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plaw_gw

HELP! Powder room addition. Am i getting ripped off?

plaw
15 years ago

Hi, i live in san jose california. i purchased my first home in Aug. It's a 2 story house and i want to add a small powder room (about 24 sq ft) downstairs, as well as reconfiguring the staircase (from a switch-back to an L-shape). I have already hired a design company to draw out the plans and make sure everything follows the codes. I first thought this is a small simple project but when i bring the plans to the city building dept for permits, they are telling me that:

1. i cannot get a over-the-counter or express permit because this is a two-story house. eventhough i am not doing anything to the second story. They said that i am changing the staircase thus would affect the 2nd story. and i even provide structural engineering calculation to prove that there's nothing affected on the 2nd story.

2. they telling me the permit would cost me $2500. about $600 goes to the 5 different inspections, that i understand...but the rest, i don't. that sounds a bit excessive to me for a project this small.

it's just frustrating these times that i am just a normal honest citizen trying improve the quality of living... but not only i'm subjected to getting ripped off by contractors, now the city wants a piece of it and making my life difficult. i have went to the city planning dept 3 times, each time they ask me for some documents when they could have just tell me what i was missing on the first visit.

anyone here have similar experience and is there something i can do?

thanks

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