Building/Living in Chesapeake Bay RPA (house, neighborhood, buying)

[mar11]

We considering buying a property in an RPA and adding on to the existing house. We are talking with engineers and contractors and have received some information about building in an RPA but feel like we're still a little in the dark. We are interested in any experiences others have had. Specifically, what have you been permitted or not permitted to do to your property and if you built additions, what was your experience with the process?

Thanks!

[TyroneBiggums]

I would not recommend buying a property in an RPA unless you absolutely love the neighborhood, since it adds a lot of time and money to the process.

Most contractors don't want to undertake a project in an RPA, either because it's too much time, or they don't want to do the legwork to start. In order to discuss a project in earnest, you've got to get a field survey done to see where the house sits in the RPA, as well as to see if you are located in a floodplain. This is going to ultimately determine what you can and can't do. Generally speaking, if you can stay at least 50 feet from the stream/water, you should be okay, but that is a generalization, and one of many issues you may encounter.

As this thread is already over 2 months old, it may be a moot point, so I won't go into any more details. If you need more information, holler back.