Working with the Building Inspector

Preparing and submitting the paperwork and getting permits started for a new house usually involves visiting several governmental agencies. The Building Department is just one. Plan to spend at least a day talking with these folks. Hopefully all your city or county agencies will be near one another. In some areas these departments will be combined.

1) First, get all the information you can from the real estate agent and any property tax records. This material should give you a legal description, legal address and a tax id number at a minimum. You may have already taken care of questions like setbacks and septic design. If not, read on...

2) Your first stop is the tax assessors office (they keep records of ownership and taxes). Get copies of any information that office has about your land  legal description, tax ID, boundaries, current or previous buildings, owners, easements and assessments. They may have pictures taken by assessor visits in earlier times. If you want to know the same information on some nearby properties you can get copies of that as well. It's always nice to know a bit about the history of your neighbors and most people don't realize this information is in the public records. Usually this includes price and assessed value information!

3) Now go to the zoning department with your property information (they set the rules on land use and the size and type of structures that can be built on your property). You want to find out any requirements for setbacks, height limits, what types of buildings you can build and any issues such as sensitive areas, unstable slopes and protected waterways. You can also check for maps to see if there are nearby areas subject to different types of zoning or future development. (Can a hog farm be built next door? Does a developer own a nearby tract and plan to build a subdivision?)

You might ask if the zoning department has a topographic map that includes your property. If so, get copies. They may also have soil assessment maps that will show you the type of soil structure(s) you have on your property. This is helpful for planning your foundation and picking a garden site. Add all of this to your property information file.

4) Next, go to the Building Dept (concerned with the safety and structure of any new or remodeled buildings). Tell them in general what you are planning to build, and ask for their "residential submittal package". This should have the all necessary forms, an outline of the drawings needed, an estimate of permit costs and information on things like typical approved building details, how to draw your site plan, etc.

If you are interested in working your own building, ask about any owner-builder exemptions. Some places have such laws on the books but won't tell you about them unless you ask (owner-builder permits can have much lower permit fees and involve simpler plan reviews and inspections). These are usually only available in more rural counties.

Ask the plans examiner if most of their submitted plans are required to have an engineering review and if so, get a list of recommended local engineers. If you have your plans with you, ask for a pre-submittal review. The plans examiner should be able to look at your plans and spot any potential areas that might need to be modified or have notes added. They can often give you copies of needed details to add to your plans, or tell you if you need the workup of an engineer. On the other hand, some jurisdictions won't give you any information at all until everything is submitted and the permit fee is paid. Then they will tell you what you should have done in the first place (and now have to redo)!

It is often a good idea to ask "What would I have to do to this house to avoid having to send it to an engineer?" Many of the structural requirements of national and local codes have a prescriptive path for builders so they do not have to send every plan to an engineer. For simple houses the prescriptive requirements will usually apply or you can make a few simple changes and get them to work. Often there is some negotiation room here about how to handle a specific issue.

When you do submit your final plans (usually two sets) your permit set will likely come back with additional changes and notes marked on the plans. Don't be alarmed, most of these will be things you or the builder would probably do anyway. If there is something you do not agree with you can ask the plans reviewer for an explanation and if you have other options. It is wise to do this respectfully.

These marked up plans are your master set to use when dealing with the inspector and they will likely evolve further as the house is built.

5) Finally, (back to your day trip to the county) contact the Health Dept. and ask about any information they have on your property. Have their been any wells or septic permits filed before? If community water is available find out who to contact and the cost of connecting to that. The Health Dept. will have information on what is required in terms of water testing. Find out what forms and permits the Health Dept. will need for your water and septic or sewer installation. If needed, ask if they have a list of designers and installers of such systems.

On rural property, your septic tank, required drainfield, reserve area and the distance they are from a well can dictate where the house can be located. This is especially true if you are in marginal soils and the drainfield has to be located in a specific spot. Considering all this, you will want to find out this information early on (like before you buy the property!). In most cases the layout and design of a septic system must be done by a locally licensed designer. This person may also be an installer. In some states property cannot be sold until a septic system has been designed and approved.

6) Now, go home and go through all your paperwork and make up a simple flow chart of things to do, when they should be done, who does them, and what they are expected to cost. This is the planning and infrastructure work that has to be done before you can start building. It can be a frustrating time getting all the paperwork and people lined up to do these things. A lot of money goes out without much really happening on the project you think you are building.

We haven't yet talked about the other agencies, utility companies and subcontractors (clearing, driveway, etc.) that you will also have to contact and negotiate with. If you are working on your own project, then these will be on your plate. If you are working with a general contractor then they will be taking most of this load.

If you are going to be your own general, then running all these things to ground will be an exercise in planning and patience. A project consultant can be helpful at this stage in guiding you to the appropriate players and tracing a path through the bureaucratic maze.

When you actually start cutting wood it will seem like a real relief to be doing something real.