


Codes Changing for Climate Change
Rules: M-19 and OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW: II-18 Hotter. Colder. Wetter. Dryer. This is called climate load, and it comes in an evermore random order. The need to design homes and buildings which can live through many decades of crazy weather i Read more
Old Regulations Persist
Regulations regarding Land Law and the usefulness of affected land can block expensive plans, and shatter dreams. Many an unwitting land-buyer has found out the hard way that conservation efforts on behalf of a plant or animal will almost always outw Read more
Flood Law and Congress
The United States Congress maintains a law which requires all properties within the 100-year floodplain that are purchased with a federally backed mortgage to carry flood insurance. Such federally backed loans include: FHA VA FmHA (Rural Dev Read more
BUILDING CODES ARE OPEN TO INTERPRETATION, BUT ONLY BY THE BOSS
In the part of my career which could be called 'long ago' there was a point in time when see-through fireplaces were being built in homes in cities around mine, and in states surrounding mine, but not in my own home town. That's because the chief Read more
SEWER TAP WARNING – How Many Thrones May Your Castle Contain?
Tearing down an old house to build back a new one is a popular goal, especially in well established, highly sought after neighborhoods. It’s not any less expensive, but the adage ‘location-location-location’ makes it desirable, anyway. One Read more
Zoning
Zoning is a process that helps a city or town or region put its land assets to best use for the primary interest and safety of its citizens, as well as uphold the overall value of the city and its attractiveness to future development and growth. Read more
Side Yard Set-Back Lines
This is about where a house can be built on a lot, and where the rules come from. The location where a home is allowed to be built on a lot, especially in a neighborhood, is often dictated by a document called PLAT RESTRICTIONS aka Protective Cove Read more