grasfulls
Senior Member
- Location
- San Bernardino. CA
In fuming over the ridiculous contractor liability issues and seemingly inflexible laws, I came across what is for me a pretty neat building department in San Diego Cal.
PRELUDE:
In Palo Alto California we are trying to get approval from every department they have to install some switchgear for EV chargers. Five CAD drawings later, we are hung up on the need for a "calculated and stamped by an engineer" simple retaining wall around the transformer and gear. The first FOUR revs we were simply told, "no, we do not like that, do this and that" when all we did was copy their specs. PLUS, it is a civil engineer reviewing them. He finally told us what he really wanted. Such a waste of time, but at least HE got paid for it.
In searching for "work without a permit" in California, look how reasonable this building department seems:
"For projects such as routine retaining walls, patio covers or carports, the city has standard specifications that can be followed within certain limitations. Those specifications, together with a plot plan showing your project, are accepted by the department as plans." They will probably can whoever put that together, but kudos to them for now.
I really hate it when someone knows exactly what is needed to make it right and just keeps refusing without saying what is needed. I had another return a permit app drawing 3 times merely saying he did not like the support for a particular item... I finally asked why he could not just tell me what he wanted, and he told me.....how hard is that? I don't care if we have to do it their way, just don't make me guess over and over.
PRELUDE:
In Palo Alto California we are trying to get approval from every department they have to install some switchgear for EV chargers. Five CAD drawings later, we are hung up on the need for a "calculated and stamped by an engineer" simple retaining wall around the transformer and gear. The first FOUR revs we were simply told, "no, we do not like that, do this and that" when all we did was copy their specs. PLUS, it is a civil engineer reviewing them. He finally told us what he really wanted. Such a waste of time, but at least HE got paid for it.
In searching for "work without a permit" in California, look how reasonable this building department seems:
"For projects such as routine retaining walls, patio covers or carports, the city has standard specifications that can be followed within certain limitations. Those specifications, together with a plot plan showing your project, are accepted by the department as plans." They will probably can whoever put that together, but kudos to them for now.
I really hate it when someone knows exactly what is needed to make it right and just keeps refusing without saying what is needed. I had another return a permit app drawing 3 times merely saying he did not like the support for a particular item... I finally asked why he could not just tell me what he wanted, and he told me.....how hard is that? I don't care if we have to do it their way, just don't make me guess over and over.
