[quote=AN]. . . To bring in BG’s point from the other thread about what the city consider a remodel vs a rebuild, is there an designation about a house in the eyes of the city whether it’s a custom home or a tract home? If the house got burnt down and rebuilt with the exact same layout as the original house, would that be a custom home?[/quote]
Yes, AN, it is a “custom” home, even if they are using the original builder prints. If it was completely destroyed by fire, the owners may have only had part of a chimney left. The utility meters are gone and/or unusable. The slab may be charred, cracked and/or unusable. There is nothing left to “remodel.” Thus, what was built there would be a “custom” home and any new “white paper fee” would prevail and cost an extra $25K to $30K (depending on jurisdiction) for intermittent city/county supervision and final sign-off.
[quote=AN]If someone buy a tear down tract home, buy a plan that was used in a different tract and build it on their own lot, is that a custom home? K-Hovnanian have a program of build on your own lot. If a big builder build a house on your lot using one of the many floor plan they have in the portfolio, would that be a custom home?[/quote]
This would be a “custom” home ONLY if the lot was razed and no part of the old home was used, including foundation. Meters must be detached from the studs and possibly piping. It is possible you would then have to also pay for new water and gas meter resets and trench inspection.
If ANY portion of a wall is left standing on the old home and any portion of the foundation to support it to build the *new* home, then it will be a “complete remodel.”
AN, the type of home you build has nothing to do with whether the home is a complete remodel or new “custom-build.” It is what is left behind of the old structure that determines whether your project will be a “remodel” or “new construction – custom.”
Many of these types of homes you see in SD County today are a “complete remodel” of a home that was 50-85 years old. Most are done this way to save fees. The ones with an asterisk* could also be considered “custom,” (if built on a vacant lot with or without utilities orig present).
-architect-designed home specifically for lot/views*
-second story changing roofline
-increase of footprint w/homeowner drawings enhanced by (usually human) CAD illustrator
-increase of footprint drawn by professional (architect/CAD)
