Since you do not know the history of the property a visit or call to the local FSA and/or DNR offices should be in order. The main thing you are looking for is enrollment of the property in any programs and if the land contains or is considered wetlands. Although it is not likely, but since you apparently did not look over the land before purchasing, you would have noticed the sewer towers, you probably did not look at the paperwork carefully either. If the paperwork had a cause that you were to continue any ag practices you will liable for any penalties owed by the original owners, no matter how far back they are. If you have not contacted the sewer company about the loose lid do so quickly. Again if the lids will keep the sewerage in and if it was known and not reported there is nothing that you can do about it without spending a very large chunk of money on a lawsuit that you would not win.

Thanks, y'all. Yes, that's the idea, LLass, although in truth I expect the dining room table to be just as covered with art projects after the remodel as it is today. :) We waste no potential work surfaces in this family which is why I don't consider a dedicated dining room in a small house to be a waste. The family will have to go through the LR/DR or through a more circuitous, yet-to-be finalized laundry room route. (There will still be sensible garage access to the kitchen.) Currently our house just ends at the DR, and that's the main exit to the back yard, so we're certainly accustomed to dodging the table. The bedrooms all take off in another direction from the foyer in typical '50s ranch style. With a proper hall. Lazygardens, you're probably right. It's what every other expansion in my subdivision has had to do. But I should plan for it better and maybe remove the huge fireplace that is currently interrupting flow through the LR. So now I have a reason for that. You're right of course, Ineff! But I'm sure it works better if planned before you build and not just tacked on 60 years later...

I am grateful for the expert advice. I have the current Mich Res Codes book, but not the original IRC codes on which it is based. If I seem confused, it may very well be because of Mich amendments. It helps me a great deal, then, to know which sections of the IRC are being cited for comparison to the Mich codes. I must confess that without the generous help of Lazypup and others, I'd go nuts trying to understand the codes just by reading the book. More than once the advice has either made the code book easier for me to understand, or it steered me to a different section that was more relevant to my question. I've been able to correlate all other advice precisely to the Mich codes. But I still haven't found the requirement for the dedicated crock vent in the Mich codes. I suspect it's because I'm looking in the wrong place or missing some other subtlety. For example, is it because the sump crock drains independently into the 4-inch house drain that it should also have an independent vent? Is there a specific paragraph in the IRC that is completely absent from the Mich codes? I found a discussion on the issue at the link far below, but it doesn't build my confidence one way or the other. "Homebild", who says that he/she is an "ICC certified Residential Plumbing Inspector", asserts that the IRC allows non-pneumatic ejector pumps to be tied into existing vents. He/she cites the same sections of the IRC that I find in the Mich codes. Specifically: P3113.4.1 IRC 2003: "Drainage piping below sewer level shall be vented in a similar manner to that of a gravity system." [I don't have it with me, but the Mich book precedes this paragraph with something like 'For non-pneumatic sewage pumps and ejectors".] P3113.4.2 IRC 2003: "The air pressure relief pipe from a pneumatic sewage ejector shall be connected to an independent vent stack terminating as required for vent extensions through the roof". [The Mich book precedes this paragraph with something like "For pneumatic sewage pumps and ejectors".] By comparison, "Phil H" notes that amended New York State code explicitly inserts the word 'independently': P3113.4.1 Residential Code New York State: "Drainage piping below sewer level shall be vented independently in a similar manner to that of a gravity system." I'd still like to know where the dedicated vent requirement is found in the IRC, but you're right, bus_driver, I'll ultimately have to cut through the roof if the local inspector requires it whether or not I understand it. Here is a link that might be useful: IRC Ejector Pump Venting Discussion

Here's one last variation for you. The fridge sits against the chimney. I had to guess at the chimney's protrusion into the room. If the depth is greater than 9" (brick only, not including plaster and lath over top of it), you'll need to subtract that additional depth from the island to keep the aisles as I've marked them. The fridge is a counter depth fridge, approx 29" from wall to front of fridge door (using my own CD fridge as a guide). That depth does not include the handle. The aisle is fridge door to counter edge. If you want a true 42" or 42.5" aisle here, subtract the handle depth from the island length. Even with a CD fridge, the counter next to the fridge is deeper than standard. You can achieve this by pulling standard depth cabs away from the wall and cutting the counter top deeper. I shifted the sink towards the range to get the DW out of the corner. The sink won't be centered on the window area any more but with luck, the sink will be centered under one of the two windows so it will look just fine. I think this plan will still work if you opt for Ikea cabs. You'll just need to adjust a few dimensions to make it work. For instance, the sink run start with a blind corner cabinet running parallel to the fridge run, a 2" or 3" spacer at the corner, the DW, a 36" sink cab (other choice is a 24" sink cab), a 15" cab, a 30" cab, the range, a 30" cab and ending with a 3" spacer. Ikea cabs come in (rounding up by an 1/8") dimensions of 12", 15", 24" and 30". It's not just vertical distance between range and the hutch cabs currently above the fridge that I'm concerned about. It's also the distance to the hutch cabs adjacent to the range. These cabs are quite low to the counter - definitely not built to today's standard 18" above the counter - so there would be wood fairly close to the heating element. If you chose an induction range, heat would be less of a factor but damage from cooking and steam would be. I haven't a clue about costs for your area, sorry. I know you live in one of the most expensive areas in the country (my son just moved to Sunnyvale and a good friend, who is a CMKBD, lives in the Walnut Creek area) and that does seem to be reflected in remodeling costs but that's about as much info as I can give you. You'll need to interview contractors and get quotes to get an idea about costs for your area. And given your home's age, I would imagine that true costs won't be known until walls are opened up so you should budget for surprises. atmoscat, I'm so glad I didn't offend you! I never know if an idea will work until I do the math. I can't tell you how many times I've had a great idea only to be conquered by the numbers. ;-) btw, I don't think you answered my question about moving the stairs in your lay-out post.