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I am building a fair size adobe house by myself (I can always get help placing concrete or setting vigas with a crane, otherwise I am doing all the work.)The project is now going on five plus years, every year as my permit is about to expire, I have asked for, and received a one year extension. I live ten miles outside of town and down two miles of dirt road, so it is not in the middle of a subdivision. However with the last extension I received a notice no more extensions would be granted (I guess they want another $600 or whatever it is up to now). I hope to move in this year, but I didn’t think I would be building this long, so I mey need another extension. My question is does anyone have information on cities or counties which have special building permits for owner/builders.I remember reading something about this in Fine Homebuilding several years ago. I may have to go to the building dept. and try to convince them to give me one more extension.
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Mike,
In many jurisdictions, structures are not placed on the tax rolls until they are substantially completeded. One purpose of a building permit is to notify tax officials that a real property improvement is in progress. When the permit is closed the property is assessed and added to the rolls. If you have not paid taxes on your work in progress it would certainly explain why the authorities want you to get done. You need to talk with them. I am confidant they will work with you if you can explain where you are and when you plan to be finished. Bring along photos or ask them to come out to your site. If they are not cooperative, take the issue to a city or county council meeting. Good luck,
Steve
*Two comments:One, some tax collectors will start taxing you once a project is "substantially complete". If a permit is open too long, they'll drive by and determine the actual status.Two, sometimes a renewal is NOT the same cost as a new permit: You can get credit for previous work. The more inspections that have been done, the less expensive the renewal. BUT, a new permit or renewal MAY require compliance with the current codes, NOT those in effect when the permit was originally pulled.Good LuckAdamPS despite the desire to point out the mindnumbing bureacracy at work in most governmental agencies, be as nice as pie and you may prevail.
*When I moved to Marion, Indiana in 1984, there was a house under construction that looked fairly close to completion. It looks about the same today. Maybe ten years ago there was a bit of a dustup over it, the neighbors complaining etc. It turned out though that once the building permit is issued, there is no time limit and there was nothing that could be done. I had a conversation with the owner/builder once (when I was still doing pizza) and he talked (bragged) about how the house utilized several patents that he held and would revolutionize home building.....Whatever...The house accross the street from that one has been undergoing renovations i slowlyfor the past couple of years. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.Rich Beckman
*After five years of hauling adobe, maybe these guys are trying to do you a favor and forcing you to hire some help! Actually, I've found that bureaucracies are not giant conspiracies but an ever growing fetid mass of lots of little ideas that gets out of control. Bureaucrats are as much a victim of them (daily) as we are, which is why they are often so dismal.Anyway, to answer your question, in Mendocino (and I believe Humbolt) County, Ca., they have what is called the "class K" permit. This idea is a direct response to certain conditions that exist in this area. Most parcels are 20 acres or larger, densly wooded, on steep terrain and very remote. The folks who live out there generally do not have a lot of interest in the "typical" American lifestyle, except that they need to live in a structure. The County wanted to offer some ability to control the safety of the structures and offer legal approval to the owners even if they are not built under direct code supervision.You must submit plans for approval, pay full fees and have at least one inspection when the house is finished (others are optional if you desire).The County gets you on the tax roles, in the sheriff's database and on record with the CDF. You get a legal home without fear of being red-tagged someday and the freedom to create most anything you desire as long as you feel comfortable sleeping in it during an earthquake. Money you may have spent on soils and structural engineers can go instead into overbuilding just to be sure and still come out ahead!(but you can't sue anybody if it falls down)I don't think this info will help your cause, but the advice from prior letters is good. Bureacrats don't want to ruin your day, it's just their job. Be nice, reasonable and objective. I hope they cut you some slack!
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I am building a fair size adobe house by myself (I can always get help placing concrete or setting vigas with a crane, otherwise I am doing all the work.)The project is now going on five plus years, every year as my permit is about to expire, I have asked for, and received a one year extension. I live ten miles outside of town and down two miles of dirt road, so it is not in the middle of a subdivision. However with the last extension I received a notice no more extensions would be granted (I guess they want another $600 or whatever it is up to now). I hope to move in this year, but I didn't think I would be building this long, so I mey need another extension. My question is does anyone have information on cities or counties which have special building permits for owner/builders.I remember reading something about this in Fine Homebuilding several years ago. I may have to go to the building dept. and try to convince them to give me one more extension.