Starting our new life

[cat fever]

Well, the "fat lady" ain't singing yet!!

My builder said if we would of had the trusses when the outside walls were going up we would be sheet rocking right now. O well I knew it was going to be a challenge.

My neighbor building just 300 yards away is still waiting for footings/foundation to be put in. He is building it himself and can't get any contractors to work for him because they are all busy with builders like I have.

 

[kevin37b]

Nice looking place . No clutter on the site , good contractor . For the septic system I would call the inspectors boss before I started anymore digging , worked for me on two jobs . Enjoy the pictures . When does winter start ? Wish you good results , Kevin .

 

[ultrarunner]

I've done this before very diplomatically... just wanted to make sure we are all on the same page and it worked.

I have a builder friend that is so the opposite... some inspectors refuse to go to his jobs... if he finds a mistake on the inspectors part... he goes for blood... takes it to the mayor's office and speaks at city council open forum...

For me... I rather concentrate on the job at hand as opposed to teaching anyone a lesson.

 

[cat fever]

Thanks Kevin,

I do believe I have a very good general contractor on the job.

I thought about going over the inspectors head on the matter, but I understand why he wants it deeper and since I'll be living there until "death do we part" I might as well make it the best I can.

Winter could start next month. It will get cold but who knows how much snow we'll get. I just want to get in the house then it can snow and snow. Can't ride my sled on dry ground.:laughing:



Ultrarunner I agree with you. If I had the ambition to type what the inspector wrote, everyone on the forum would understand the confusion. I just wish I was not installing conduit while the septic was being installed.

 

[goeduck]

Going over an inspectors head can backfire and should be a last resort in my opinion.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I was very friendly to my inspectors, and fixed what they wanted fixed regardless if i thought they were wrong. Just makes life easier.

 

[ultrarunner]

The issue I had was when 3 inspectors all had different ideas over the swing of a door...

Door was hung without deviation to plan which went through design review.

Building Inspector comes in and writes correction to reverse swing citing ADA and I comply.

Fire Marschall comes in for final and I fail because the swing of the door is not per plan???

I show the correction notice issued by building and Fire Marshall says no sign off unless it is changed back???

The plumbing inspector gets wind of this and says the door needs to be per plan because of the sink???

Being the congenial person I am... I say I will make the door swing which ever way is necessary... but need all inspectors to agree and request a meeting at city hall... note... Fire services are contracted to County even being the project is in city.

Plumbing, Building, Fire all show up... I restate my willingness and eagerness to resolve...

The 3 inspectors have a huddle... plumbing says very little.

The end result is Fire trumps all... so I get to take the door out again and make it swing the original direction...

I thank everyone for their time... don't say a word about my inconvenience and cost... we all leave and I get the door changed.

Call Fire back and all is good...

In another case... I was rebuilding a fire damaged one car garage... I bought the property that way...

Design review was giving me a very hard time... so much so I would forever loose the garage because it was in the back corner of the lot and now requires setbacks... the setbacks would mean only a motorcycle could get in...

I was a little frustrated... happen to hear the name of the Chief Building Official mentioned as he was coming through the office... I speak up and said I'm trying to do everything right but just learned I'm losing my garage...

He asks if I can wait about 30 minutes and I said no problem... the design person suddenly got very quiet and closed the file saying we are done...

The upshot is the Chief Building Official looked over the plans and heard me out... said let's meet at the property and after he called design and said change the permit to repair instead of new construction... problem solved.

Since all of the garage was to be demolished... design said it was new construction.... but by keeping the back wall it was no longer new construction...

No need for design review or new construction fees... also got a partial refund too... just by speaking up to the one person that could do something.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I learned a long time ago, never tear down and build new if you got an existing structure. Add a new addition to the existing, then remodel by tearing down the old and building it new. In the end it's all new, but done as a remodel.

 

[goeduck]

I learned a long time ago, never tear down and build new if you got an existing structure. Add a new addition to the existing, then remodel by tearing down the old and building it new. In the end it's all new, but done as a remodel.

Yes. I am going to do that with my shop next year. Easier and less fuss to build an addition than a separate structure.

 

[cat fever]

After digging the sand out and digging a foot deeper putting new sand back in and installing everything......it's all good. Health inspector says I can bury it. So I did.

Here's a before shot, sorry forgot to get an after shot.