California Surveyors Forums

I received a request from someone who needs a plan showing lot and building dimensions with setbacks in order for them to get a permit to put a new bedroom INSIDE their existing permitted structure. Nothing on the exterior of the building will change, no new doors, no new windows, no new exterior walls.

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Any thoughts?
Is the guy giving out the permits nuts or is it me?

Jay -

We just recently had a project with an existing house that encroached into the front and side yard setbacks by a few feet (as discovered by our survey). They were converting part of the garage into a bedroom, and were unable to make use of the 'encroaching' area in the bedroom because of the change of (interior) use. It's possible that if they seek any kind of building permit whatsoever, that the reviewer would require a site plan and no such information is available to the current owner.

Hi John, thanks for the reply.
You saved me from riding in to the city on my high horse.

Was the encroaching structure done with permits? If not, then I can see the sense of the requirement.

My situation was in a 60 year old tract home, with everybody built up to the 5 foot setbacks on the sides. I just know I would probably find a 4.9 or 4.8 on one of them and look like a #@!!

I still don't see how the public benefits from this. Are we supposed to let interior spaces that may have been nonconforming fall into disrepair, or just not apply for a permit when we try to improve the inside of our homes?

(I'm going to go take some deep breaths now)

Weird because not that many years ago I was asked to provide setback certs on a home expansion. Then the architect asked the city if they reduced the house size so the expansion was 6ft from the property line instead of 5ft (5ft being the set back) would they still need the survey and certs. The City said with the change to 6ft no certs required.

Locally, there was a recent issue with a home built in the early 1900s and in the historical area. A new owner wanted to do some interior alterations and all kinds of red flags came up on additions that were made before WWII and the owner at that time worked in the City planning or engrg dept. IIRC after about a year the exterior was grandfathered in again.

Cities are searching for work, trying to justify themselves.