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So I created this program. I am amazingly proud of this and this was the first of its kind in the country. I will tell you, I did it for only 15K of government resources. This is the most affordable housing program out there from a government point of view as well. This program is...

Yes, they would be required for conversion from an accessory structure (sheds, offices, yoga studios, etc) to an accessory dwelling units. They become ADU's when the are used for habitation and fall under different codes and regulations. The requirements are different when you intend for...

Interesting article on the changes to the HUD Standards. Will help make things much more affordable in the long run in the rural communities. https://w3planning.org/huds-landmark-updates-to-manufactured-home-standards/

Very well written. I would add that if you are wanting to open a business, you also need to check the sign allowances for your specific location with the landlord. I have seen many instances where the comprehensive sign packages approved with zoning are far more restrictive than the general...

Usually they won't penalize people but they will still require the new owner to get permits. When you buy a home or land, you are buying it with "all rights and encumbrances", which means you now own the violations too and can be charged day one when you move in with a code violation.

Most people in Arizona conceal carry now. Open carry used to be extremely common prior to the constitutional amendment occurring, but now it is easier to conceal carry. If you know what you are looking for, it is easy to spot the conceal carry here and it is far more prevalent than people realize.

I am not for this, but it is not a surprise in California. They just made dozens of businesses illegal because they were selling firearms from their homes. This is a common occurrence to sell firearms from home based businesses and BATF has no problems with this at all. However to take away a...

I have seen forgery and fraud repeatedly over the years. Forged or misused Engineer's stamps, inspectors signatures on inspection cards, falsified permits, using another registrants work as your own, etc. Prosecution is the only answer when these issues come up.

I hate to say that in 25 years in this business, I have seen this issue creep up time and time again. I always rotated building inspectors randomly in their beats to ensure that this could never happen and any employee who I even had an inkling of corruption was investigated by the Sheriff's...

This is a sad state of affairs. The city is reducing the fees to have the business owners repair the city sidewalks in front of their businesses, that the city is saying is dangerous, that are in the public right of way and legally belong to the city. In normal states, the developer is on the...

Yes, absolutely. In areas like Washington, especially if you are near the water or wetlands or heavily forested, permits can take years and have to go through local agencies, state officials and federal oversight. There can be hundred of thousands of dollars of reports necessary before you...

So this is an interesting question. Every building department should be funded by the general fund (operating fund in some jurisdictions). This is budgeted every year by the jurisdiction. Now the fees that come in should go back to the general fund. In other words, they are covering expenses...

This is a much bigger question. Your question brings in both ADA and Fair Housing, but also addressed what time of assistive living is being done. You need to speak to your local jurisdiction and be up front about the specific type of assisted living you are proposing. These can vary from...

If this was a contractor performing this work without permits, or a homeowner with repeated violations, there is also likely a criminal component that can be tacked on for failure to obtain permits and working without permits.

Permits for remodeling the kitchen go far beyond just verifying the electrical was done correctly. There are sanitary concerns, plumbing concerns, possible structural involvement. Most of the time a major kitchen remodel will require permits, but often times those are fairly fast to get...

As a development professional for over 25 years, I think this shift is important. We need to increase density where we can, to address the 6.5 Million dwelling unit shortfall that we have in this country. While not a solution to our affordable housing crisis, this is another great tool in the...