| Unless your plans were professionally drawn up (and | | | | stove in the master bedroom. |
| even then), don't be surprised if your county's building | | | | Sometimes the building department will simply nix the |
| department requires modifications before giving | | | | whole project you have in mind. For example, you may |
| approval. If you're fortunate, the problem will be minor, | | | | be in a rural area where septic tanks are used. You |
| often a discrepancy over engineering. For example, | | | | have three bedrooms in your house and you want to |
| you may need to use a bigger header over a door or | | | | add a fourth. But the building department says that four |
| move an outlet in the bathroom farther away from the | | | | bedrooms require three bathrooms, not two. So you |
| tub. (Electrical outlets generally can't be closer than 5 | | | | need to add another bathroom. The solution would |
| feet to a tub or shower.) So you take the plans home, | | | | seem rather simple. |
| have the modifications made, and resubmit. Usually the | | | | However, in order to add another bathroom, you will |
| second plan check is swift and you'll quickly get your | | | | need to enlarge your septic tank. But you may not be |
| okay to begin. | | | | able to get a permit for a bigger tank because you |
| On the other hand, sometimes your whole concept | | | | don't have enough room on your property for a larger |
| may be rejected. You may want to add a wood or | | | | leach field. (The leach field in a septic system allows |
| gas-burning stove to your master bedroom, but the | | | | liquid waste to drain back into the soil.) The building |
| building department frowns on such stoves in bedroom | | | | department has, in effect, quashed the project. |
| areas, since they could cause suffocation to sleep | | | | In order to get any home renovation plans approved |
| occupants. In order to obtain county approval for your | | | | by your county's building department, be sure to |
| project, the stove must have a direct outlet for fumes | | | | consider every possible scenario before applying. One |
| plus an exterior inlet for air and the combustion area | | | | of the best ways to insure that your remodeling plan |
| must be sealed so no room air is used. Either you will | | | | will be approved is to first have your plan evaluated by |
| need to change the heater you're planning to get to | | | | a construction expert who has experience in |
| meet the requirements (usually meaning you'll have to | | | | complying with building codes, restrictions and county |
| buy a more expensive one) or you simply don't put a | | | | building requirements. |