OT: This state is killing me.... $415 permit fee ...

[RU_Planning]

The exact reason why such over burdening regulations make no sense. People just find ways around them.

What business does the government have if someone wants to improve their home, outside of the new assessed value for property tax purposes?

Life and safety?

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

Well, it was new when we bought it. The original drawings are on file. I have no idea how much difference the intervening 24 years would make.

Ah. I see. I still would be surprised if you have an issue. When you sell, you will rep that all work was permitted, and that rep will not survive closing. So once the buyers take it, its done and gone. The only possible issue is if you live in a town where they do CO's, but even then, I don't think the guys that they send look at the old drawings.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

So you live in a town with a minimum 15 acres lot size, and are putting a $13k deck on your house, and you are whining about a $400 permit fee?

I mean, I guess I get it, but seriously?

no, sorry. Those rules were adopted in 2006 to limit development. I bought my house in 1992 and it is 1 acre. I was grandfathered in ...with 20ft setbacks...otherwise I would never have been able to build the deck at all....in fact the previous zoning officers wouldn't let us...it wasn't until the most recent person came in and approved.

And its the principle of the matter....with sales tax on materials its about $900 in taxes and fees on a 13k project. (7%) Its not an affordability "whine"..its a cost of living in NJ bitch just to be clear.

 

[RUnTeX]

I am going to close in a basement window with cinder block. I wonder if I would need a permit

If there's more than one basement window in the same room/space, you may be okay without a permit since another window still exists.

If it's a short-height window that a person can't reasonably climb out from or fit through, then it doesn't really serve as a legitimate egress in the case of a fire.

 

[Wolv RU]

Life and safety?

If that's what it is about, then the permit fees would not exist, or would not be so high so as to discourage compliance with the process.

I suspect the problem (if the issue really is safety) could be better addressed through penalizing contractors when they don't follow the rules rather than punishing everyone by essentially creating a fine for getting permits.

 

[rutgersdave]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/florida-woman-fined-100-000-101646606.html

You should live in Florida with fines of $100,000 or $30,000 for not cutting your lawn.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Painted? Inlay-ed with different colored Trex lol.

So your saying contractor sold you on using his leftover boards from other projects?

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

So your saying contractor sold you on using his leftover boards from other projects?

sure....Gonna be a hybrid between the Block R and the UMD Helmets....our shape,their configuration.

 

[koleszar]

I think I'll get the permit.

You don't need a permit. The opening will require approximately 4 to 6 concrete block to close up(they haven't made cinder blocks in over 30 years). When you go to sell the house nobody is going to say, "didn't there used to be a window here?".

 

[RU4Real]

You don't need a permit. The opening will require approximately 4 to 6 concrete block to close up(they haven't made cinder blocks in over 30 years). When you go to sell the house nobody is going to say, "didn't there used to be a window here?".

That depends. Maybe they won't. Maybe... we see how much it's worth to him.

 

[brianoc]

If there's more than one basement window in the same room/space, you may be okay without a permit since another window still exists.

If it's a short-height window that a person can't reasonably climb out from or fit through, then it doesn't really serve as a legitimate egress in the case of a fire.

They are not egress windows

 

[brianoc]

You don't need a permit. The opening will require approximately 4 to 6 concrete block to close up(they haven't made cinder blocks in over 30 years). When you go to sell the house nobody is going to say, "didn't there used to be a window here?".

I am going to build a closet in front of one so that is especially true

 

[RU_Planning]

If that's what it is about, then the permit fees would not exist, or would not be so high so as to discourage compliance with the process.

I suspect the problem (if the issue really is safety) could be better addressed through penalizing contractors when they don't follow the rules rather than punishing everyone by essentially creating a fine for getting permits.

The fees pay for the review and inspection(s). I imagine most municipalities have a fine structure for those who don’t follow the rules in addition to the administrative permitting fees.