After sketching the preliminary design for your house, you need to start submitting your papers for approval. This needs to be done before you spend thousands of dollars engineering plans and creating working drawings. Usually, the design approval process is simple and has minimal limitations. In rural areas, houses are typically separated by vast acreage and the county is seldom concerned about what your house looks like as long as it meets the safety and building code requirements.
However, if you intend to build in a higher density neighborhood or planned community, the guidelines can be strict and the design-approval process exhausting, especially if you’re looking to bend the rules.
Before this, you might need special separate permits for specific items such as grading, well, and septic systems. These approvals and permits may need to be handled by you, your architect, or your contractor before the house plans are completed based upon the needs of the lot. You may encounter some restrictions with grading, well, and septic systems.
Wells and septic systems need to meet county standards for habitability as well as environmental concerns. The county may have minimums for water pressure allowable for the size of the house. A similar issue can exist for septic systems. If the soil doesn’t support a standard system, the county may require a more expensive engineered system or restrict the size of the house.
Guidelines to Be Followed before Submitting Your Papers
You also need to be aware of other guidelines that were put in place when your lot or neighborhood was created. You can find some of these rules in the covenants, conditions, and restrictions. Newer subdivisions are usually developed with specific themes. Seaside areas or golf course developments may have very restrictive guidelines to make sure you’re staying within the theme of the development. Depending upon your neighborhood, the guidelines may include the following:
- Architecture style
- Drainage
- Environmental issues
- Exterior finish materials
- Height of the house
- Landscaping restrictions
- Minimum and maximum size of the house
- Paint color
- Types of the following building materials:
- Doors
- Roof
- Windows
Some smaller cities and neighborhoods have volunteer design review committees, whose members may be appointed or elected by the community. Although such committees may have a government employee involved or in attendance, most are dominated by residents concerned with the preservation of their neighborhood’s particular aesthetic feel. You will need approval from this committee to build your new home.
For design review, you’ll submit your preliminary plans to the design review board, neighborhood association, and/or planning department to get approval for the basic design of the house. They will review the plans and return them to you with a list of everything they don’t like. Subjective guidelines such as style and colors may provide for negotiation for an exception. Objective rules such as exceeding height limits likely require a variance to the guidelines.
In many cities you still have to get neighbor approval before presenting your project to the design review board or planning department. This neighbor approval process gives you the opportunity to inform your neighbors and prepare them for the new addition to the neighborhood before you submit your plans. As a part of seeking this approval, you may be required to erect story poles. Story poles are wooden boards that outline the perimeter and height of the house. These poles are required to stay in place for a designated period of time while your soon-to-be neighbors assess if your house will block their sun exposure, lake views, and so forth.
In dealing with your future neighbors, for a quick and positive response, consider the following:
- Take into account your neighbors’ sight lines and exposure before you commit to the design. Ask if you can look through their windows to see the impact on their property.
- Put yourself in their position. What would you think of living next door to your planned home?
- Get their feedback and support for your project. An option is to throw a wine and cheese party for the neighbors so they can come and see the plans before submitting your papers.