small issue with shed I built.... (Center: for sale, mortgage, house)

[willc86]

so....I am not sure if I am within code or not but I built a 12x16 shed behind my house

3 feet away from both fences. From what I was reading, anything bigger than 120 sq ft needs a permit?
not sure if that applies to COS.

I definitely do not want to tear this shed down. anyone knows anything about sheds in colorado springs?

no association as well. also no permanent foundation.

should i get an inspector out? what if its not with code? will the city make me tear it down?

[LHS79]

I heard before if it is not on a foundation it probably is ok.

Fixed foundations need 5 ft. from the property lines.

[YoYoSpin]

You are very close to a violation of code...200 square feet, and 10' height are the stated limit. When a neighbor complains to the city or county, or when you try to sell your house, you'll find out for sure.

Best to draw up a plan for your shed and then pay Regional Building a visit. Here's the link for plan processes...look for "Detached Accessory Structures (garage, workshop, shed, etc.)": https://www.pprbd.org/plancheck/Handouts_Res.aspx. If there's no power, heating, plumbing, insulation or drywall in the plan, you'll probably get away with no formal plan submission, or worse case, just one (final) inspection. Best to not volunteer to the plan reviewer that the structure is already built.

[Vision67]

I used to work with a friend who had become a certified building inspector during the previous housing boom in about 2005.

Most mortgage companies now require an inspection by a certified inspector. See Home | American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI

When a house for sale is inspected, the first thing the inspector does is to pull all the building permits and building inspection records to compare what he sees to what was permitted. Many times we'd discover basements that had been completed by a do-it-yourself homeowner who had never bothered with a building permit. That creates a huge problem for the seller.

Perhaps people do that to avoid a higher tax assessment or perhaps they are ignorant of the building codes. We'd usually find major problems with the electrical or plumbing additions that did not meet code. Those had to be rectified before the house could be sold.

Knowing this, my advice to any owner is to discover the building code that covers any planned work on your property. Don't put yourself into a situation where you have to rectify the addition before you can sell the property.

[willc86]

i do want to pull permit and have it inspected, which I am going to do with electrical - issue is, i had no clue the shed needed a permit (maybe)

i do know its 196 sq ft and heard the limit is 200 sq ft - no permit needed.

I also heard, if its not on a permanent foundation, no permit is required. But I dont know.

I also did see, the max shed you can have is 2 and can not exceed 400 sq feet, which does not.


Stupid question, but how do I get an inspector for the shed and electrical? Was wondering if someone perhaps builts a 10x20 shed or something one day? there has to be one person on here who has built a 10 x 20 shed here...i hope :/




----to add on----

i found this article

https://coloradosprings.gov/planning...y-structures-0


not sure what zone it is, but it says setback 10 feet or 5 feet. set back is what need to be away from the fence?

[willc86]

so I did find this on the Pikes Peak Regional Building. Stupid question, but is this the county building that determines code and stuff in Colorado springs?

WHAT PROJECTS REQUIRE A PERMIT?

Construction, installation, and replacement of, but not limited to, the following: decks (to include composite materials), hot tub, pool, basement finish, room addition, exterior siding and stucco, porch, sun room, patio or deck enclosure and/or cover, detached accessory structure over 200 square feet (garage, gazebo, greenhouse, etc.), garage conversion, electrical work, lawn sprinkler back-flow device, water heater, boiler, furnace, air conditioning system, fireplace or stove (gas or solid fuel), roofing, and retaining walls greater than 4’ in height. Please contact PPRBD prior to starting any project to verify the necessity of a permit.

[TCHP]

Yes, PPRBD is where you get the permits, do plan reviews, and request inspections. Also, they are not in the Community Service Center off Garden of the Gods with the rest of County Services. They are more mid-town down by Memorial Park.

[willc86]

Originally Posted by TCHP

Yes, PPRBD is where you get the permits, do plan reviews, and request inspections. Also, they are not in the Community Service Center off Garden of the Gods with the rest of County Services. They are more mid-town down by Memorial Park.

perfect thank you!

I am going to pay them a visit, but if their site says 200sq ft maximum, guess I should be safe then

if anyone has experience with this, please let me know! thanks!!

[TCHP]

My experience with them have all been on larger and commercial projects. My experience is they tend to be fairly helpful most times, even when we are in disagreement . There is a reception desk you can ask for direction on where to start. Since square footage is under requirement, it may be as simple as requesting an electrical permit. While you are there, you could also confirm set back required for your structure before you trench for electrical.

[LHS79]

And remember that the PPRBD website has a place for you to report unpermitted activity for an address if you see it.

I had a neighbor (who everyone hated) try to sell the house as a 4 br/2 ba when I knew it was a 3/1 when it was new (similar to one I owned at the time). He never got a permit for the basement so I let PPRBD know and sure enough the house was pulled from the market until the permits were obtained and the basement was re-inspected. I saw quite a few contractors at the house for a few weeks so the guy ended up paying quite a bit to get everything to code (I hope!).

At least the new owners did not have to live in a dangerous house.

And I have heard the inspectors are MUCH harsher on folks who never pulled permits in the first place so the place had better be perfect when you are done and waiting for that final inspection.