey made it's removal easy...and with the survey, I know exactly where my property is now....it means I can also make my driveway about 6" wider when I redo it.

Permits? Worth it...I bet the inspector answered enough questions from me to justify the expense.....and if I ever sell the house....it's all legal....

 

[twostory]

I feel you pain. Due to my home being in a "river cooridor", they have special restrictions on building on my lot.

I had to pay $400 for an "as built" survey when everything was done, to get my CO and the get the inspection/approval process finally done.

I would have rather bought tools or just pissed away $400 than pay for a stupid survey of "what is done". I already had a survey of my property from when I bought my home.

 

[m.james]

I finally have my building permit!

$1100 in surveying
$600 in permit fees (more to come).

And I still had to fight like crazy to get the permit.

They wanted a professionally completed site plan showing topology and all grading changes...My building site is almost flat! But since I am building within 45' of a slope apparently you need to obtain a "development permit". Then he started talking about wildfire mitigation plan.. I live in a residential area! Finally talked to a different guy who was willing to use a more common sense approach and approve the permit.


Frustrating but it's finally over with. Gotta get one of my foundation walls engineered tho

Kinda scary that I've spent all this effort and $$$ but haven't even started to build anything yet! Anyone else have problems getting their permit when it should have been straight forward?

I went through planning in a few weeks, while my neighbor who is doing a much more extensive plan has been going through months worth of planning and arguing. I almost believe they approved me just to piss him off however mine is barely a shed just big enough for one car that will never go inside. I'm waiting on estimates until I begin.

 

[rieferman]

When I started saving the barn, everyone would ask me why I didn't just rip it down and start again.

For one, as an existing structure under the minimum square footage for an outbuilding in our area, none of my work required permits, inspections, fees, or increased taxes.

 

[Bigrhamr]

The one positive thing I have noticed lately is a big change in attitude of the county planning and development officials where I own some property in Washington state.
Last time I dealt with them was during the construction boom. You could hardly talk to anybody in person, about the only way to get a question answered was to fill out forms, pay your application fees and wait for them to deny it then they would tell you why.

A couple months ago I went into their office to start the ball rolling on splitting a lot off of some acreage. Walked in the door and they are now only open part time, more than half the staff is laid off. Naturally I was there on a day when the department was closed.
I was standing there reading the signs when a building inspector walked by and asked if I needed help, told him what I was after and he took me right back to the office of the guy who actually does reviews for subdivisions. Told him what I wanted to do and he printed out all the paperwork and walked me through it including several suggestions on how to make it pass on the first try.

What a change, I guess it goes along with seeing most of your co-workers out of a job.