They won't tell you what they expect of you?? Sounds like they don't really want to issue a permit, or they want you to hire a contractor. Most places are more cooperative than that.

It varies- a lot- with the local building department. In my part of SC, they need all of the electrical, plumbing, and mechanical, but oddly enough, no floor plan. They don't review plans, so none are needed, but they want a count of all of the above utilities. They charge you so much per item, which apparently is the only reason they want an accurate number.

Most jurisdictions will want detailed drawings of everything. You also need to find out what Building Code your local department goes by. That in itself will tell you a lot about what you can and cannot do.

That's what I thought too Jay. When I called, the woman was really vague, and really, really rude. I told her it was just a 10x12 dining room addition on a pre-existing slab and asked what they wanted to see for the permit. She said something about having our contractor submit plans and it was when I said we would be doing it ourselves that she became rude. She did tell me what code book they used, but I still don't know exactly what to submit, or in what format.

I have a floor plan, and can probably draw an elevation. We can write the specs showing we comply with code. Other than that, I have no idea.

This is a "city" incorporated about 20 years ago for the sole means of keeping a water treatment plant away from a residential area and has no city services except the occasional road repair and in the last few years, a marshall that patrols on hours he is off his regular job. There is one small city building, no other business in the town unless it is people working out of their home with no indication to the neighbors that there is a business there.

The county doesn't require anything. Go figure.

I hit the wrong submit button after I made an addition.

Dh went by the office (the city office is only open 3 days a week for 5 hours a day), and put on the charm, and she was nice to him but still vague.

Marti- Do you know any contractors? Maybe you could hire one, just to help with the paperwork and recommend subs, if there's anything you and DH can't do, yourselves. May not work in your situation...just an idea :)

Marti a lot of cities have their city code books online. Try Sterling codifiers and look for your state then city.

We are pretty lax here. If some one like you came into my office for a building permit. I would send them to our building inspector. Sadly he is 20 miles away. Or I would call him on the phone with your drawings in hand and ask him.

I think for the city the concern is the flood plain and setbacks. We do not charge by line items installed but by overall cost of project. I do not know the figures off the tip of my head other then from 0 to 500 dollars is $23.50. And I had a lady complain because she had to pay that much when her building was going to cost them about 100 dollars. NOT my rules. I just go by what the code book says.

Our city wants growth so we are not all that hard on building permits. the structures just need to meet code for safety.

No, don't know any. Dh has talked to a guy about doing the framing. I'll see what he knows.

Well, I called and they must have gone home early today. I did find something on the website that says they go by the 1999 Standard Building Code. I can't find anywhere to read it online, and the cost to buy it is just under $100. Does anyone know where to find code information online?

My city isn't in the Sterling codifiers. I called dh and asked him to call that builder he knows but he said he is sure the guy wouldn't have a code book and refused to call him. Grrr.

Marti did you try to go to your city webpage to see if they have their code book online? Not every city uses sterling as a codifier. Just hoped yours did. I do not understand why so many cities make it such a pain to build. Does not make sense to me.

Marti, I'm surprised they still use the 1999 Standard. In Mobile, we have the 2010 I think it is, because they changed a LOT of things since Hurricane Katrina, which was 2005. If you are paying homeowners insurance, give your agent a call and ask them what they use to judge "code" for insuring houses, and if anything is grandfathered in because of its age.

I know our city now requires "hurricane resistant" windows and the insurance company has a list of roofing products that they approve of and will give a better rate if you use certain brands and install the roofing a certain way. When they added the bumpout to our house, they were required to put long threaded rods embedded in the poured foundation (bordering the exterior addition), and that tied the roof, the rod extending all the way up. Neat as heck to watch them put all that in. They did the same thing when they reroofed the Teahouse, put in new foundation and rods went all the way up through the newly poured slurry of cement inside the existing cinder blocks, and tied to the rafters before they laid the roof decking. If they don't tell you that, you might not be covered by insurance on your addition.

You are in a hurricane zone are you not? Then your mortgage lender may know something too.

If I were you, Marti, I'd let your DH be the contact person to the lady at the city offices. It will save you a lot of frustration and grief. I've been there before, as I'm sure many women have.

marti, our city adopted a new code also a few years ago. My contractor said you used to be able to draw your own plans and it was all good. Now you have to get them drawn by and Architect and have them approved by a PE before submission. The plans include elevations, electricals and materials required.

No, there's no information on the city's webpage or link to the codebook. Just says they go by that one. Nothing on what they want people to submit either. I found some other cities with a list of things they want in the application, so we'll kind of go by those I guess.

No, ML, we aren't in a hurricane zone. Too far north, but we do get tornadoes here. We've always done things that are to code or better for that.

You're right, and I'm going to let/make dh be the contact person for the city, and let/make him take in the application. This city seems to go through a lot of city secretaries and I thought we could outlast her, but this one seems to have dug in.

I had called Friday and left a message asking what code, and then I found it on the website.

Anyway, I told her I found the code 1999 SBC. She said no, that's changed. Now they use the 2006 International Code. Then she started talking and it evolved to they need to inspect our slab before anything else.

You know, if it were any other "real" town, I'd understand all the rigmarole, but since it is this one, run the way it is, it's just getting my goat. *sigh* Sorry, had to vent.

Marti- This may or may not work...but when I was first going to college, there was a gal that worked for the billing/tuition department...and we just didn't mesh. She frustrated me, I frustrated her. And then it hit me, I was going to have to find a way to get along with this gal, so I decided to try a new approach. I came into the office and brought her a bouquet of daisies, from the store. I told her I really appreciated all her help and if I hoped we could work well together, in the future.

Luckily, she wasn't allergic to the flowers (LOL) and after that, we got along just fine. Later, she told me that she had a difficult job and people not only didn't appreciate her, but often resented what she had to tell them. She didn't make the decisions, but she was the 'face' for those, who did. She told me, when I brought her those flowers, it really made her day :)

That's a good idea, and if ever have to talk to her face to face, I'll try it.

Dh can deal with her. She doesn't have anything to do with the inspection, it's an independent company. If we don't pass, then it's all over anyway.

sorry you are going thru this. I've gotta say tho that when I worked for a local city - not everyone was trained properly - or knew what they were doing. I had lots of bz people tell me they'd called in and been told this, that and the other thing, none of which were true, correct or code. I worked in the tax dept (but it had some to do with bdlg code, other city code etc). a bz had to have a Cof O to get a bz license!

Anyway, some of the things these poor citizens were told were scarey! Many learned that if it didn't sound right to them, to wait and find me. Gee, I just hated to take a day off or even a few hrs to go to the doctor most of the time! I came back to such a mess! I really had to run interference for many of the bz people. sometimes those in bldg etc wouldn't be very helpful to them either!

A part time co-worker (and a treasure) had previously worked in out bldg permit office. For yrs she ran most of it - knew blders by name, had their info at her fingertips etc. When she had to leave there because of a physical problem it took 3 people to replace her. Lucky for us after she got a bit better (she'd had a stroke in her 30's!) she came to work for us part time. We were so grateful to have her.
I found out a few yrs after I left (I stayed far away for a number of yrs) that it took about 5 more people to replace me. oh, they needed several more even while i was there - I was always behind in the work. They also by then had a decent program to access the files. I had to look 'em up on the computer, see what stage they were in and then go look for their file... no one ever had to sign it out... anyway, the new system allowed for them to actually see copies of documents in the files (application, tax returns) so you no longer had to go find the physical file. gads, they had it so much easier - and so many more people to help!

anyway, all that to say - she probably doesn't have a clue!

can you talk to one of the inspectors?

I forgot to say - when I was setting up here in the late 90's I went thru some of that with the county I'm in. They ran me from one dept to another... then told me records I needed were at a particular office in a local city, so I drove there. Found out there that the records weren't there they were up in Phx.

I called Phx and was told their computers were down. I only had a few day window to get this paperwork done - and it was like 2 days before Christmas. At that point I just demanded to speak the the dept head. I was told he/she was out for the day. So, I demanded their home phone # (I had their name). They suddenly were able to find the actual document for me and fax it over to my bfs office.

Believe me I could have written a book on the run around/untruths I was put thru/told.

One of the last straws was when a girl in the county permit office tried to tell me I needed to pay 50.00 for a permit to turn off of the road into my driveway... no way Jose! I got attention from several in the office at that point... seems she thought 'something' (dangerous). She 'thought' I needed to have one of those drainage thingies under my drive (as in if I was bridging over the easement to access the drive - which wasn't the case).

If they don't know it, they often seem to make it up...

Yikes. I hope we don't have to go through that much. I'll talk to the inspector when he gets here, but since I don't know who they'll contract with yet, I don't know who to talk to, or what to ask anyway.