County Inspections - Building Codes

[jack707]

I wont allow them on my land so they cant look in my pole barn to see if I have A CONCRET FLOOR THEY SAY ITS A PERMENATE dwelling then = more tax money!.

 

[Country Geek]

I don't know about your state but in NC if you can get a professional engineer to sign off on it, that overrides the codes/inspection. Learned this from experience. Recently my mom sold her 41 year old house that my parents had bought new. Naturally the buyer's inspector found a bunch of code violations. Unchanged stuff would grandfather, but all 41 year old houses have had renovations or updates done and this one was no exception. Fixed some stuff but for the more unreasonable things, just got an engineer's letter under his seal that it was OK. Inspectors have to accept that apparently.

Also a few years ago I did a commercial upfit in one of the strictest towns around, the engineer's letter got me out of a lot of tough spots with inspectors.

If you do work without a permit, you may get away with it but you are screwing over the next owner of the place, or maybe the next one after that. Because eventually they will find out and since there was no permit there is no grandfathering and everything has to be retroactively brought up to current code (not the code at the time it was built!). I experienced that in spades with my commercial upfit... previous tenant had done a bunch of major work without permits and I had to pay the price to get my place occupied.

 

[paulharvey]

Looking for a reality check when dealing with county inspectors.

Ask questions or just ask forgiveness.

Starting construction of our retirement home and first hoop is watershed approval. Being of sound mind and body I can comprehend the documented requirements to prevent the possible contamination of our water resources. However, after reading these requirements I am 100% sure the local and state government is in non-compliance on every construction project I have ever seen.

So when the code requires a 20' foot construction entrance of 6" gravel to prevent mud from being tracked onto public roads do I need to remove my 16" gate to comply with this restriction?

My gut feeling is to build my home on my property and shoot any trespasser's who would like to inspect my property is trumped with the knowledge that my Son may want to sell his inheritance someday.

So should I try and clarify the requirements or just show effort and correct the deficiencies as they find them?

I'm not a building inspector; but I've been a county road/row inspector, city water/sewer inspector, and now work for an engineering company as a consultant inspector for FDOT. As a note, I often think the rules can be over zealous. The detail you posted would be a standard detail for construction entrance, and pretty much as plays to all construction in Florida. (Don't know where you are, can't view the user profile details on phone app).

I do believe you can be exempt if your total disturbed area does Not exceed half an acre (total development; 200 new homes on 100 acre development would not be exempt). Do your plans call for silt fence around the perimeter?

Now, I'll explain some of their reasoning for the rule:
You don't get to just track mud onto the city/county/state's road

You don't get to damage the edge of pavement with concrete trucks, dump trucks, and general construction activity

They want Right of Way permits, because they want a way to come back on you for any damage you (or your contractors) do to Their property (not just the road, the entire RoW).

They don't want people just randomly building driveways anywhere, filling in swales, blocking drainage, ect.

And lastly, yes, environmental.... a large construction site can have a LARGE amount of silt run off; like 20 tons per acre per inch of rain. That's a lot of clean up if it is uncontrolled.


I'm on property rights side of 99% of arguments, and you probably aren't trying to do stupid stuff in the RoW, but if they don't have a law/regulation, how can they tell.

If you can talk to the actual inspector, 90% of them are just doing there job, and trying to keep order; 10% are miserable people who failed as contractors and now hate construction, and try to be little dictators.

 

[paulharvey]

Appreciate your thoughts -

To clarify, I do not dislike inspectors and with a couple exceptions have found them friendly and helpful. Also I typically over engineer (over-think) any project I am doing so I am happy to follow the intent of the regulations.

Because I am a stickler I do take exception when the rules obviously make no sense in a given situation and was curios if, from your experiences, have found inspectors have the latitude to make these exceptions or if by asking I am ensuring enforcement.

The attached drawing would dictate I remove my gate, widen and grade my driveway for the sole purpose of keeping mud off a secondary road.
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=421807"/>

From everyone's answers I gather the group think is, don't ask a question if your afraid of the answer.

No loan will be needed, we are building house from savings on paid for property.

I'm pretty sure what they want is 20 ft wide within the ROW. Since your gate isn't (or had better not be) with in the ROW, you could go 20 ft wide to ROW, then down to 16 ft or whatever at your gate. Just give they guy a call; I think your over thinking and over worrying

Edit; if for some reason your gate is within the ROW; you will have to move it, it's no different then setting the gate on your neighbors property.

 

[Beltzington]

Yesterday afternoon, I was finally able to speak with the engineer who is doing the plans. The requirement's are levied by the state of Georgia but managed by the county. No one can make exceptions to the plans or they will be rejected by the state. The final call will be left to the onsite inspector but in his experience as long as the intent is satisfied they were reasonable. I will have about 2 acres of disturbed land due to the long driveway.

Surprisingly, he also the told me inspectors were sticklers about the type and installation of the silt fence and in his experience 90% of DIY installations were rejected.

Based on these unknowns I will most likely hire this out to a certified installer and let them work with the inspectors.

As a side note concerning these regulations I asked him why all the concern when on the same road a logging operation was dragging mud onto the pavement for 1/4-mile in every direction. Answer - logging operations are exempted from the states requirements.

 

[paulharvey]

Yesterday afternoon, I was finally able to speak with the engineer who is doing the plans. The requirement's are levied by the state of Georgia but managed by the county. No one can make exceptions to the plans or they will be rejected by the state. The final call will be left to the onsite inspector but in his experience as long as the intent is satisfied they were reasonable. I will have about 2 acres of disturbed land due to the long driveway.

Surprisingly, he also the told me inspectors were sticklers about the type and installation of the silt fence and in his experience 90% of DIY installations were rejected.

Based on these unknowns I will most likely hire this out to a certified installer and let them work with the inspectors.

As a side note concerning these regulations I asked him why all the concern when on the same road a logging operation was dragging mud onto the pavement for 1/4-mile in every direction. Answer - logging operations are exempted from the states requirements.

Silt fence is far from rocket science, but even a lot of constructions sub it out. You'll pay close to $0.50/lf in material, when you can probably sub it out for less than $0.75/lf. (Assuming it's not in a lot of trees and rocks) the installer buys miles and miles of it at a time, where you can't touch that. Also, homeowners could very easily buy the stuff with 10 o.c. posts, that isn't rated, install it all; only to find it does meet spec.

Some inspectors and engineers are real stickers on it; we wherent. We didn't make contractors put it on top of hill, etc; even if shown on the plans (we also where paying for it by the linear foot, as a pay item); others can and do make you do it exactly per plan.

If you do sub out installation, remember, it also has to be maintained, which isn't bad; and you probably should do yourself, rather than pay them to remobilizing for 20 ft.

Edit: I'm not a huge believer in the stuff, but you got to do what you got to do. It does serve a purpose, and a large development could very quickly block streams/creeks if uncontrolled.

Don't compare agricultural to construction. If they had to follow the same rules, it would be nearly impossible to grow or raise much of anything.

 

[Beltzington]

Don't compare agricultural to construction. If they had to follow the same rules, it would be nearly impossible to grow or raise much of anything.

Wow - Unfortunate so many Americans settle for what is instead of what should be. Special interests have/are ruining this country. If AG should cost more because of its impact than it should cost more. If this puts them out of business then that is price of a free market. Unfortunately free market is a term used by corp. with no intent of a free market only crying wolf. More unfortunate is the conservative culture buying this load of misinformation.

I'll concede you are talking about reality but Americans need to fight against what is wrong with the world. Accepting status quo is the easy but unacceptable solution.

 

[Terrydt100]

Worked for Oklahoma state department of health 26 years. For about 15 years inspected public and private wells and waste water systems along with food establishments. Yes there are some inspectors that are on a power trip. When ever I had individual that had a problem with my inspection I gave him or her my administratior and my supervising sanitarian's phone number. Thank goodness Oklahoma does not have the requirements that a lot of states have. Built my house 35 years ago in the country no inspections required except by the bank,for,well,and septic system.still no inspections required if building in the country.

 

[s219]

Here, the length of the gravel area is specified (50' I recall), but I have never seen them any wider than 12' or so. They are important to have to get the initial site plan approved, though the inspectors don't bother us about upkeep unless a gross travesty takes place and there is a lot of mud in the street. The wash rock areas take a lot of abuse during construction, that's for sure.

 

[MNBobcat]

I sit on our town board and was the roads supervisor last year.

There seems to be a lot of confusion. They are not talking the width of the driveway at all. If the driveway is 16 feet wide it will remain 16 feet wide. What they want is the last 20 feet of length in gravel where it matches up to the blacktop. Still 16 feet wide. That's pretty common. Especially if commercial traffic is involved.


They just want the gravel to keep mud from being dragged onto the blacktop. Also, the gravel helps prevent the edge of the blacktop road from being damaged as it provides more support for the traffic as it enters onto the blacktop. They don't want the edge of their expensive blacktop being broken and cracked.