When You Need A Permit For Your Landscape Project
When you decide youre ready to tackle your landscaping project, you want to get started without delay. After all, it probably took you a long time to come to a decision, and you dont want to have to wait any longer to see your dream become a reality. Unfortunately, the dreamy horizon where that reality awaits may appear to move farther away as you approach.
Can You Put Concrete In Your Backyard
It is a tricky question because the answer depends on the state or city you reside in. Many people feel like hiring a contractor is all you need to do when renovating or designing your backyard. That doesnt seem right. Hiring a contractor is as important as knowing the regulations that govern your building project. You might believe that your contractor should take care of any necessary permit, but as a building owner, you should know everything involved in your building process.
If your contractor forgets to get a permit, your construction will suffer for it not your contractors construction.
Generally, if you are taking up any building project, including pouring concrete in your backyard to remodel it, you need to check with local authorities beforehand. If the backyard concrete project is considered above-grade , then you will need a permit.
The size of the area you intend to pour the concrete over determines whether or not a permit is needed. If the site is over 200 square feet, you will need a license. If you reside in a community with development restrictions, like an environmental protection zone, you might also need a permit to pour concrete in your backyard. Click here for more info.
What Design Elements Do You Want To Incorporate
If you envision an outdoor entertainment area on your patio, an outdoor kitchen may be part of the plan. Cooking spaces outdoors requires an extra degree of planning since you will need to run utility services to the outdoor kitchen area.
Adding extra electrical service, gas service, water service, and drain service to an outdoor kitchen area all involve added planning and preparation. In most areas, any utility additions or expansions to your home require you to have a permit. Your sub-contractors can give you better advice about your local building codes. Consult with your sub-contractors before any work commences.
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Hiring A Professional Company
Being your own handyman can very likely save you money by doing all the work on your own. But it may take you longer and actually more money long-term compared to hiring a professional construction or renovation company. After all, a professional firm already has all the tools they need to complete your custom pergola on schedule and just the way you want it.
Do You Need A Permit To Build A Sunroom In Florida
Sunrooms are a fantastic alternative to traditional brick and mortar room additions. Sunrooms are becoming more and more popular with many Florida homeowners looking to add additional living space to their Florida home. A very frequent question we see often is Do you need a permit to build a sunroom in Florida? It is often a misconception that sunrooms or Florida rooms dont require a licensed contractor to pull permits. In fact building, any size or style sunroom addition to your home in the state of Florida will definitely require a licensed contractor to pull the proper permitting that is legally required by the state of Florida in order to build your sunroom to meet certain county and Florida state building codes.
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Yes A Permit Is Required For Patio Covers
First and foremost, you do need a permit to install a new pergola in your yard. Like all home improvement projects, the permitting process aims make sure that construction is safe and stable. It might be tempting to try to get away with not obtaining the correct permit, but you should never cut corners. Lack of a permit will come back to haunt you in serious ways when youre ready to sell your house or, worse, if your pergolas structure fails.
Do I Need A Permit To Put In A Patio
An EZ-permit through Land Use is needed to put in a patio that is flat to the ground – must bring in property survey. It is just suggested that the patio is approximately 4 ft from the property line so there is no drainage issues with the neighbor’s property.
If the patio is going to be on footings then a building permit is needed.
This refers to a patio in the backyard that is to be used for sitting outside. This is not a “patio” or concrete slab that will be used to park a car.
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Who Obtains The Permit
Whoever pulls the permit is liable for the concrete backyard project. Thus, if youve hired a contractor, it is the contractors responsibility to obtain the permit. Your job, as the homeowner, is only to ensure that the permit has been obtained before the contractor begins work.
As mentioned earlier, getting a permit is the only way for authorities to know what youre building in your backyard, whether its safe or not, and whether or not there should be some restrictions. You cant just proceed to build what you want on your property because you own it. More information on this here.
Signs On Public Property
Signs on public property, such as temporary signs, elections signs, garage sale signs, signs in parks and signs advertising a service must follow the Temporary Signs Bylaw rules.
Temporary signs
Location
A temporary sign cannot be:
- Closer than 30 metres to an intersection, City bus shelter, transit bench, bus zone, LRT station or LRT platform.
- Within 10 m of a crosswalk that is not at an intersection.
- Closer than 2 m from a curb or edge of road.
- On any traffic island or centre median.
- Obstructing a traffic control device.
- Hazardous to traffic or pedestrians.
Attachment
A temporary sign cannot be:
- Attached to a standard street light pole, traffic signal pole or a City sign pole .
- Attached on or within a plus 15 bridge, pedestrian walkway or overpass.
- Attached to a sound wall.
- Permanently affixed.
In addition, a temporary sign is illegal if it:
- Is placed on a decorative lamp post.
- Could be a hazard to either the person erecting the sign or a member of the public.
- Has a sign face larger than 0.6 square metres .
- Is lit, electrified or inflatable.
- Becomes unsightly.
- Is placed on a fire hydrant.
- Is displayed for more than 14 days before or more than 24 hours following the date of the advertised event, whichever is less.
Election signs have certain exemptions from the Temporary Signs Bylaw.
Banner signs over roadways
Banners attached to a pedestrian overpass are applied through the Roads epermit system. A temporary banner over a roadway will be considered if it:
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Do You Need A Permit For A Gazebo In California
Do I need a permit? Non-habitable storage sheds, workshops, gazebos, cabanas, and similar non-habitable structures with a size of more than 120 square feet must be submitted for a permit.
We own and operate multiple Outdoor and Gardening sites. Its our passion to show our readers all the amazing things they can do to their patios and backyard. There is no bigger pleasure for us then to share with you our readers our experience in Gardening , Landscaping and Decorating.
Attached Or Freestanding: Different Requirements For Each
If your patio cover is attached to a house or structure, in most cases, you can often attach posts to existing concrete footings. However, if you plan to install a freestanding pergola, the code requires you to dig concrete footings to ensure stable support. You wont be able to attach your posts directly to an existing concrete slab.
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Do You Need A Permit To Pour Concrete In Your Backyard In California
Under Californias Building Code of 2002, Section 106.3 stipulates that a building permit is not necessary for pouring concrete, platforms walks and driveways less than 30 inches above grade and not extending over any basement or story below, therefore the driveway construction is not regulated by the building code.
However, new driveway construction required permits if plans show proposed changes in elevation greater than five feet between adjacent grades also new walkways over any basement or story below require permits if they are more than 30 high.
If you need to pour concrete with an extension outside of the property line onto city property you will probably need to get a permit for this.
You should contact your local public works department or city hall to find out whether you will need to get a permit before digging the hole and pouring the concrete, just in case it is not covered by these exceptions.
If you are making any other size of pour that doesnt fall into either of the categories mentioned above then you will definitely need to get a building permit approved by your local building department.
The Procedure Of Getting A Building Permit In California
Obtaining a building permit in California is a simple process. Just follow the few steps I am going to give you and you will have it in a few weeks.
Step 1: Get the right information
Check in the website of your local town in California and read all of the detailed information about the type of work that requires a permit. You will also check the documents required and the amount to be paid for you to get a valid building permit.
The best way to get information is by calling a person in the construction department to take you through the process.
Step 2: Fill all application document
Prepare your applications by completely filing all the required forms. The first thing they will check in the building department is the completeness of all application documents. Make sure you get all documents that are required to avoid delays of your project.
Step 3: Submit application documents and payment of legal fees
Submit the application documents and pay any required fees. The money you pay is remuneration for the project inspectors and the people reviewing your documents. The amount will depend on the size of the project.
This is a stage that consumes a lot of time, because it takes the inspectors a few weeks before they come to review your property.
Step 4: Issue of permit certificate
When the inspectors see that all application documents are in order, they will give you a legal permission to start your construction project.
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Do I Need A Permit To Enclose My Porch
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Building a deck without a permit can get you into some serious trouble. Some people find out the hard way by having to pay a hefty fine, tearing down their brand new deck or having someone get hurt because of faulty construction. Contractors can lose their licenses if they build without permits.
Also, how much is it to enclose a porch? Enclosed Porch Cost FactorsMost porch enclosures require permits, which run $100 to $300 on average. The price to get a building permit depends on the total for the project. The cost to build a patio enclosure ranges from $8,500 to $25,000, or $22 to $75 per square foot.
In respect to this, do I need permit for sunroom?
We just had a sunroom built. Yes, youll need a permit. Each municipality has different rules it depends on the zoning & building code bylaws within your area. If you application doesnt comply with the city zoning bylaws, you can apply for a variance to amend the bylaws.
Do you need a permit for a screen enclosure?
Generally, you can expect you a screen enclosure project with a permit to be completed between 3-9 months from date of signed contract. During building booms, or during hurricances, the process can take longer.
Realities Of The Permitting Process
The realities of the permitting process, when it comes to answering the question, Do I need a permit to build a patio in my backyard, is that you would need a permit for many backyard building projects, one being a patio cover.
Governments, being governments, have an array of municipal, county, and district building requirements designed to ensure that any permanent structure is up to code and safe for use and occupation.
Owing to the fact that each state and locale has differing rules and regulations regarding what they consider permittable will vary so widely as to make any blanket statement meaningless. That said however, finding the information you need for your locale is relatively easy if you have an internet connection.
Just about every county jurisdiction offers a webpage explaining the building permit process, and the application process is fairly straightforward.
As a rule, however, whether you would need a permit is determined by where you live, the size of the patio, and even the material you will be using in the patio build. You can use as your baseline of knowledge the final generalities:
As mentioned, these proscriptions will be listed on your county building website, so you will be able to plan accordingly based on what your outdoor patio vision.
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Why You Need A Building Permit For Your Sunroom
Usually, any additions or projects that contain a cover or skylights require a permit. A sunroom is similar to an enclosed porch, except, with skylights. Furthermore, its essential to make sure your framing is going to hold those skylights in place.
A variety of problems can come from the inadequate framing of sunrooms:
- The floor falls through.
- The wall gives way to wind or lighter forces.
- Your skylights will fall.
- Additional structures may fall or tilt, causing the room unsafe to occupy.
The problems that stem from insufficient framing can cause significant injuries and death. The building permit is designed to avoid these potential problems.
Types Of Permits You May Need When Building A Pergola
If you do need a permit, city and state regulations will determine which materials you can use or avoid. They will also cover structural integrity rules and give you minimum construction standards to follow. The purpose of these permits is to make sure projects are completed safely, especially if theyre of greater risk than others.
Depending on your city and state, you may need more than one permit. Two commonly required permits when building a pergola are a planning permit and a building permit.
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Attached Or Freestanding Pergola: Different Permitting Requirements
Building codes dictate what is necessary to ensure a structure is correctly supported. For example, if you are installing a pergola attached to your house, the two support posts can sometimes be attached to existing concrete footings. However, building regulations typically require digging new concrete footings for a freestanding pergola to ensure stability. The local requirements for the depth and dimension of these footings will vary as well, for instance in coastal areas susceptible to high winds.
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Zoning Codes And Rules
Dont forget any zoning codes or rules that may affect your patio project. Zoning rules and regulations are different and separate from building codes. The use of the land is controlled by zoning and the addition of a patio may impact the zoning of your property.
Zoning rules can affect your patio installation inf various ways.
- Setback rules specify how close to your property line you can put structures and hardscaping.
- You must take into consideration powerline and utility easements that cross your property.
- Some zoning laws may restrict your patios size based on the size of your lot and other structures that exist on the property.
- Environmental rules can be a problem if your patio impacts a drainage area or protected waterway
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Do You Need A Permit To Build A Patio Cover In California
Yes, in California all work that involves construction including building a patio cover is regulated by the government and requires permits to be obtained before a project begins.
In general, a patio cover would come under the category of a deck or porch so you will need to obtain a permit from your building department.
That being said, there are many different types of patio covers and its important to know what category yours falls under.
Depending on how much work your project entails, you may need other approvals as well.
How Close To Property Line Can I Build A Shed San Diego
a. No detached accessory building shall be located with walls closer than 3 feet or eaves closer than 2 feet from interior side or rear property lines. No detached accessory building authorized by Section 6156. g exceeding 1,000 square feet in area shall be located within a required setback pursuant to Section 4810.
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Whose Responsibility Is A Permit
Unless your project is extremely complicated, and often even if it is, you seldom need a lawyer.
In most cases, you merely need to fill out a form, pay a fee and present the information that a permit official requests.
If you are doing it yourself and using a kit, the engineering specifications should be available with the manufacturers information enclosed with the kit, or from the manufacturer. It might be on the manufacturers website. Its important to buy a product that will meet local standards, so learn the standard before you buy. Renaissance Patio products, for instance, meet up to 175 mph wind requirements and Colorado snow load standards, which means they can meet code anywhere in the country.
If you are hiring an installer who is supplying the materials or kit, the installer should have all the necessary information.
In your contract, specify that the installer will obtain the permit paperwork, appropriately complete it and submit the information to the proper officials. A good installer will do this routinely and suggest it. You will have to pay the fee and pay the installer for his time.