With warmer weather upon us, people are starting to work on various building projects they've been dreaming about all winter. With the new rules in place requiring that accessory buildings (ie: garages) of more than 55 square metres (592 square feet) must meet Code, we're seeing a lot of building permit applications - as one might expect. Help avoid delays by make sure that all building permit applications include a suitably detailed scale drawing of the construction. Our building inspectors will need to know things like
- footings (depth and dimension)
- Walls (stud size and spacing, sheathing, cladding)
- Lintel construction for all openings in load-bearing walls
- Roofing system, including depiction of insulation and ventilation
- Joist sizes/spacing, beam size/spacing, posts/columns
- Stair dimensions
- Truss plans (for anything other than simple gable roofs)
- Earthquake braced wall designs for any house in the seismically active area of the region (details here)
Other things to think about:
- Please note that any loadbearing "slab-on-grade" designs (ie: no frost wall) MUST include a plan created by a structural engineer licenced to practice in the province.
- Any non-residential occupancy will require detailed scale drawings of all elements. If you're looking at constructing, modifying or adding to a business, office, creating apartments, or something other than a house or a garage serving a house, you're into a more complex section of code that may require a complex design - or an architect/engineer. It's best to call our office first, just to gain an idea of what you may need.