Shaking my head.

[SeaCat]

Okay there are some things I want to do to our place. Nothing earth shaking but I want to get them done. To do these jobs I need certain materials. Unfortunately these materials won't be sold to me in this county without a permit, and getting a permit in this county without a Construction License is almost impossible. (There is no way I am going to pay someone else to do work I can do.)

What do I do? I call my father two counties north where the regulations aren't quite as tight. Where things are as tightly controlled by the Construction Companies. He put in the orders for me and I'll get the parts I need next week.

Yes here in Palm Beach County you have to have a permit to put up Hurricane Shutters. Not to buy the panels mind you, just the mounting hardware. Hell here I can get the roof straps but I can't buy the Mobile Home Anchors I need for them.

Hey I understand the reasons behind the creation of the regulations, but they have gone nuts with them. I'm waiting to get a court order to cease and desist because of my re-doing my floors.

Cat

 

[glynndah]

When we had our house built about 10 years ago, we had no permits. I drove to the lumberyards with lists from the carpenters, handed the guy the list and they loaded it into my car. Once they asked me if the could substitute X nails for Y nails. I just looked puzzled. They asked who my builder was. I gave them his name and they said nope. He won't accept anything else. My builders built all the churches and most of the "good" places around here.

(I'll smuggle you some anchors through UPS if you need them )

 

[SeaCat]

When we had our house built about 10 years ago, we had no permits. I drove to the lumberyards with lists from the carpenters, handed the guy the list and they loaded it into my car. Once they asked me if the could substitute X nails for Y nails. I just looked puzzled. They asked who my builder was. I gave them his name and they said nope. He won't accept anything else. My builders built all the churches and most of the "good" places around here.

(I'll smuggle you some anchors through UPS if you need them )

24 years ago now my father got his hands on the designs of his house. He tweaked them in some major ways. He insisted on things that made the builders shake their heads.

18 years ago my father and I built a monster shed out behind his house. We built it from plans we drew up and we used materials we chose.

Both the shed and the house have gone through more winter storms than I care to count. Both of them went through a Hurricane.

The only damage we have ever had to either of them was the loss of two shingles and the railing from the back porch.

I have lived in that house in conditions where people were found dead in their nice new houses. I have been there weathering storms while others new places collapsed or were damaged beyond repair.

Neither place was built with a permit, just good sense.

Cat

 

[TheeGoatPig]

24 years ago now my father got his hands on the designs of his house. He tweaked them in some major ways. He insisted on things that made the builders shake their heads.

18 years ago my father and I built a monster shed out behind his house. We built it from plans we drew up and we used materials we chose.

Both the shed and the house have gone through more winter storms than I care to count. Both of them went through a Hurricane.

The only damage we have ever had to either of them was the loss of two shingles and the railing from the back porch.

I have lived in that house in conditions where people were found dead in their nice new houses. I have been there weathering storms while others new places collapsed or were damaged beyond repair.

Neither place was built with a permit, just good sense.

Cat

Seriously, I want to see those plans out of pure professional curiosity. I need pics and stuff of them (big resolutions so I can see stuff).

 

[Vermilion]

Seriously, I want to see those plans out of pure professional curiosity. I need pics and stuff of them (big resolutions so I can see stuff).

TGP - what do you do if this is a matter of professional curiosity?
x
V

 

[TheeGoatPig]

TGP - what do you do if this is a matter of professional curiosity?
x
V

I'm a computer draftsman. I draw up the plans for architects so that they don't have to do any real work.

 

[Guest]

grew up in an uptight community (read: wealthy) we were the poorest family in a seaside resort. step father wanted to put an addition onto the house but knew he needed a permit. he got a permit to put on a two story porch and tacked that up against the side of the house while he built a two story addition...not a porch. no one has ever asked since that day what the permit was for. seeing an official piece of paper up on the wall was enough for others.

but...
i worked in zoning for another posh town for a spell and let me tell you...if your neighbor thinks you're going around the rules, you will be reported. sometimes, neighbors suck, HUGE. and then there are the bored authorities who drive around to find houses without permits...sheds or fences without regulation. *sigh* i know...still.

how funny to move to a town with NO zoning or regulations when it comes to building. i so want to do everything i know will be grandfathered in when zoning does come to this little town in the middle of nowhere.

best of luck to you SeaCat.

 

[SeaCat]

The current regulations and permitting here have come about because of shit builders coming down here after a huricane several years ago. (Damned if I know which one, I wasn't here. It was the one that destroyed Homestead.)

The problem was too many people came down here from further north. Too many of these didn't do the rebuilding work correctly, doing slipshod repairs. Repairs that didn't meet code and in many cases were just plain shit work.

Many people complained about this so the new regulations came into effect.

One of the problems that has come into effect because of this is the limiting of the number of permits given out. The Contracting Companies petitioned the county to limit the number commenting that the state had a limited number of inspectors to keep an eye on the places being worked on. (Which is true.) Then the contractors started working together to creat the regulations that limited who could get the permits. Naturally these made it much easier for a contractor to get a permit than a private person.

Now one of the questions asked when you get a permit is how do you know you can do the work.

Cat