1.12.2009

Finding Patience - Building Permits

We are still waiting for our building permits from Arlington County. Seems that we were not very lucky with our draw of reviewers and she keeps asking questions which are clearly answered in our very detailed architectural plans. She is even questioning our engineer's analysis. So, our fantastic architect, Kaye Orr, is going to meet with this woman tomorrow and see if she can get all of her questions answered and assure her that everything is in order. In times like this, I wish we lived in a place where you can draw your ideas on a cocktail napkin and get a permit (yes, these places still exist). Hopefully we'll get a permit by Wednesday and our garage and back porch will come down this week.

It seems that the key here is to have an architect and builder ready to work with the County, as ours are. If you are interviewing architects and builders, be sure to ask them about their experience and relationships with the County personnel who work in the building permit department. We were just unlucky in this one (possibly because we submitted in December after some attrition in the department). I'm trying to stay positive about it and hope that we can get the permit this week and get things underway.

Please keep us in your thoughts tomorrow so that maybe we can break ground this week!