Most people will never venture to the local building department; much less submit themselves (and their blueprints) to the bureaucratic process of obtaining a building permit, scheduling periodic inspections and complying with building codes.
That, of course, is a builder’s job... and one that construction professionals take pride in making efficient and hassle-free for their clients. To be sure, working through the red tape takes experience, savvy and patience. Those who know the drill are able to navigate the approvals and inspection process with confidence.
Consider the potential mine field of regulatory issues that most contractors must map out and manage to ensure their projects are in full governmental compliance.
Plan Check. Before a set of blueprints or house plans can be used to build or remodel a house, the building department must review them to make sure the drawings comply with applicable building codes. The plan checker looks at structural design, weight loads, plumbing, heating, and electrical layouts and specifications, and other details in the plans. If everything is in order, the drawings are approved for construction.
Prior to plan check, however, an experienced and professional builder will review the drawings and make any adjustments to speed the process. Before submitting the plans, he or she may contact subcontractors or building materials suppliers for their input, as well. Such refinements and attention to detail help avoid "red-lining," causing a return of the plans unapproved and marked by the plan checker (in red pen) for necessary changes ... thus delaying the building process.
Permitting. A building permit -- a required document in most municipalities for almost any construction project -- is the document that a building inspector will review and refer to when he or she visits the building site as the project progresses toward completion. The building department will only issue a permit for an approved set of blueprints or plans, and the inspector will rely on the permit and plans on the job site to compare what's drawn (and approved) to what's actually being built. It is imperative, then, to submit a complete and comprehensive set of plans for approval and permitting ... and then follow those plans to the letter to avoid confusion, questions and potentially costly compliance issues that can stop the job cold until they are resolved.
Inspections. Inspections at key points of a project's construction are necessary to make sure the approved plans are being built as drawn. Professional builders and remodelers have a talent for managing their own work crews, subcontractors and suppliers. They seek to keep the project on schedule. A tight schedule, in turn, reliably and accurately pinpoints those key milestones so that an inspector can be called with plenty of time to schedule his or her visit and, once on site, make a thorough review of the progress and approve it to continue.
Other red tape. Increasingly, builders are required to submit reports regarding the environmental impact, energy use, zoning or land-use variances, and other regulatory compliance issues. Professional contractors are familiar with what's current in this respect, and can shepherd clients and their projects through the red tape to make sure their vision for their home becomes a reality.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wasting Water and Flushing Dollars
Most "green building" conversations emphasize energy efficiency. By contrast, the issue of water -- its scarcity, purity, and significance to sustainability -- is often overlooked or discounted.
That's because in North America, we take water for granted; not only is it cheap, it is relatively abundant and clean. But while an average bathtub may hold 40 gallons of water, many people in developing countries survive on 8 gallons of water or less per day. In fact, an estimated 800 million people worldwide lack access to safe water supplies and 3.5 million people die each year from water-related disease.
Domestically, recent seasonal and longer-term droughts in several areas have triggered restrictions and household quotas on water use. In fact, average residential water rates have climbed 10 percent nationwide since 2009.
As a professional builder who looks out for the welfare of our homebuyers and our community, we accommodate requests and comply with all building code requirements to reduce a home's water consumption.
In many cases, we can use low-flow plumbing fixtures including toilets, faucets, and showerheads, to automatically reduce water use without our homeowners noticing much (if any) difference in their convenience and performance. The latest clothes washers, dishwashers, and water heating systems also use less water (and save energy, too). All of those products are readily available and generally affordable.
But as much as these "embedded" water savings reduce consumption, there is more that we can do. We encourage homeowners to keep their water use in check with some simple changes to their lifestyle habits.
One easy way to save water at home is to limit your showers to no more than 10 minutes and avoid filling the bathtub unless absolutely necessary. Turn off the bathroom faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving.
In addition, homeowners can save water by running only full loads of laundry and dishes. If you have to hand-wash some dishes in the kitchen, fill one basin with soapy water (to clean/scrub) and another with clear water (to rinse) rather than continuously running the faucet.
As much as those lifestyle adjustments can reduce water inside your home, making some changes outside can be even more impactful. Easy stuff, such as using a broom instead of a garden hose to clean off your driveway or patio and washing your car less often (or at a carwash which recycles its water) can save hundreds of gallons of water a year.
But the real culprit of outdoor water waste is landscaping, and especially turf grass areas. If you can adjust or replace your lawn sprinklers with more targeted, rotating heads that limit overspray and set up a drip irrigation system for trees and shrubs, you'll see a significant reduction in your water use.
With that, consider putting your irrigation system on a timer and setting it to run in the early morning to reduce evaporation.
You can also buy and install small rainwater catchment systems from a home improvement or hardware store, which can be used for seasonal flower beds or hanging plants instead of using potable water for those needs.
With so many areas in the developing world so desperate for clean, healthy drinking water, and our costs continuing to rise, can we afford to take water for granted?
That's because in North America, we take water for granted; not only is it cheap, it is relatively abundant and clean. But while an average bathtub may hold 40 gallons of water, many people in developing countries survive on 8 gallons of water or less per day. In fact, an estimated 800 million people worldwide lack access to safe water supplies and 3.5 million people die each year from water-related disease.
Domestically, recent seasonal and longer-term droughts in several areas have triggered restrictions and household quotas on water use. In fact, average residential water rates have climbed 10 percent nationwide since 2009.
As a professional builder who looks out for the welfare of our homebuyers and our community, we accommodate requests and comply with all building code requirements to reduce a home's water consumption.
In many cases, we can use low-flow plumbing fixtures including toilets, faucets, and showerheads, to automatically reduce water use without our homeowners noticing much (if any) difference in their convenience and performance. The latest clothes washers, dishwashers, and water heating systems also use less water (and save energy, too). All of those products are readily available and generally affordable.
But as much as these "embedded" water savings reduce consumption, there is more that we can do. We encourage homeowners to keep their water use in check with some simple changes to their lifestyle habits.
One easy way to save water at home is to limit your showers to no more than 10 minutes and avoid filling the bathtub unless absolutely necessary. Turn off the bathroom faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving.
In addition, homeowners can save water by running only full loads of laundry and dishes. If you have to hand-wash some dishes in the kitchen, fill one basin with soapy water (to clean/scrub) and another with clear water (to rinse) rather than continuously running the faucet.
As much as those lifestyle adjustments can reduce water inside your home, making some changes outside can be even more impactful. Easy stuff, such as using a broom instead of a garden hose to clean off your driveway or patio and washing your car less often (or at a carwash which recycles its water) can save hundreds of gallons of water a year.
But the real culprit of outdoor water waste is landscaping, and especially turf grass areas. If you can adjust or replace your lawn sprinklers with more targeted, rotating heads that limit overspray and set up a drip irrigation system for trees and shrubs, you'll see a significant reduction in your water use.
With that, consider putting your irrigation system on a timer and setting it to run in the early morning to reduce evaporation.
You can also buy and install small rainwater catchment systems from a home improvement or hardware store, which can be used for seasonal flower beds or hanging plants instead of using potable water for those needs.
With so many areas in the developing world so desperate for clean, healthy drinking water, and our costs continuing to rise, can we afford to take water for granted?
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