Greenhouses, Sheds and Sun Rooms - Reqs for a permit???

I have a 10'x15' slab out back that i want to build a covering for. I called to see if I needed a permit to build it and the lady i spoke with said i did and that if it was going to be made out of wood i would need to take 2 sets of site plans over there and that if it were made out of metal i would need 2 sets of site plans plus an engineer letter...when i asked what that was she had no idea.

My question is, why the difference between metal and wood, my posts are going to be metal but the rest if the covering is going to be made out of wood. I know you are supposed to get a permit but seems like a lot of trouble, the covering is going to be freestanding so it's not going to be attached to the house at all...would this make a difference?

The probable reason for the extra requirement when using a metal structure is that wood construction is fairly well standardized and can be understood by most inspectors. Metal constuction is extremely variable and most code enforcement people are ex-carpenters with less familiarity with metals.

Also, I image the municipality is out to protect the property values by making it difficult to use the cheap wrinkled tin buildings. If someone has an engineer, they are not the type of person that will buy a flimsy, stamped out panel that is difficult to seal and maintain and is prone to rusting.

You should be glad there are some controls in the area.

Dick

The use of metal posts, then making the rest of the structure shouldn't require that you get an engineer involved. Just show the type of posts you will be using and how deep in the footings you will be embedding them, or how you will be attaching them to the slab. Your plans don't have to be exotice, but DO show the details of how the various attachments will be made -- post to concrete, post to beam, etc. THAT'S what the plan checker will be looking hardest at and what the inspector will be looking to see that you follow.

Done that way, getting the permit is simple, and passing the inspections is about as easy as falling off a log. Where people run into problems is when they start varying from the approved plans.

thanks lefty, makes me feel a lot more comfortable about showing the plans to the inspector. I have the covering detailed out pretty good but have not drawn out the posts or the dimensions, only where they will be located, will draw up another plan on the posts and present that as well...hope this works...thanks a lot you guys for the help.