Royal LePage Triland recent office meeting included two guest speakers
Safety, understanding minimum standards, measurements, lot line setbacks, and . . .
By
Mark Schadenberg
Safety
is paramount in any and all households.
The
building code and fire code regulations have evolved over time in an effort to
create consistency, proper structure and guidelines for everyone to adhere to.
At
our last Royal LePage Triland office meeting, two guest speakers were on the
agenda – Jeff Slager from the Woodstock fire department and Lorraine Neal as a
building inspector representing the city’s engineering or building office.
As
a Realtor for more than 15 years, you would be surprised how often I have seen
a back deck built without a building permit. It truly doesn’t matter how
professional a carpenter you hire for the task, you must obtain a building
permit and submit accurate drawings to the building department office at 944 James
Street. (519 539-2382). Best advice is to bring your drawings into the office
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. for advice and verification, and an
application for your building permit.
The
best reason why is that posts must be at least 4 feet in the ground to be below
the frost line. The building code also includes specifications for deck height
and the need for a railing, plus the spacing distance of spindles, the need for
the correct height of stairs (rise versus run), and when a banister is
required. You must get the depth of the post holes checked by an inspector
before the concrete is poured. If you are unsure about what a sonotube is or a
post saddle, you better hire a pro and tell your cousin Vinny he can only be an
assistant on the project.
I’m
not going to list all the rules and requirements in this post about posts and
measurements, I’m writing simply to remind home owners that just about all
improvements require a building permit.
For
example, in Woodstock, the cost for a building permit for a wood deck under 100
square feet is $40, while it’s $65 for a larger deck.
I
find it interesting that a fence can not be more than 7 feet in height and
that’s including the top lattice. You may erect a fence higher than 7 feet only
if you back on to commercial or institution zoning property.
Fences
can create an obstructed view for a neighbour’s car in their driveway, and
driveways at corner lots have another set of rules about height to maintain
visibility.
The
minimum height for a fence surrounding pool is now 5 feet. Check the sizing of
the links as the fence also has minimum rules for this measurement as well.
Naturally, there is also a requirement for a distance away from any climbable
structure. The gate must be a self-closing latch model.
If
you’re planning to install a shed in your backyard, there are height and size
requirements to keep in mind. The building permit is $65, which is essentially
cost recovery for the city to verify lot line setbacks and construction plans, and
then later to visit the site. If you are hiring an area professional shed
company to do all the construction – you still must purchase a building permit
Also,
is the shed a permanent structure on a concrete pad, or is it completely
removable / movable? Any permanent structure must be 4 feet off the property
line on all sides, but if you have a durable plastic shed which is less than 100
square feet you can place it closer to the line.
Before
you start cooking marshmallows in your yard, be sure to acquire a fire pit
permit.
INSIDE
Fire
code and building code regulations often overlap, but most often are not
related at all.
A
home’s safety concerns include carbon monoxide and smoke (fire) detectors on
every level of the home, with the most important concern including natural gas
appliances of any type and their venting (furnace, fireplace, car emissions
from an attached garage).
If
you own an income property with two or more living quarters under one main
roof, the fire code has clearly defined policies and requirements.
Jeff Slager (background) and Brian Arnold from Woodstock fire department
Woodstock Fire Station - Parkinson Road
In
Oxford County we know that many of the provincial law changes recently occurred
thanks to MP Ernie Hardeman and the passing of a private member bill referring
to carbon monoxide safety in any household (Hawkins Gignac Act). Hardeman
worked diligently to get this law passed after all 4 members of the Hawkins
family of Woodstock died in their Chippewa Crescent home.
If
you’re building a rec room in your basement, along with an extra bedroom and
bathroom, be sure to purchase a building permit. Did you know, as an example,
you can not have your hydro breaker box in the same room as a bathroom.
The
size of basement windows is important for living space, and very important for
egress concerns from a possible bedroom below grade.
There
are unlimited resources online, but as per usual I have included a few links
below.
LINKS:
Mark Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist
(SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage
No comments:
Post a Comment