Building Permitting Process

[UCGal]

[quote=Jacarandoso]I think you potentially have a decent deal with this person, Brian. Someone might do the plans cheaper, but if you know this person is good that’s worth something.

If you choose to go with him, pace about half the money due to him up to plan check with a payment when the building department takes your prints in. Give him the rest when you get approval to get permits. Could be “over the counter” too, but I doubt it.

Check with the building department to find out what the reasonable time for them to process your project is and hold you guy to it.

That’s about how I would do it anyway. I have drawn and submitted house plans three times now with the county. I did one plan check with the city when my client’s architect was dropping the ball. The biggest problem I had with any of my own submittals was getting past the loathsome rookie technicians with the county who kept doling out odd requirements for the pre-submittal process one at a time. I finally lost my temper with them and got with a supervisor who put a stop to it. Other than that it wasn’t bad at all.

Sometimes you have to fend off bogus requirements so experience helps there too. Maybe someone else wouldn’t fight for you as much as you would for yourself.[/quote]

ITA with what Russell said.

My husband went through the Kafka-esque permit process for the companion unit. He also deals with Development Services for work. (He’s an architect)… The process can be very frustrating.

Even a lot of contractors have people just to sit in line… DH described one person who had taken over a desk in the hall – she worked for a couple of different contractors pulling permits for them, submitting change requests… Her entire life was spent at development services. Not fun. This was during a more boom time (2006/2007)… when he was trying to get our plans through.

[briansd1]

[quote=EconProf]Brian: Your past posts show you like big government spending and involvement in our lives and economy.
Please, PLEASE, build this garage and go through the permitting process yourself![/quote]

haha. point well taken.

I loathe the local building permitting process. It’s like a mafia you need to payoff for “protection.” As UCGal said, Kafkaesque (complex and pointless) is a good word for it.

To be honest, I don’t hesitate to get work done without a permit when it’s inside and nobody knows.

My garage project is actually quite simple. I’m thinking of doing it without a permit. But I don’t want to get caught when a nosy neighbor complains.

I have a long driveway so I just want to extend the garage out and double the size of it.

I notice that zoning enforcement is very haphazard. I drive around and I see patio covers and additions that clearly don’t meet setback requirements.

[briansd1]

[quote=EconProf]Brian: Your past posts show you like big government spending and involvement in our lives and economy.
Please, PLEASE, build this garage and go through the permitting process yourself![/quote]

haha. point well taken.

I loathe the local building permitting process. It’s like a mafia you need to payoff for “protection.” As UCGal said, Kafkaesque (complex and pointless) is a good word for it.

To be honest, I don’t hesitate to get work done without a permit when it’s inside and nobody knows.

My garage project is actually quite simple. I’m thinking of doing it without a permit. But I don’t want to get caught when a nosy neighbor complains.

I have a long driveway so I just want to extend the garage out and double the size of it.

I notice that zoning enforcement is very haphazard. I drive around and I see patio covers and additions that clearly don’t meet setback requirements.

[briansd1]

[quote=EconProf]Brian: Your past posts show you like big government spending and involvement in our lives and economy.
Please, PLEASE, build this garage and go through the permitting process yourself![/quote]

haha. point well taken.

I loathe the local building permitting process. It’s like a mafia you need to payoff for “protection.” As UCGal said, Kafkaesque (complex and pointless) is a good word for it.

To be honest, I don’t hesitate to get work done without a permit when it’s inside and nobody knows.

My garage project is actually quite simple. I’m thinking of doing it without a permit. But I don’t want to get caught when a nosy neighbor complains.

I have a long driveway so I just want to extend the garage out and double the size of it.

I notice that zoning enforcement is very haphazard. I drive around and I see patio covers and additions that clearly don’t meet setback requirements.

[briansd1]

[quote=EconProf]Brian: Your past posts show you like big government spending and involvement in our lives and economy.
Please, PLEASE, build this garage and go through the permitting process yourself![/quote]

haha. point well taken.

I loathe the local building permitting process. It’s like a mafia you need to payoff for “protection.” As UCGal said, Kafkaesque (complex and pointless) is a good word for it.

To be honest, I don’t hesitate to get work done without a permit when it’s inside and nobody knows.

My garage project is actually quite simple. I’m thinking of doing it without a permit. But I don’t want to get caught when a nosy neighbor complains.

I have a long driveway so I just want to extend the garage out and double the size of it.

I notice that zoning enforcement is very haphazard. I drive around and I see patio covers and additions that clearly don’t meet setback requirements.

[briansd1]

[quote=EconProf]Brian: Your past posts show you like big government spending and involvement in our lives and economy.
Please, PLEASE, build this garage and go through the permitting process yourself![/quote]

haha. point well taken.

I loathe the local building permitting process. It’s like a mafia you need to payoff for “protection.” As UCGal said, Kafkaesque (complex and pointless) is a good word for it.

To be honest, I don’t hesitate to get work done without a permit when it’s inside and nobody knows.

My garage project is actually quite simple. I’m thinking of doing it without a permit. But I don’t want to get caught when a nosy neighbor complains.

I have a long driveway so I just want to extend the garage out and double the size of it.

I notice that zoning enforcement is very haphazard. I drive around and I see patio covers and additions that clearly don’t meet setback requirements.

[davelj]

This will be a nightmare, I promise you.

I just went through the process for adding about 180 square feet (via a loft) in a condo I recently bought. It should have taken a month and cost about $700 (in fees). Instead it took four months and cost almost $2,000 in fees. And, of course, having my drafting firm have to go back and re-do shit god-knows-how-many times added a few thousand dollars onto the project´s cost. So, the total cost of permitting – including drafting, permits, and all the other BS was probably almost $4,500. Should have been about $1,500. Now, I´m still glad I did it. Getting the extra square footage permitted was important to me, and the actual construction costs came in well below my initial estimate, so it all came out in the wash. But… dealing with the City was a major pain in the ass. I had no idea how fucked up it would be.

[davelj]

This will be a nightmare, I promise you.

I just went through the process for adding about 180 square feet (via a loft) in a condo I recently bought. It should have taken a month and cost about $700 (in fees). Instead it took four months and cost almost $2,000 in fees. And, of course, having my drafting firm have to go back and re-do shit god-knows-how-many times added a few thousand dollars onto the project´s cost. So, the total cost of permitting – including drafting, permits, and all the other BS was probably almost $4,500. Should have been about $1,500. Now, I´m still glad I did it. Getting the extra square footage permitted was important to me, and the actual construction costs came in well below my initial estimate, so it all came out in the wash. But… dealing with the City was a major pain in the ass. I had no idea how fucked up it would be.

[davelj]

This will be a nightmare, I promise you.

I just went through the process for adding about 180 square feet (via a loft) in a condo I recently bought. It should have taken a month and cost about $700 (in fees). Instead it took four months and cost almost $2,000 in fees. And, of course, having my drafting firm have to go back and re-do shit god-knows-how-many times added a few thousand dollars onto the project´s cost. So, the total cost of permitting – including drafting, permits, and all the other BS was probably almost $4,500. Should have been about $1,500. Now, I´m still glad I did it. Getting the extra square footage permitted was important to me, and the actual construction costs came in well below my initial estimate, so it all came out in the wash. But… dealing with the City was a major pain in the ass. I had no idea how fucked up it would be.

[davelj]

This will be a nightmare, I promise you.

I just went through the process for adding about 180 square feet (via a loft) in a condo I recently bought. It should have taken a month and cost about $700 (in fees). Instead it took four months and cost almost $2,000 in fees. And, of course, having my drafting firm have to go back and re-do shit god-knows-how-many times added a few thousand dollars onto the project´s cost. So, the total cost of permitting – including drafting, permits, and all the other BS was probably almost $4,500. Should have been about $1,500. Now, I´m still glad I did it. Getting the extra square footage permitted was important to me, and the actual construction costs came in well below my initial estimate, so it all came out in the wash. But… dealing with the City was a major pain in the ass. I had no idea how fucked up it would be.

[davelj]

This will be a nightmare, I promise you.

I just went through the process for adding about 180 square feet (via a loft) in a condo I recently bought. It should have taken a month and cost about $700 (in fees). Instead it took four months and cost almost $2,000 in fees. And, of course, having my drafting firm have to go back and re-do shit god-knows-how-many times added a few thousand dollars onto the project´s cost. So, the total cost of permitting – including drafting, permits, and all the other BS was probably almost $4,500. Should have been about $1,500. Now, I´m still glad I did it. Getting the extra square footage permitted was important to me, and the actual construction costs came in well below my initial estimate, so it all came out in the wash. But… dealing with the City was a major pain in the ass. I had no idea how fucked up it would be.

[OnPoint]

[quote=briansd1]To build a garage, my guy is quoting me roughly:

$1,500 for plans to submit (include parcel research, looking up setbacks, buildable area, etc…

$500 if he does the permitting process.

He thinks the city fees will be about $1,200 (up to a max of 5 inspections during the building process).

Of course the cost to build the structure is extra.[/quote]

Sounds low. I was looking into doing a parcel merge. As I recall, City of SD told me that initial feasibility reviews (can the project proceed at all) were ~$600 per discipline (electrical, plumbing, surveying, etc). I would have needed at least two. Then general build plans would need review; then detailed blueprints; then inspections during the build.

I assume your garage would have at least electrical? Water too?

I did not proceed. It’s just so much easier to do nothing 🙂

And you may have heard this before, but when you get a ruling like “yes, we’ll allow this,” get it in writing. Story I was told by neighbors: got stopped mid-project while doing work approved by inspector A. Then inspector B came along and said no way. They were able to prove the work had been officially OK’ed. But that process alone took weeks (i.e., add cost of extra month offsite rental while project is stalled).

[OnPoint]

[quote=briansd1]To build a garage, my guy is quoting me roughly:

$1,500 for plans to submit (include parcel research, looking up setbacks, buildable area, etc…

$500 if he does the permitting process.

He thinks the city fees will be about $1,200 (up to a max of 5 inspections during the building process).

Of course the cost to build the structure is extra.[/quote]

Sounds low. I was looking into doing a parcel merge. As I recall, City of SD told me that initial feasibility reviews (can the project proceed at all) were ~$600 per discipline (electrical, plumbing, surveying, etc). I would have needed at least two. Then general build plans would need review; then detailed blueprints; then inspections during the build.

I assume your garage would have at least electrical? Water too?

I did not proceed. It’s just so much easier to do nothing 🙂

And you may have heard this before, but when you get a ruling like “yes, we’ll allow this,” get it in writing. Story I was told by neighbors: got stopped mid-project while doing work approved by inspector A. Then inspector B came along and said no way. They were able to prove the work had been officially OK’ed. But that process alone took weeks (i.e., add cost of extra month offsite rental while project is stalled).

[OnPoint]

[quote=briansd1]To build a garage, my guy is quoting me roughly:

$1,500 for plans to submit (include parcel research, looking up setbacks, buildable area, etc…

$500 if he does the permitting process.

He thinks the city fees will be about $1,200 (up to a max of 5 inspections during the building process).

Of course the cost to build the structure is extra.[/quote]

Sounds low. I was looking into doing a parcel merge. As I recall, City of SD told me that initial feasibility reviews (can the project proceed at all) were ~$600 per discipline (electrical, plumbing, surveying, etc). I would have needed at least two. Then general build plans would need review; then detailed blueprints; then inspections during the build.

I assume your garage would have at least electrical? Water too?

I did not proceed. It’s just so much easier to do nothing 🙂

And you may have heard this before, but when you get a ruling like “yes, we’ll allow this,” get it in writing. Story I was told by neighbors: got stopped mid-project while doing work approved by inspector A. Then inspector B came along and said no way. They were able to prove the work had been officially OK’ed. But that process alone took weeks (i.e., add cost of extra month offsite rental while project is stalled).

[OnPoint]

[quote=briansd1]To build a garage, my guy is quoting me roughly:

$1,500 for plans to submit (include parcel research, looking up setbacks, buildable area, etc…

$500 if he does the permitting process.

He thinks the city fees will be about $1,200 (up to a max of 5 inspections during the building process).

Of course the cost to build the structure is extra.[/quote]

Sounds low. I was looking into doing a parcel merge. As I recall, City of SD told me that initial feasibility reviews (can the project proceed at all) were ~$600 per discipline (electrical, plumbing, surveying, etc). I would have needed at least two. Then general build plans would need review; then detailed blueprints; then inspections during the build.

I assume your garage would have at least electrical? Water too?

I did not proceed. It’s just so much easier to do nothing 🙂

And you may have heard this before, but when you get a ruling like “yes, we’ll allow this,” get it in writing. Story I was told by neighbors: got stopped mid-project while doing work approved by inspector A. Then inspector B came along and said no way. They were able to prove the work had been officially OK’ed. But that process alone took weeks (i.e., add cost of extra month offsite rental while project is stalled).

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