Deck Permit Bergen County (how much, contractor, costs)

[faride70]

I have a 2 family house, My husband wants to build a deck in the rear & attach it to the house, he is not a contractor but we want to do it ourselves- Building department told me that i need plans signed and sealed from Architect, in order to be granted a variance by the planning board.how can i get these plans, with who? how much will costs? and i'll be approved? I contacted a contractor yesterday who told me those plans costs $750 - that is too much for me
thx much!

[jerseyjersey]

Originally Posted by faride70

I have a 2 family house, My husband wants to build a deck in the rear & attach it to the house, he is not a contractor but we want to do it ourselves- Building department told me that i need plans signed and sealed from Architect, in order to be granted a variance by the planning board.how can i get these plans, with who? how much will costs? and i'll be approved? I contacted a contractor yesterday who told me those plans costs $750 - that is too much for me
thx much!

The ordinances governing this kind of thing, vary by each individual town. Do you know why you need a variance as opposed to just a permit? Is that the rule in your town generally, or is it because the propsed deck has something about it (like height, or setback (distance from the edges of your property, essentially)) that makes a variance required? Some towns are much far more difficult than others. If you provide some more info, we might be able to help give better suggestions about what you might be able to do.

ETA: Costs vary widely. And unfortunately, if you need a variance, there is not an absolute guarantee that your plans will be approved and the variance(s) granted. You may need to revise the plans, provide additional info, etc.
Also, if you need a variance, you may be required to present your application, provide notice to neighbors, etc, but again, it all depends on the town and exactly what you are proposing.