| atufft@gmail.com 2006-07-28, 3:32 am |
| I've got an opportunity and a problem. I have unheated storage space
and a bathroom in rooms within the rear of the garage, rooms that
apparently have been there for many years without the county really
knowing about it, at least for tax purposes. Recently, I decided that
I had to change the entire garage roof, not just the shingles, but the
whole rafter system with an improved design compatible with the house
to which it's attached at one corner. In any case, I learned about
putting a "box truss" design into the new truss system, allowing for an
upstairs loft and future living space over the bathroom sometime in the
future. Meanwhile, to save costs, I would just pull a permit for the
roof and avoid the extra taxes for an addition, at least for right now.
However, after some consideration, I decided that I must do better than
just simply installl skylights in the roof, but opted for a truss
design that allows for dormers, adding more ceiling space and
traditional windows that ventilate easily and view out rather than up.
Then, when considering the view from the rooftop, it finally occurred
to me that the view over the water behind our house is too good for
just a window dormer, so now I've designed in a roof deck, filling on
one side of the roof peak the "ladder" floor joist space between heavy
duty trusses already required for the dormers. I don't need design
help, I've figured out much of this with the truss company, but now
I've got potential permit complexity and a need to rush in a deck
before the rains begin this fall.
So, anybody know enough about the California county codes to know
wherther I can claim the new upstairs space and dormers as simply
unheated garage storage space with access to a patio? I don't mind
paying for the permit, but if I add more house floor space, I'll also
end up paying an additional $3,000- school tax fees. This would make
the price of the addition jump a lot right now. If I can get squeak by
planning with storage space though, I can retrofit the living space
later. I like to budget and build slowly enough so that I can pay for
them out of pocket. We don't need the living space, really, but the
project would raise the value of our waterfront property value
significantly in the long run.
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