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Building Your Dream - A Step by Step Guide
Step 1: Fact-Finding Your Property Profile
Before you play the game you need to know the rules. No one lives “in the middle of nowhere” anymore. There is no unclaimed frontier. Every house everywhere and every square foot of buildable property anywhere falls under some governing jurisdiction. To make the most of your time, your money and—most importantly—the way you design your dream, you need to know the rules, regulations and limitations attached to your property. That means BEFORE hiring a Contractor, Architect, Engineer, or Designer, do your homework. These are all considerations and possible limitations BEYOND THE BUILDING CODE, from the City or County to Utility Companies, Fire Departments, School Districts, Local Commissions, HOA’s and your next door neighbor.
• Tax Assessor’s Map with Tract, Parcel and Lot Number
• Who is the governing agency? City? County? State?
• Zoning Designation
• Covenants, Codes and Restrictions - “CC&R’s”
• Age of the house/property.
• Original building permits, any subsequent permits, and any plans on file.
• Name of the original developer, builder, architect, engineer.
• Special Districts - ie: Wildfire Urban Interface, Hillside, Coastal, Historical,
Environmental, etc.
• Setbacks
• Height limits
• Square footage limits
• Easements
• Property Lines - Are they marked with a monument? Is there a survey? If not, consider having one done.
• Utilities - Who are they and what will they allow?
• What triggers the Minor v. Major Remodel threshold?
• Is there a soils report?
• What may trigger soils or grading considerations?
• Hours of construction
• Noise ordinances
• Parking allowances
• What agencies other than Planning and Building & Safety will require approval? ie: Fire Department, Grading Division
• What fees other than Plan Check and Permit will be required? ie: School district
• What can we not do now that we could do then? ie: gas appliances, fireplaces, solar, etc.
• HOA Rules and Regulations
• The Neighbors.