Home development process

APN (assessor’s parcel number) and make sure your parcel is an approved building site before
you build.
Zoning laws cover how land can be used, and what type of building is permitted on the land.

local ordinances and covenants.

Your zone might be approved to build a certain type of structure, but a local ordinance restricts
the size or height of that structure. You’ll want to obtain written approval from the planning
commission or commissioner in your municipality to ensure you’re good to go. The best place
to find this information is typically your town’s city hall or mayor’s office, department of
housing, or other local government office.
If you are building where there’s a Homeowners Association (HOA), you should also ensure the
build is in compliance with neighborhood covenants. If you don’t have a copy of the covenants
as an owner in the community, they might be available from the local county assessor’s office.
The bylaws of a community aren’t required to be recorded publicly, but you should at least be
able to find your HOA contact’s information at the county assessor’s office, from whom you can
request a copy.

Building Codes
While zones determine land usage, building codes deal with physical structures on the land and
the details of the structure. In the U.S. as well as several other countries, these codes are a
standard covered under the International Building Code (IBC). While some of this has to do with
fire prevention, these codes also reference and are inclusive of other codes, such as the
International Plumbing Code and the National Electric Code.
If your area uses the IBC, it adopts the other included codes along with it. Usually, your project’s
engineer, builder, or contractor will make sure all aspects of the build meet code, but you can and
should research them yourself. Many codes are available online by doing a specific search, but
your city or town should have a local building codes department if you can’t find what you want.

Residential Zoning

Single Family Residences (SFR) Suburban Homesteads (SH)

Any number of other designations, including homes, apartments, duplexes, trailer parks, co-ops, and
condominiums.

aesthetic zoning codes may require that building plans be submitted and approved by an architectural
review committee. Wireless communication receiving devices can often be impacted by these types of
zoning rules.
  Color schemes
 Landscaping
 Mailboxes
 Fences
 Solar panels
 Decks
 Satellite dishes
 Material types
PERMITS
Building permits are required by law, and getting caught without them can result in fines from the city
and possible trouble with your insurance company. Also, work done without permits can cause
problems if you try to sell your house.
Before issuing permits, your local building department will require plans and cost estimates for your
project. After your plans have been approved, you must pay permit fees, which are based on the cost of
the project. You’ll also learn what inspections are required and when you should call for inspections.
Once issued, a building permit typically is good for 180 days. You can apply for an extension by
submitting a written request showing justifiable cause for the delay.
To obtain a building permit, you must fill out a form from your local building department that includes a
description of
the project; your home’s address, legal description, and occupancy; and an estimate of the project cost.
• The building department may require two to four sets of construction documents or drawings of your
project—
including floor and elevation plans—to be submitted for inspection and approval.
• A building inspector will examine all construction plans and stamp or send written notification of
approval
and acceptance.
• One set of approved documents is kept by the building official, one set is sent to the applicant, and
one set is
displayed at the site until the project is completed.
• Some permits are granted by phase of construction. After the work for one phase is completed and
inspected, a
permit for the next phase is issued. However, building officials will not guarantee issuance of
subsequent permits.
• All work is inspected by a building official to ensure compliance with codes and permits.
• Your project is complete only after the local building inspector makes a final inspection and gives
approval of
your site.
Building permits are required for any remodeling project that involves a change or addition to your
home’s structure or mechanical systems. Building permits are issued to ensure your remodeling project
meets local building codes, which establish material standards, structural requirements, and installation
guidelines for your project
Room dimensions
Habitable rooms must be at least 7 ft. wide and 7 ft. deep.
• Ceilings in all habitable rooms, hallways, corridors, bathrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms, and
basements must be at least 7 ft., high, measured from the finished floor to the lowest part of the ceiling.
Beams, girders, and other obstructions that are spaced more than 4 ft. apart can extend below the
required ceiling height.
• One habitable room in a home must have at least 120 square feet of gross floor area. Other habitable
rooms can have gross floor space of 70 sq. ft. minimum.
Exits & Openings
• Screens, bars, grills, and covers on emergency exits must open easily and be removable from inside the
home, without tools or keys.
Exit doors must be at least 3 ft. wide and 6 ft., high. They must provide direct outside access and operate
without special knowledge or tools.
• Kitchens cannot have less than 50 sq. ft. of gross floor area.
• Hallways must be at least 3 ft. wide.
Sleeping rooms and habitable basements must have at least one egress window or exterior door for
emergency escape. Occupants must be able to open the exit from inside the home, without a key or
tool.
• An egress window must have a net clear opening of at least 5.7 sq. ft., with a minimum height of
24" and a minimum width of 20".
• Window sills on egress windows cannot be more than 44" above the floor.

•Natural Light & Ventilation

Windows must open and operate from inside the room, and they must exit to a street, alley, yard, court,
or porch.
Window light can be replaced by an artificial light if it produces 6.46 lux from above the floor.
In bedrooms, ventilation must supply outside air at a rate of 15 cubic ft. per minute
In bathrooms, intermittent mechanical ventilation rates must be 50 cfm, and continuous rates must be
20 cfm. Bathroom ventilation must exhaust to the outside.
Fire Protection
All concealed and interconnected spaces, such as soffits, drop and cove ceilings, stair stringers, and
areas around vents, pipes, ducts, chimneys, and fireplaces must be fireblocked to prevent fire spread
Exterior walls must be constructed to resist fire for at least one hour, with exposure from both sides.
Smoke alarms must be installed in bedrooms, in hallways near bedrooms, and on each full story of a
home. Multiple alarms must be wired together so one activation triggers all alarms

electrical permit
Electrical permits must be purchased by the electrical contractor or the property owner or
homeowner who will actually be doing the work. If you are hiring an electrical contractor, they
must purchase their own permits for the work they do on your property.
electrical work are complete, an inspector will come out and make sure these systems work
properly and are completed to code.

HVAC
Your city, municipality and/or subdivision may have different restrictions and requirements. But
regardless of your location, an HVAC installation requires a permit.
A licensed contractor - in HVAC and other industries
During a third-party inspection, a city building inspector checks that the installation follows
local and state building codes as well as manufacturer specifications.
The inspector isn’t there to inspect your home. They typically only focus on the installation
unless they notice something wildly unsafe.

Your permit fees cover the cost of an inspection. If the equipment was installed improperly, you
or your contractor may have to pay for additional inspections.
Some jobs may require more than one inspection. For example, if you’re building a new house
or remodeling, you’ll likely need a two-trip permit. This covers a “rough” inspection and a final
inspection.
During a rough inspection, the inspector looks at what’s behind the walls before it gets covered
up. This ensures that equipment that will be harder to get to later is installed correctly.
A final inspection generally happens after the drywall goes up, the paint’s applied, and the trim
and registers go on. This usually happens right before you move it.
Smaller projects, like the replacement of HVAC equipment, may not have such stringent
timelines for inspections. Once your contractor obtains a permit, you have a year to get the
project inspected.
Even knowledgeable, licensed contractors can miss things every now and then. There are a lot
of factors in installing HVAC equipment in residential homes. But that’s why inspections are so
important.
Even if your HVAC partner is the best of the best, their work still needs to be inspected.
A contractor in any industry must satisfy certain requirements to get licensed - and stay
licensed.

Plumbing permit
The purpose of the plumbing permit issuance and plumbing inspection is to protect the public
health and welfare by establishing minimum standards for planning, installing, altering,
extending, repairing and the maintenance of plumbing systems.
Any person who is engaged in the business, trade or work having to do with the installation,
removal, alteration, or repair of plumbing and drainage systems or parts thereof must obtain a
plumbing permit from the Building Codes Bureau if you are in the States jurisdiction.
Re-pipes: A re-pipe requires changing out all of the water supply pipes in the home, so it is a
significant project. Re-pipes are usually done by a professional plumber and require a permit.
Drain line replacements: Replacing the drain pipes is a large job that will most often require a
permit.
Sewer replacement: Any work involving sewer lines is likely to require a permit because of
safety codes that must be met.
Water heater: Replacing a water heater is considered a large plumbing project and will most
often require a permit from the county. There are water heater safety regulations that need to
be observed.
Moving existing plumbing to a different location: Whenever plumbing is moved from one
location to another, it is considered a remodel. Building code requirements must be observed,
and a permit will be required.