I live in San Diego CA and operate a freelance drafting and building permit processing service www.plansandpermit.com
Working in this industry and witnessing first hand the downright corruption and tryanny of
local building depts and blatant theft of public moniesI must do something. I have given up all hope on the historical paradigm as a soultion, it's time to evolve.
I do a lot of code violation work and this is very satisfying to help my clients stick it to em when we can.
Having done this work for 7 years now I can relate dozens of horror stories about the violent tryannical paradigm.
Cool - when you coming up to NH?
[quote author=FTL_Ian link=topic=2445.msg28074#msg28074 date=1265082486]
Cool - when you coming up to NH?
[/quote]
I have a lot to keep me in Kalifornia but I can see spending a few months when the weather clears, I would love to come out and show people the ropes on how to build safe structures without permits. Also if some folks have citations would love to help them devise ways to stick it to em. Here in San Diego they have a $289.00 storm water plancheck fee that supposedly is mandated by the State, they charge this fee even if you put up a patio cover or change out windows and there is NO stormwater plan to check. It is downright theft, they charge for "verifying there is no plan" takes less than a minute and it goes on and on. $90.00 for a historic review for building we all know have no historic connections it goes on and on. Code enforcement officers selectively chosing neighborhoods to write citations, they avoid the uber rich and the poorest, hitting middle income wage earner neighborhoods.
A few suggestions first off, before you bootleg build find out what the tryants have on record for the property, for example, there may be no plans (floorplans or elevations) just a hand sketch by the tax assesor showing the building footprint, in this case remodel inside the existing footprint all you want, they won't know what you are doing, I do recommend if you can afford it build to current codes and document (photograph and keep reciepts of all you do). Also lets say you are doing major structural work that exceeds the tables and charts in the codes you can hire an engineer to design beams and connections regardless if you are applying for a permit just take the engineered design and build, the engineer doesn't know you did not apply for a permit. Also if you want to get over on the man the building code does allow for "no plans repair and replacement in kind permits" we have actually done full scale redevelopment along the beach here and completely bypassed tha California coastal Commission reviews, engineering and plans submittals!! one piece of repair at a time, kinda like that Johnny Cash song about the auto worker that pieced together a car. Do you just need a structure for housing or stotage and aren't really into esthetics well put it on wheels this makes it governed by DMV and not the buiulding dept then if it isn't on the streets DMV has no jusrisdiction so try and find the limitations of jusisdiction and what constitutes code violations for trailers on or off foundations. there are a lot of angles to stick it to em
Welcome!
New Hampshire has four towns without zoning, and many without building code inspectors. What I’ve heard is that in such places the building code essentially goes unenforced. So it’s a lot nicer here. ;D
Welcome!