Obtaining A Building Permit For Your House Plans
Kirya Duncan
Most house plans include everything you need to build your
home; however, additional items may be needed to obtain a
building permit. You will need a site plan which shows the
location of your house on the property, the property line, and
the setbacks. Other items may or may not include a septic tank
system design if your lot is not serviced by the city or county
sewer system.
Depending on the part of the country you live in, you will need
to insure your house plans are in compliance with local codes.
Many areas have specific energy codes and/ or special
engineering requirements that are to be followed. For instance,
the west coast area have strict engineering requirements for
areas subject to earthquakes. Areas such as Florida, the Gulf
of Mexico, and the southeast coast line are areas with high
risk of hurricanes requiring special engineering to withstand
such risk. North east areas such as New York, New Jersey,
Baltimore and surrounding areas require house plans to stamp by a
local licensed professional such as an architect or engineer.
Building in these areas, will likely require the need to hire a
local licensed structural engineer to analyze the house plans
and provide additional drawings and calculations required by
your building department. If you are unsure as to what is
required in you area, check with your building department. They
usually have some form of written instructions listing all of
the items they require to submit for and obtain a building
permit.
You will want to submit your plans and other require documents
for a permit as soon as possible so you can begin construction
at your scheduled time. Residential permits can take up to 3
months if everything is in order. If it is rejected for any
reason this can extend well into your schedule and disrupt the
entire building process in the beginning. So be smart and
properly plan for the permitting process.
About The Author: Kirya Duncan is a Professional Building
Designer and a member of AIBD (American Institute of Building
Designers). He specialize in custom home design services and
stock house plans. Visit his company website
http://www.designevolutions.com
to browse his house plan
collection and access more house plan related information.
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