All Forum Posts by: Eric Teran

@Steven Bates the Architect should be designing all the site features and working with the civil engineer to confirm that it works.

For questions #8 you can ask the civil engineer and for question #9 you can ask the civil and contractor. It may not even be a requirement in Loudoun county but it has been for me in Arlington and Fairfax.

@Dante Moore it sucks you are in this position. However, you can’t do much about it and have to accept it to move forward.

Who knows what happened between the electrician, the homeowner, the contractor, and anyone else that may have been involved on not closing the permit? Who knows what has happened since that time to the electrical components of the house?

Filling out the paperwork is easy. The time consuming part is the electrician going to the house and verifying if everything is still up to code. Then they have to call for an inspection and wait until the inspector shows up. I believe this is a minimum of two hours worth of work and who knows how far they are driving form and how long they may wait for the inspector.

You can try to find someone else but it will probably be cheaper to use the original electrician.

@Steven Bates has your Architect designed anything yet? If they haven’t I would ask the following:

1. Where on the site should the warehouse be located to minimize grading and storm water issues?

2. Can roof drainage be drained on the lot, catch basin, or tied directly to the storm system?

3. What is their fee for a topography survey (include utility locations), storm water plans, grading, arborist (if needed), and any other requirement the county may require? When they do their survey be sure it is based on a County datum.

4. Once an Architect provides plans how long does it take to have plans ready to submit to the county?

5. Do they do the county submissions for their plans?

6. If parking is required for your project for they provide parking plans? Do they figure out the number of spaces required or that need to be ADA accessible (usually an architect will work with the civil engineer on this)?

7. Do they design site walls if needed?

8. Do they provide erosion and sediment control plans? Usually it is part of the storm water management plans.

9. Do they do field inspections during construction.? Usually they need to be an RLD (responsible land disturber). This is an easy license to obtain. I had one for three years and usually contractors have them. it is nice if they have someone on staff.

That is all I can think of for now. If I think of anything else I will let you know.

@Brooke Kaine thank you for the contact. I'll reach out to him today. 

I’m hoping a Baltimore developer can help me out on this one. I’m an Architect and I am designing a house for a client that is a full gut rehab. We have to do underpinning. I mainly work in DC and NOVA and when we do underpinning we have a third party inspector during construction. However, in Baltimore the building reviewer has told me that the structural engineer of record has to provide the site observation and reports. They do not accept a third party report. The structural engineer that prepared these plans lives near Dulles and does not want to drive to Baltimore multiple times.

Questions:

1. Is this true?

2. If it is true does anyone have a structural engineer near Baltimore?

3. If this is not true does anyone have a third party inspector that does work in Baltimore for underpinning?

I appreciate the help.

@Kevin Franklin I use Jason Osser out of Fairfax who is a CPA and does offer tax strategies. I have some properties in South America and he has been able to help me. He has also been a lot of help with my PPP Loan I obtained for my company. Here is his website, https://ossercpa.com

@Eric Veronica do you lend in Virginia? I have a client whom I am designing a modular home and he has been shopping around for loans. The construction will be around $900k to $1 million. He already owns the land.  

@Michael Frank I found a construction to permanent loan so there was only one closing cost. The other bank I found was Union Bank and I can't remember the third. I think some of the other ones offered only construction and then a new loan had to be done for a permanent loan. The LTV range was from 60% to 90%. Bank of Charles Town gave me 90% and one time closing which is why I choose them.

@Michael Frank I live in Northern Virginia and built my prefab home in 2017. I called almost 30 banks. Big and small. Local and National. Only three were willing to work with me and they were all local small banks. The bank I choose was Bank of Charles Town. They understood the draw process of a prefab home.

However, on the day the home (4 boxes) were delivered the bank would not wire the money until the boxes were set on the foundation and the prefab company wouldn’t put the boxes on the foundation until the funds were wired. it was a catch 22. Luckily we worked this out before hand and someone was at the bank in the early hours with me on the phone. When the first box was lifted off the trail the wire was sent with a proof of transfer sent to the email of the prefab company.

When I do another prefab house I would also look into hard money if there are no banks. A prefab homes is built in 2-4 months so the holding costs should be too painful.

@Maurice Matthews @Russell Brazil

an RF-1 zone does not allow ADU. ADU are only allowed in R zones. You will have to separate the basement as it's own unit. I've seen my clients charged between $125k to $175k to do this. It depends on what you have to do.

Here is a brief list of what a new unit needs: fire sprinklers, own heating/cooling, own electric meter/panel, own water heater, entry access, fire proofing between units in the ceiling and/or walls, sound proofing (50 STC min.) bedroom egress, daylight, no interior access to the upper unit, 7’ ceiling heights, and a few other items. These are all required.

Other items that you may need that will significantly drive up cost is if the existing size of the water meter and lateral lines has to be enlarge, the existing footing/foundation, lead removal for homes built before 1978, and other items.

Also, RF-1 zone by right only allow 2 units. This changed in 2015. If you want 3 units you have to go through the BZA. If the neighbor has 3 that may help. Especially if they were permitted after 2015. Your ANC support is also good to have.

One more thing, if you want to add a third story do it now while you are doing the basement or at least have an engineer determine if the existing foundation is adequate to support an additional floor. The third floor will have to conform to the 60% lot occupancy rule. 62% is allowed if a letter is obtained from the head zoning administrator. Anything between 62% to 70% requires a special exception from the BZA. If you are in a historic district there are also requirements for the third floor visibility from public space such as a street or alley.

Lots of information but all doable. Good luck.