Thread: damn town code

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In my part of town, those canvas awning can only be up for 3 days. Then they must come down. The next town over, they have an Art Commitee that must approve any upgrades to your house, including color.

Yes,some of the rules seem ridiculous,but you wouldn't believe the crap tossed up by people circumventing the laws. If your prefab building doesn't come with approvable engineered drawings,switch manufacturers. What I really want to say here is don't get in a rush to put up something good enough for now,build something you can work with for the next 10 or 20 years. Hank

I built my garage about 8 years ago without a permit, no one ever said a thing but when I wanted to run gas for the furnace I had to get one. So I went in and they said I had to get 5 inspections done by 5 different departments. You should have seen the structural guy look at me when he saw it . He just looked at me and said it's done now and he couldn't do anything so he signed off both my initial and final permits. The electrical guy got mad at me and gave me a big lecture but signed it off anyways (only had to rewire one plug), then he had to come back to check it, a whole day wasted waiting again. Then 2 more days for the gas guy. So in the end I wasted 5 days but saved on property tax for 7 years. My conclusion, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission!!!

Oh yea, the one guy told me I also needed permits for my patio, my 8x8 shed and the retaining wall around my rear driveway....I said I'd apply for them that week, right.

Sean.

Jyardgirl this is the exact same kind of tactics that seeming now every large and small city uses in an effort to simply make more money.

The safety nazis, I call them, roam around applying their rules without logic or common sense. I've seen this scenario repeatedly and am convinced that the building and safety departments are ONLY interested making money.

I haven't dealt with these weiners in years and I'm still ticked.

I've built in various parts of the Western US, CO, AZ, NV, WA over the last 35 years and have had the opportunity to deal with various city, town and county building depts. Generally all fees collected for permits go into the "general fund" it is then budgeted out to all facets of the government. schools, fire and police, libraries, building dept, etc. Sure your taxes may go up but "you" not the government increased the taxable value of "your" property by building that new addition, garage or whatever.

If you don't want to pay for permits and jump through the hoops to build don't---but don't whine when or if you get caught and are forced to make corrections and pay belatedly for your permit or in some areas pay substantial fines in addition(usually pretty stiff) or ,and I have seen this happen,be forced to tear down your project.

Y'all may not like the process and I agree with some of the thoughts about government but there is a reason for building depts and inspectors. Some people think that if they own a wrench set they are mechanics just like some people that own a hammer and saw think they they are carpenters ---that doesn't make either one of them a mechanic or a carpenter because neither one of them has all the skill and or knowledge required.

Originally Posted by HemiTCoupe

I brought in 165 large dump truck loads of dirt into my back yard, and I had my house wrapped and vinyl siding put on, and completely remodeled the walkout basement, 4 new entry doors, I didn't need to get a permit, but when I had the house reroofed, and 8 new windows, I needed one!

Pat

I asked if I needed a permit to replace shingles they told me no,that is regular maintainance,like painting,I was also told I dont need a permit to replace one window,two or more ,you need a permit,so I only replaced one window at a time and did not need a permit

As a young lad, I remember helping grandpa enclose his garage to make a second living area. We got all the framing done behind the garage door. Then, we pulled the door off and put up the exterior sheet.

now ya see it, now ya don't.

well we plan to put electricity and a slab in the carport by summer. after we get a door on. you can bet that i will not be going to the town for permits. not after this.

Jyardgrl Make sure you do wiring to code or when or if you sell your home a
home inspection could show faulty wiring and buyer could ask you to fix it before close of escrow. One other point about permits think some one mentioned this before when you go to sell your house first thing a good agent would do is call county and make sure garage was permitted.
could cause problems when you sell your house. just somthing to think about.
have agret day mark

Let's put it in an even more explicit perspective. Technically your little Tuff Shed could be illegal in may municipalities. If that sounds crazy, it is. And it completely erodes any semblance of tax bases, public safety or anything other than buying a permit.

Quite a few years a ago I bout a spa and gazebo from the largest manufacturer in California. The spa has a licensed electrical contractor come to install that and the other guys erect a prefab wooden deck and latice work "roof." I had them install it almost touching the rear of my house.

Some a-hole neighbor eveidently called the safety nazis and out come these pricks. They go on to tell me if the deck sq. footing is more than 10X10 the gazebo is a building. It has to be more than 6' away from the house or attached to it. They made me get a $400 engineering report. The engineer never heard of such a dumbass thing either since there is no claculation for wind resistance of weight of snow accumulation valid in a gazebo.

OK so I get the thing "attached" to the house. But also I had to install a self closing gate between my house and garage adjacent to the spa. Why? So no toddler after scaling my 6' tall solid steel gate or block wall and defeating my German Sheperd would scle the steps, lift the 50 lb. cover and dive in.

On trips to the building dept with documented manufacturers' data you could just see what a boondoggle it all was. The guy is glancing at the heater/pump infor and electrical layout as some wise guy who hasn't the foggiest idea of what is going on walks by, glances over his shoulder and say some wire is too small and a ground aint right. Forget UL specs.

Years earlier when I did an addition all throughout construction it was the same sillyness with one inspector saying we didn't have to change what the previous guy said but this other little thingy here had to be done. And so it went.

So if you have a 10X12 Tuff Shed that ain't 6' from the nearest wall or fence or attached to it, you are illegal in this town bubba! They're changed the codes to now include the necessity of a city permit if you install sprinklers. Wanna concrete in the grass strip in your driveway? Permit mofo!

When we finaled the plumbing and electrical, right before the inspector comes over Friday morning 8 a.m., my contractor fills the water vent pipes and finds a nail hole in one of the waste returns. Water is peeing all over the plywood subfloor. He shoots a screw into the pipe to temperarily plug the leak, so we don't get held up for 4-5 days for the next inspection. the floor is soaking. This in October and cold here. The inspector comes and tells us everything is good to go but that we can't close in until he inspects all of the insulation. New code. He strutes out of there smiling because now I have to reschedule rockers and mudder for another week, Mr. Big Inspector, plops another shit burger and leaves, and we all think...doommuss(code for dumb ass)! If an 8 foot wet zone around a pipe doesn't get looked at, what is the putz there for?
Right after he left, I called our plumber and had him fix the sewer drain. If he'd have caught it it would have delayed the permit process and held up the rockers, etc.. which happened anyway with the insulation inspection rule, which had just been implemented. It use to be you could show a reciept for the insulation and that would do , now they have to visualize it.
These guys love changing the rules all the time. I was finalled three years later. The inspector comes shakes his head and says all of your kitchen lights have to be redone. they have to all be dedicated flourescent, and your bathroom lights have to be on a sensor that come on automatically. He's about to strut out thinking, ha, he has 10 resessed cans he'll have to dig out of the dry wall and replace,, and lots of dry wall repair, we showed him. I just smile, and say what year did that law go into effect, his grin faded, he says with authority, this January, I smile and say my pemits was issued before that date, and is now exempt from those restrictions, I can see him just fumming as he signs me off and stomps away. I get a call a half an hour later from the Planner who's been busting my chops for three years, saying she'll need to inspect the place personaly before it's officially finaled. I laugh because its too late, it is finaled and I have the paper work to prove it, but I invite her to come right over. She comes and tries to leave without saying anything, but not one to let a good thing go I greet her pleasantly hand her my paperwork, and have her put her little john hancock on the sheet, and send her wadling away!
I've been an active advocate of busting their chops in letters to the editor ever since. Seems they don't like public recognition for their poor behavior.