Building Permit Time Frame

Started by cbc58, June 21, 2011, 06:47:49 PM

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cbc58

Has anyone run into the issue of a set amount of time you are given for construction on your place?  We are researching building permits and they say that it has to be completed within one year.  Heck... I want to get a place weather tight and then work on it for years and years as time and money allow.

Anyone ever have an issue with the permit expiring?


MountainDon

One year is typical. Here, the building dept was very easy to deal with (a few years ago) with granting an extension without paying any additional fees. Not sure about today, but with the way the city and state governments have been increasing fees and inventing new ones, I would be surprised to see them want more money.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


archimedes

#2
The way it works here is,  that as long a you pass one portion of the permitting process every six months,   you can extend the permitting process essentially almost indefinitely.

For instance,  you do the foundation,  pass inspection,  then you get another six months.  Do the framing,  pass inspection,  get another six months,  and so on.  

So you basically need to pass an inspection every six months to show that the project is progressing. 

I think they even waive any add'l fees,  so long as you extend the permit before it expires.
Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough,  and I will move the world.

Don_P

It varies, here they are quite lenient as long as progress is shown. A helper of ours in another jurisdiction over 20 years ago had to pay the permit fee again after 6 months.
All depending, an extension keeps the original permit intact, repermitting can mean that you have to meet a newer code edition.

cbc58

i can't imagine they can make you completely finish a property on the inside within a certain timeframe.. but perhaps I'm mistaken.  maybe it's just major systems to a habitable level.  guess we need to read the fine print before planning further.


Squirl

We have the same in our permit form.  I called the building inspector and asked.  He said that is was mainly to stop people from abandoning a project and picking it up years later or another person that buys a property coming in under the original permit issued years earlier on an abandoned project.  I ran into this a few times when property shopping.  People were selling half finished properties.  When I inquired the realtor or they always said "I have a building permit for ..." and that I could finish it.  Mean while the permit expired years ago and the house deteriorated from non use.  The inspector said as long as it is the same owner and work is getting done, he would continue to reissue the permit indefinitely.

I also suspect there is a fee issue with it too.

MushCreek

A year isn't very long. I've seen homes built by professional custom builders that went well over a year. Where I'm building in SC, the same 6 month rule applies. As long as I call for some kind of inspection every 6 months, there's no limit. Of course, eventually you run out of things to inspect!
Jay

I'm not poor- I'm financially underpowered.