Putting a basement under my garage (& back yard) ?

[SALIV8]

yes im pretty sure he meant variance.

Now the show starts! congrats on the permit and I cant wait to see how this goes. quite the project to undertake and more than I could stomach. Please keep us all informed.

 

[coldh2o]

We still need the conceptual permit

What is a conceptual permit? Never heard that term before.

 

[someguy11]

The conceptual permit is when something doesn't fit the design bylaws and you need special permission. Its the process by which you get permission to do something out of the ordinary. Once you get that permission, then you can incorporate it into the building permit, which is permission to actually build something.

She called it an easement. I suspect because its dimensional, ie height.

FYI, the "show" doesn't start until September, except for the front yard landscaping. Between now and then is lots of planning, procurement, design details, site prep, etc.

The front yard won't be a small job either. The designed patio pad is stained concrete 20 x 40 ish. Plus a curved concrete stairway. Plus 60 feet of curved retaining wall. And the irrigation system. And running the natgas line for the BBQ and natural gas fireplace. Plus planters, reseeding grass, pouring new concrete window wells... all between 4 weeks of summer holidays. Its going to be a busy summer.

A guy I know is renting the A300 from me as soon as it gets here.

 

[Tyberius]

Putting a basement under my garage (& back yard) ?

She called it an easement. I suspect because its dimensional, ie height.

It's a variance. She misspoke. The easement is something granted by the private property owner to allow someone else to use the owners property. Usually you get paid for it.

 

[someguy11]

Got me a new lawn ornament.

Its sitting there because I'm working in the garage and I haven't put the gate in the fence yet.

Still waiting for the SE and landscape designer to update their drawings. Frustrating.

Word from the field is that it works pretty well, even with no teeth on the bucket and a worn cutting edge. And a rookie operator !

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Progress is being made! Congratulations.

I don't mean to be a naysayer, and this idea of yours is very interesting to follow, but your comments have demonstrated that the entire plan is full of potential pitfalls you've chosen to turn a blind eye to. All I can really say is that if something happens later in the future, you really have no excuse and can't claim ignorance.

Now on to the fun part, the actual construction!

 

[someguy11]

I'm not turning a blind eye to the pitfalls. They are potentially there. We'll see what unfolds as we do the project. All projects have pitfalls. Its how you handle them that counts. And I don't see any that are insurmountable.

 

[Strouty]

Glad the machine has arrived, it looks like a nice toy……………….I mean tool.

 

[someguy11]

The SE and the landscape designer finally got their drawings done on the weekend. I assembled the rest of the documentation and submitted the official conceptual permit application today. The city checked my package and accepted it.

I officially have a development permit application in the works.

 

[BlueBomber]

Congrats! Can't wait to see the 'implements of destruction' get to work!

 

[bczygan]

I love the multistage process some jurisdictions put you through........NOT!

 

[RobSmith]

Just saw this post...Google "DINCEL Construction System " You might like it !

 

[Playwme]

I'm not turning a blind eye to the pitfalls. They are potentially there. We'll see what unfolds as we do the project. All projects have pitfalls. Its how you handle them that counts. And I don't see any that are insurmountable.

That's the right attitude to have.

"Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by someone who just got on with it and did it. "

 

[MG David]

You may have explained this before and may have forgotten.

Given weather and its close relatives mud and ice why don't you start once you have the permit rather than wait until September which is the start date you have indicated before?

All power to your elbow.

 

[BlueBomber]

Any updates?

 

[someguy11]

Sorry for the silence, I've been on holidays since late June.

I've got an update, but its not pretty.

First off, an investment of ours took a big hit a few weeks ago. I'm a fiscally conservative guy, so I'm not inclined to spend money on the garage project when our portfolio isn't up to snuff. I'm also involved as a quasi shareholder activist in getting the company back on track. This has taken a lot of my time and focus, even though I was supposedly on holidays for the last nearly 3 weeks.

Next up, the weather is making me nervous. We've been getting hit with frequent, random summer rain storms which have dumped a lot of moisture into the ground. So much so that there is water sitting in fields. I haven't dug soil tests in the backyard yet, but I suspect that things are pretty water logged back there. I was hoping for a dry el nino summer !

Third, the conceptual permit is moving slower than I hoped. The city is fine with what we are doing, but the local building code officer isn't happy with the eave design and its location close to the property line, of all things.

We are proposing all sorts of alternatives (no eave at all, no soffit under the eave, etc.) The hang up is that the city likes what we have proposed and wants the building code officer to relent. The building code officer wants us to change the plan to something the city doesn't like. Right now my city contact is on holidays so the whole application is stalled. I'll be back working on resolving this on Monday.

Another issue cropping into the picture is that the front yard patio project is stalled. I just got the final design for it earlier this week and the spec for the patio and wall material changed. I need to go hunting for some really nice flagstone/grand flagstone rock and wall rock. I was going to pour these in concrete, but I've been advised to bump up the spec. So I need to go on a wild goose chase to find sources for really nice rock.

Couple all this with the fact that I'm taking 2+ weeks off in August for family holidays and the chances of this project being ready to go on September 1st are pretty slim. I won't say there is a zero chance of it going ahead, but it doesn't look good.

Not to fear, the time I've spend on this project has convinced me and my wife that it's totally worth doing. If it doesn't go ahead this fall, it will next fall.

 

[ez-duzit]

...I've been on holidays since late June...
an investment of ours took a big hit a few weeks ago...
the weather is making me nervous...
the conceptual permit is moving slower than I hoped....
the front yard patio project is stalled...
I'm taking 2+ weeks off in August for family holidays...

That's quite a list of excuses. Who would have thought that 5 weeks of holidays and a stalled patio project could have had such an impact on your basement plans?

 

[someguy11]

That's quite a list of excuses. Who would have thought that 5 weeks of holidays and a stalled patio project could have had such an impact on your basement plans?

Luckily I don't live by your standards. I'll proceed when I am ready to proceed. If nothing else, I consider getting the conceptual permit done a major step forward for the project.

The largest impediment to moving forward is financial. I said that the whole project was subject to finances at the outset of the project.

FWIW, I'm way more disappointed than any of you are. I'm crushed that we probably won't be going forward this fall. My heart was set on it. But it doesn't do me any good to dwell on that, so I'm doing what I can to get our investment back on track.

 

[xtremek]

Since your not going to be using the skid steer, can I borrow it for a few day?

 

[SALIV8]

and the hammer has dropped...

I definitely would not build if I were losing money myself.. I figured you didnt have financial issues based on your posts of you renovating a million dollar home and what not.

hopefully this can continue sometime in the future. I was looking forward to see this project, thats for sure.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Sorry to hear the weather isn't holding up for your construction. The city not having their act together- yeah, that's not terribly surprising. That could go on for months.

Good luck, and I hope things clear up soon.

 

[wantacoe]

Just saw this thread. Man that is a ambitious project! Sure hope you get it done and would love to see the finished project.

 

[sublimate]

How's it coming?

 

[blkhonda1991]

any update?

 

[James-W]

any update?

Apparently not.

 

[xtremek]

Are you making any headway? We haven't heard from you in a while. I hope everything is ok.

 

[dcbullet]

He said he had money problems a couple months ago. I doubt we will see anything soon.

 

[ez-duzit]

He and his helper should have been done by now.

 

[someguy11]

I'm fine, thanks for the concern.

I don't have money problems. I had an investment take a dive and it required lots of intervention and attention. I thus put the garage project on hold while I dealt with it.

So we didn't proceed with the project this fall, though I certainly wish we would have.

Stay tuned, this project isn't over yet.

 

[someguy11]

Quick update: the development permit was granted this spring. The city is happy with the plan. There were no big issues once I met with them and explained the goals and usage of the space. I stalled on providing some drawings and materials over winter so that the permit would be dated this spring rather than last fall. I have 2 years to start construction before needing to apply for an extension.

I'm giving serious thought to going ahead with the project this fall. We'll see how things unfold from now until then.

 

[MJB24]

Quick update: the development permit was granted this spring. The city is happy with the plan. There were no big issues once I met with them and explained the goals and usage of the space. I stalled on providing some drawings and materials over winter so that the permit would be dated this spring rather than last fall. I have 2 years to start construction before needing to apply for an extension.

I'm giving serious thought to going ahead with the project this fall. We'll see how things unfold from now until then.

Very nice. Keep us posted.

 

[kbs2244]

Over a year for an approval?

 

[Strouty]

Over a year for an approval?

I have had a few projects that took almost 10 years to get approval.

 

[Todd.Brock]

That was a lot of reading. I hope that we get to see the project completed. Good luck!

 

[Tyberius]

Looking forward to seeing more!

 

[someguy11]

Little Tidbit.

We've done a lot of work with the A300 since I got it.

On my property, we cleaned up the back yard, resloped it, removed 3 trees, and put in a bunch of drainage around the house. At my mother in laws, we removed 2 truckloads of dirt and debris and put in 70 feet of retaining wall.

We are currently building a patio on the front of my house. We had to remove the existing steps and pad with a concrete hammer on the A300 and place and compact 30 yards of road crush for the base. Then dig the base for the footing and pour 60 feet of retaining wall. We shuttled the concrete between the mixer truck and the forms with the A300.

We also did a job for my neighbor where we removed 60 feet of concrete retaining wall and 100 yards of dirt from her backyard. We had to carry the dirt down her sloped front yard, down to the street where we stockpiled it before loading it into trucks that hauled it away. The slope on her front yard is similar to what the ramp will be going into the basement on my project.

I'm not in the landscaping business. These were just jobs that needed to be done and we did because we have the A300 and it is so easy to do them with it. I charged my neighbor for her job and made a nice profit doing it.

The A300 has been running great. Other than a couple sensor issues and a broken muffler mount, it has been trouble free. With the 1 yard bucket which it handles well, it is a very productive machine. On big jobs and loading trucks, it will run circles around most other wheeled skid steers.

If the dirt is dry, the A300 isn't going to have any trouble removing 600 yards from my back yard.

It is great to have gained this experience both with the machine and moving dirt in general prior to starting my project.

 

[jfish]

What's the word someguy? I subscribed last year and watched the idea unfold. Anything new?

 

[C_F]

That was a lot of reading. I hope that we get to see the project completed. Good luck!

Same here! I hope you were able to get your project underway & have just been too stinkin' busy to post progress photos. Looking forward to some good updates.

 

[jblnut]

I just spent a few hours reading through this just to have it sort of stall out and need to know the status !!

Did it happen, is it happening, and lets see some more pictures !!!

 

[Jend209]

Stumbled upon this thread in researching adding a basement under backyard or garage. I’d love to hear got the project went. I hope by this time you’re enjoying the fruits of your labor!