Planning and Development Services HOME IMPROVEMENTS WORKBOOK HOW TO NAVIGATE THE HOME IMPROVEMENT PROCESS MAIN BOOK STEPS 1 & 2 Introduction Dear Customer, Welcome to the City of Scottsdale’s Home Improvement Workbook...we’ve published this workbook to assist you through your home improvement process. By making improvements to your home, you are contributing not only to the value of your investment, but also to the value of your neighborhood and the surrounding community. This workbook is intended to be an educational tool that provides ideas for new homes and remodels in Scottsdale’s more established neighborhoods. It offers respectful considerations for blending projects with the defined characteristics of the neighborhood, while allowing you the flexibility to build, expand, or remodel to meet your individual needs and objectives. It is our goal to help you through this process in the most efficient and streamlined way. We realize that the permitting/construction process can be intimidating and hope this booklet helps to explain the process in an easy-to-understand, easy-to-use, format. Best wishes with your upcoming project, Ed Gawf Deputy City Manager i One Stop Shop Information Other Important Phone Numbers Graphics Legend If at anytime during the process you have Arizona Registrar of Contractors Throughout this workbook, you questions about this workbook, your specific (480) 542-1525 will see various graphics to remodel or would like to contact someone draw your attention to regarding your application requirements, Building Code Hotline important points. please contact the City’s One Stop Shop at (480) 312-2633 (480) 312-2500. Building Official (Building Variances) Community (480) 312-7080 Check Box Design Studio Serves as your checklist of items Indian School Road Housing Resources Program you will need for your home (480) 312-4304 improvement One P Civic One Center Stop 75th Street Inspections and Land Survey Shop Drinkwater Boulevard (general inspection questions and permit P extensions) Question Mark NORTH (480) 312-5750 Indicates commonly asked City Hall questions Permit Inspections (automated scheduling of inspections) (480) 312-5796 Flag One Stop Shop Main Number Plan Review Indicates those things you need (480)312-2500 (480) 312-7080 to be aware of One Stop Shop Permit Counter Records First Floor, One Civic Center (480) 312-2356 7447 E. Indian School Rd. Helpful hint www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov Code Enforcement Indicates helpful ideas and (480) 312-2500 (480) 312-2546 information Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Arizona Blue Stake Center In addition, in the sidebars of One Stop Shop Records Counter (locating Utility lines) each section will be a glossary First Floor, One Civic Center (602) 263-1100 of terms for your quick 7447 E. Indian School Rd. reference. (480) 312-2356 Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ii Contents Introduction 1 Appendix 24 How to use the overall series of workbooks - 1.1 Zoning summary table 25 Steps One and Two are included in this guide. Steps Three and Four are available 1.2 Glossary of terms 27 separately. 1.3 Web sites 29 STEP ONE - Before You Get Started 3 ● Best Practices 3 1.4 Worksheets ● Hiring a licensed contractor 5 Water meter calculations 30 ● Identifying your existing conditions 7 Soils Waiver 31 Truss Waiver 32 STEP TWO - Beginning your project 10 Fire sprinkler worksheet 33 ● Permit overview 13 FEMA (flood control) Block 35 ● Completing your permit application 15 General requirements 1.5 General building requirements 36 Site plan Construction plans (building plans) 1.6 Frequently asked questions 37 Floor Plans ● Inspection process 21 Plans 40 ● Appeals for variances 22 Site Plan 41 Floor Plan 42 STEP THREE - Additional Guides Accessory Building 43 The city has put together a series of individual guides that are Foundation Plan 44 available at the One Stop Shop to provide guidance and information Framing Plan 45 on your specific project. These guides are meant to serve as a New Garage 46 resource in addition to the steps in Guides 1 and 2. New Addition 47 Masonry Fence 48 STEP FOUR - Additional Resources Carport Conversion 49 ● Sustainable building practices summary ● Historic preservation summary Contributors 50 ● Landscaping design ideas ● Financial resource guide iii INTRODUCTION Before You Begin This section of the workbook serves as a guide and checklist to assist in completing your project. It does not cover all building code and zoning ordinance require- ments, nor does it replace the services of a design professional, which is always recommended. How to use the overall series of workbooks Introduction This workbook is presented in a step-by-step format to easily assist you through your home improvement process. Step 1 - Basic Building Blocks Step 3 - Specific Home Improvement “Identifying Your Existing Guidelines “Individual Guides for Your Conditions” Needs” Step 1 provides you the basic This step provides additional building blocks for beginning information related to specific your home improvement project. improvement projects. This step begins by providing a series of questions about your NOTE: Included in a separate subdivision/neighborhood and guide the site to help identify issues that may arise when adding onto or improving a home in an Step 4 - Additional Resources established area. This section provides you additional resources Step 2 - Basic checklist “Beginning such as the Your Project” Landscape Guide Step 2 provides a helpful checklist and Financial of the basic documents you need Resources Guide. before you undertake any home improvement project. In NOTE: addition, it will direct you to Included in resources and frequently asked a separate questions. guide. Note: Steps 1 and 2 are combined into one Guide. 1 1 Before You Get Started 2 STEP 1 Before You Get Started Best Practices Guide — Considerations to help you avoid Best Practices ● Consider finding an architect Neighbors Best Practices address the and a builder who are experienced ● Respect that the construction individual responsibility of in building in an established site is someone else’s private homeowners, architects, builders, neighborhood. property. realtors, city staff, and officials in the home improvement process. ● Communicate directly with This is not a list of requirements, ● Single-family remodels, the owner in a positive manner but rather a list of suggestions additions and new if you have concerns about that will help minimize road- construction do not require an what is being built in your blocks or hurdles to achieving the architect, and you can utilize a neighborhood. successful completion of your draftsperson, draw your own project. These recommendations plans, and act as your own ● Be familiar with existing are based on a fundamental goal builder. Depending on the building codes, especially those of being sensitive to surrounding structure and nature or dealing with safety, noise, and properties and acting in a manner complexity of your project, keeping the site clean. that fosters mutual respect. you may need the expertise of a structural engineer. ● Call the builder or the Homeowners Interested in property owner promptly to deal ● Visit the site with your Building and Remodeling with concerns. ● architect; have them show you It’s good practice to hire how tall and how close your licensed contractors that are listed project will be relative to the ● Advise children of the dangers in the Arizona Registrar of adjacent homes. of a construction site. Contractors. Visit their web site for helpful hints and information ● Discuss your plans with your ● Tr y to be patient; construction about hiring licensed contractors neighbors; show them a copy is noisy and messy. at: http://www.rc.state.az.us/ of a perspective rendering of It’s also a good idea to get a your project. minimum of three bids from ● Be aware that Scottsdale’s various contractors to ensure ● Leave ample room in your you are getting the best price and Building Code limits the hours budget for landscaping. You of construction to one-half also to get to know the various may need to re-vegetate areas hour before sunrise until contractors. You will want to where construction took place. select the one that you feel most See our landscaping guide in sunset. You can visit the City comfortable with. See page 5 Step 4 for landscaping ideas of Scottsdales web site to see for information on hiring a and options. amendments to the registered contractor. Building Code at: www.Scotts ● Post your phone number or a daleAZ.gov/codes/default.asp construction contact person’s (on site) for dealing with complaints. 3 potential problems/concerns for all parties affected by construction 1 Utilities Builders ● Deal with construction Before you dig in, you will need ● Respect that you are building complaints from neighbors to call Arizona Blue Stake. No in established/quiet quickly and fairly. In addition, matter the size of the project, neighborhoods. please let the homeowner Arizona law requires contractors know if you have received a ● Post a perspective rendering of and homeowners to call the complaint. the project on site. Arizona Blue Stake Center before ● Complete the exterior of the digging, grading, or excavating. ● Post a phone number and home and landscaping as This service is provided at no name of contact person on site. quickly as possible to lessen the charge to the customer. At least ● disruption to the two days prior to beginning the Mail a perspective rendering to neighborhood. project (excluding Saturdays, neighbors with any demolition notifications so they are aware Sundays, and legal holidays), call Local Government the center at 602-263-1100. of when this will be taking place. ● Deal with construction The rainbow of colors spray painted concerns from neighbors ● Work with an arborist or on or near your property are mark- quickly and fairly. landscape architect/designer. ings to identify the actual location ● Have copies available of the of underground utilities.