And this is what a shed with the Good Housekkeping Seal of Approval looks like!

Joe, the incredibly nice young code inspector, squeezed us into a busy day today, after the electricians forgot to call the codes department yesterday. (They normally need a 24 hour notice, which they would have had...but oh well, glad I called to follow up this morning! I really hated to have this hang on over ANOTHER weekend...)

The woman in the codes department asked me what else we needed an OK on, when I told her we needed to go ahead and make some progress--and I thought really, I have no idea, given all the changes and differing opinions!

We wanted to finish backfilling the trench, but didn't know if they needed to see THAT. We're going to paint, but I was concerned they might want to see the wiring inside the wall, even.

Nope, as it happens...

SO. He checked out what he needed to, we had a nice visit, he absolutely gets what the shed is all about, and while we were at it I asked him about the privacy screen I want to put up at the corner of the lot--it's fine, too.

So we're good to go!

J. got the deck light up, we did some landscaping over the trench, and we're ready to move inside and get that done...whew. I feel like I can breathe, now...

Siiigh...

...we do need a separate permit for electricity, which I figured (though why it wasn't on the original permit I dunno. Apparently the electrician has to apply for that.)

Said electrician stopped by yesterday, and offered info and suggestions (he thought I could probably go get the permit, but no.) He said the wire either had to be buried 18" deep or put in a conduit, 2-3" deep, which would be great. Not so worried about cutting the phone line, in that case.

Only the codes apparently say 18" deep. Period. So a trencher, and right across the phone lines. After the electrician gets the permit and schedules us...

(If I disappear for a while, you'll know why. No phone, no 'net.)

I'll be really glad to have all those t's crossed and i's dotted and be able to use the Serenity Shed for, well, serenity!

Dot your i's, cross your t's...AGAIN, even if you thought you had already...

This probably shows just how much fun today was. Mind you, we'd checked the building codes, called City Hall, and talked to the president of the P & Z commission--no problem, or so we thought. Appears to have been a communications problem somewhere!

The guy who issued the stop work order said we had to submit a site plan, and they needed to have inspected the foundations and what-all...(eeek, there's sort of a building on them now!)

I hardly got a thing done all day but dealing with inspectors, officials, permits, and forms. And telling the same story over and over about 4 or 5 times. And sweetly suggesting they update and clarify their website info on codes...(the wee tiny deck was what caused the problem, I think. You don't need a permit for a shed under 120 square feet, which ours is, but decks do require one, and "sheds don't have decks." Even one that's only a 4 x 5 feet, thereabouts, extension to put a couple of folding chairs on, siiigh.)


But all's well that ends. Here's the building permit we weren't supposed to need. :-P

We're back in business, I now know the nice new P & Z guy a lot better (he asked if I'd be willing to serve on the commission!), and the City building guy, and I know to go direct to City Hall, in person, no matter what, because no matter how well you think you've researched the thing, no matter if you're sure you have all your ducks in a row, you've overlooked something or there's a conflict of opinion, understanding, or interpretation.

Later, the very nice, very conscientious City councilman/president of the P & Z commission made a special stop by the house to see what on earth was the problem. (He'd been told it was fine, too, but eep, who knew the tiny deck could be a glitch?) When he left, after viewing the shed and decklet, we were both still scratching our heads a bit...

But full speed ahead, tomorrow, "God willing and the creek don't rise," as my dad used to say! (By the way, Joseph said it helps that I'm a sweet little silver-haired lady with big blue eyes. I don't know about that, but I DID keep my cool better than either of the guys!)