The building codes are overly restrictive, time-consuming, and costly. Many of the requirements are simply nuisances and provide no benefit of any kind.
By the time all of the required professionals are paid, the idea of making money from your venture is greatly diminished. New constructions and many renovations require structural engineers, master plumbers, master electricians, and architects to complete. You will end up spending thousands for designs/plans, that go to zoning boards and inspectors, who review them before issuing a permit. In my own personal case, the building permit itself took two months to get after all of the required paperwork was submitted. This kind of delay can kill a project by itself. Too many people equates to a lot of delay.
Projects should be able to proceed in part so as to eliminate delays. It's allowable in the code, but the option is the inspectors'. Unfortunately, we had a building inspector who was only interested in delaying the project until he knew where every screw went. Even then, he was highly reluctant to proceed.
The code tells you which way the doors should swing, how you should drywall, if you need railings, etc. Some of it is necessary, but come on, when is enough enough. Make the process easier, quicker, and less costly. The sheer stress of navigating the bureacratic process of building is the biggest deterent itself. If you decide to take it on, the costs and delays are the next obstacle. And, in the end, you hope that you can one day earn some equity in your home or make some money back on your investment. Those possibilities get more difficult with the constant addition of more building codes.
Can you remember the day when building permits were easy to get? I can. The number of tragedies avoided with today's enormous requirements is negligible, or simply unknown. Everyone used to be a carpenter and those buildings are still standing. When and why did we allow our personal freedoms to be so micromanaged by government entities? Yes, high-rise, corporate, and businesses need to follow certain guidelines to insure the safety of everyone, but the personal homeowner should have some latitude. If we applied these same guidelines to driving, we'd all be driving 5 mph to avoid serious accident, wearing multiple seatbelts, and have 360 degree surround airbags. It would save a lot of lives, but it would take all day to get anywhere.
We are supposed to be free, liberated Americans who weigh their various options and decide from there. Today, we have assigned our government officials to decide too much for us.
Where will we be if we continue to hand off our personal liberties? We are already headed towards socialism -- the first step to dictatorship.
By the time all of the required professionals are paid, the idea of making money from your venture is greatly diminished. New constructions and many renovations require structural engineers, master plumbers, master electricians, and architects to complete. You will end up spending thousands for designs/plans, that go to zoning boards and inspectors, who review them before issuing a permit. In my own personal case, the building permit itself took two months to get after all of the required paperwork was submitted. This kind of delay can kill a project by itself. Too many people equates to a lot of delay.
Projects should be able to proceed in part so as to eliminate delays. It's allowable in the code, but the option is the inspectors'. Unfortunately, we had a building inspector who was only interested in delaying the project until he knew where every screw went. Even then, he was highly reluctant to proceed.
The code tells you which way the doors should swing, how you should drywall, if you need railings, etc. Some of it is necessary, but come on, when is enough enough. Make the process easier, quicker, and less costly. The sheer stress of navigating the bureacratic process of building is the biggest deterent itself. If you decide to take it on, the costs and delays are the next obstacle. And, in the end, you hope that you can one day earn some equity in your home or make some money back on your investment. Those possibilities get more difficult with the constant addition of more building codes.
Can you remember the day when building permits were easy to get? I can. The number of tragedies avoided with today's enormous requirements is negligible, or simply unknown. Everyone used to be a carpenter and those buildings are still standing. When and why did we allow our personal freedoms to be so micromanaged by government entities? Yes, high-rise, corporate, and businesses need to follow certain guidelines to insure the safety of everyone, but the personal homeowner should have some latitude. If we applied these same guidelines to driving, we'd all be driving 5 mph to avoid serious accident, wearing multiple seatbelts, and have 360 degree surround airbags. It would save a lot of lives, but it would take all day to get anywhere.
We are supposed to be free, liberated Americans who weigh their various options and decide from there. Today, we have assigned our government officials to decide too much for us.
Where will we be if we continue to hand off our personal liberties? We are already headed towards socialism -- the first step to dictatorship.
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