MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE
Every carpenter, and almost all of the other tradespeople out there, live by this simple quote. Another way to say this is, “take the time it takes to get it right.”
Lately, we are realizing how wise this advice is for real estate investors as well. We see a bit of a frenzy in the Calgary market these days, and then a lot of people complaining about the permit process. Wouldn’t we all love a fast-forward button?!
Yes, it takes time and energy and incredible attention to detail to get permits passed through any municipality these days. We have pulled permits in 5 different municipalities now – the process varies very little between towns/cities/districts/counties. And here’s some of the things we’ve learned.
- When we submit for a permit, we all start with proper drawings. This is great! Everyone is now working on the same page, towards the same end result. How many times have we realized that a client envisioned something different than the architect? A lot! It is much simpler to make changes at this stage.
- Once we have drawings, a structural engineer must review them. Do we need an LVL or a steel beam? How deep must the foundation go? Where can we use screw piles? What needs to happen for a tall wall design? The average person doesn’t need to know how to do all these calculations. We just need to hire a great structural engineer. We all want solid structures, even in the worst case scenarios of high wind, flood, etc…
- So now, we have the homeowner or investor involved, the contractor, the architect or architectural technologist, and the structural engineer. That’s already a lot of eyes looking at “the building.” At this point, we might also need to research the land. Depending on your permit process, a geotechnical engineer might also need to weigh in, or there might be an environmental study required.
- Almost no one knows all of the little nuances of the building codes, or each municipality’s bylaws. And, it would be a waste of time for your contractor or builder, or even architect to study each fine detail. When we submit our carefully designed homes and projects, we feel confident. BUT, now there are more “eyes” reviewing the plans. Are we sure there is enough space for a pickup truck to turn around here? Or a firetruck if it’s a larger project? Is there a safe exit plan for the basement tenant? Each municipality has their checklists, and they meticulously review each project.
- With the energy codes and conservation measures changing frequently, this is another area for review. For example, we know of one small town that has a “Dark Sky” policy = there are rules about any exterior lighting on any home or building. It’s a very specific bylaw for a very specific area.
- Fire codes, road allowances, mailbox space … the details go on and on.
- And we haven’t even mentioned the inspectors that review each stage of a build or reno, and each sub-trade.
Okay, okay, so what’s our point?
The last thing anyone wants to do is start a project, then need to work backwards. Tradespeople and builders are extremely busy these days – we simply don’t have time for a do-over. So, the way we see it, the more eyes on the project in the early phases, the better. We understand there seems to be some bureaucratic red tape in many areas. But many of the rules are there for a reason. Whether we’re building a home, a duplex, or a long-term investment, we are more than willing to lean-in to the permit process, and jump through whatever hoops are required. The more people “double-checking” our buildings, the better, as far as we’re concerned.
