Four months to get a simple building permit?!
Your project seemed easy enough - all you wanted to do was expand the house off the back. First phone call was to the general contractor who built your cousins addition with no problems. Seems logical, right?
Well, yes and no. The general contractor will be able to tell you all things buildable, like demolition, excavating, framing, even HVAC, plumbing, electric, and all of the finish trades. What may not be readily apparent, however, are the steps it takes to get to the point of putting a shovel in the ground.
Gone are the days where you could present a floor plan to the building department, drawn on the back of a diner placement, and walk out two hours later with a permit. Now there are other considerations, notably environmental issues like stormwater management. This is a requirement that many towns now implement which stipulate how to address the stormwater runoff due to the new impervious area you want to create. This often also requires a soil log (excavated test hole) for design purposes, so that alone is probably more time & expense than originally anticipated.
Another big hurdle are the zoning ordinances. Often unmentioned or overlooked, zoning variances will delay and can even kill a project. Variances are discussed in another blog topic, but generally speaking you should consult a Professional Planner, Engineer or Attorney at the outset, so that due diligence can be performed to avoid disappointment and/or loss of time and money. It’s also a good time to determine if you need a boundary survey or a topographical survey. Again, this is discussed in another blog, but Professional Surveyors are yet another part of the process.
Many opportunities exist for the homeowner to save money. If they are Do-It-Yourselfers, some of the construction (particularly finish work like sheet rocking or painting) can be done by themselves. Also, when it comes to the variance process, there are certain things like certified mailings and newspaper notifications that can be performed by the homeowner. Merely filling out the applications can save money, however do not be pennywise and dollar foolish - you should rely on those design professionals for skilled advice, experience, and knowhow. They can guide you through the process, provide answers to questions you didn’t even know, and eliminate a lot of frustration that often comes to a homeowner who has never been down the path before.