Driveway Paving and Room Addition Contractors?

[mkjeeves]

Criminals!

[Zuplar]

Criminals!

I'll be real interested to see if I see any of them start getting paved. I have my suspicion that there are so many in my area the city is ignoring it, and for all intents and purposes you are getting hosed.

[mkjeeves]

They hit the NW side of town recently, where I live. The story doesn't really talk about people parking on established gravel driveways, mostly showing examples of people parking on grass. However, the city does not differentiate. If any one tire is not on hard paved surface they can and do ticket.

http://www.news9.com/story/34414837/...-cars-on-grass

I bet I could find 30 cars on gravel within a few blocks of my house in about 15 minutes.

[tfvc.org]

If they are ticketing vehicles on unpaved surfaces, why not just pave the actual part where the vehicles are parked and leave the rest graveled?

[mkjeeves]

If they are ticketing vehicles on unpaved surfaces, why not just pave the actual part where the vehicles are parked and leave the rest graveled?

I've thought about that but knowing how these things usually go, I doubt it would fly. The code cited gives the spec for what is required for driveways on R1 less than 1 acre, which mine is. It says the approach will be paved, the drive will paved, gives depth width and other specs. It requires a licensed driveway contractor to pave it. Which is going to mean a code inspector to review and approve both the permit and the final installation. My bet is they will not approve a partial fix as meeting code, which binds the licensee, and also binds the homeowner. I can't do it myself. I can't hire someone to do it for me who isn't going to play by the city's rules, or it's a non-compliant driveway.
I have seen gravel driveways with a pad near the house for parking though.

[Zuplar]

I've thought about that but knowing how these things usually go, I doubt it would fly. The code cited gives the spec for what is required for driveways on R1 less than 1 acre, which mine is. It says the approach will be paved, the drive will paved, gives depth width and other specs. It requires a licensed driveway contractor to pave it. Which is going to mean a code inspector to review and approve both the permit and the final installation. My bet is they will not approve a partial fix as meeting code, which binds the licensee, and also binds the homeowner. I can't do it myself. I can't hire someone to do it for me who isn't going to play by the city's rules, or it's a non-compliant driveway.
I have seen gravel driveways with a pad near the house for parking though.

I was told by my contractor that there wasn't a permit needed to lay concrete at your house. I had a 1200 sq foot shop added to my place last year and they added on to my driveway and poured the slab well before they applied for a permit for the building. I mean maybe he wasn't completely truthful, but after the city inspected it they never once mentioned anything about the concrete even though I know it was over done for what any city code could be.

If that's true, I was thinking the same thing pour a pad in front of a garage or wherever people park and leave the rest. I'm wondering now if that's how people are getting by with it more out by me because most all IIRC have concrete pads that their vehicles sat on which means city can't ticket your car at least.

[mkjeeves]

I was told by my contractor that there wasn't a permit needed to lay concrete at your house. I had a 1200 sq foot shop added to my place last year and they added on to my driveway and poured the slab well before they applied for a permit for the building. I mean maybe he wasn't completely truthful, but after the city inspected it they never once mentioned anything about the concrete even though I know it was over done for what any city code could be.

If that's true, I was thinking the same thing pour a pad in front of a garage or wherever people park and leave the rest. I'm wondering now if that's how people are getting by with it more out by me because most all IIRC have concrete pads that their vehicles sat on which means city can't ticket your car at least.

Believe me, I've thought about what if a pad appeared on my property where we typically park.

However...you need a permit to do just about anything at your house. Here's a couple of snips of the city code:

4200.1. Building Permits.

A.

Establishment. The City of Oklahoma City has previously established the process for obtaining a building permit.

B.

Required. Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the use or occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by the Building Code, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.

C.

Applicability. No building or site improvement shall be initiated, for any purpose, until a building permit has been issued stating that the building and/or site complies with all the building and health codes and ordinances, and with the provisions of this chapter. A building permit shall not be issued until the following permits, certificates and approvals are obtained:

(1)

Site plan approval.

(2)

Special exception use approval, if applicable.

(3)

Special permit use approval, if applicable.

(4)

Planned unit development approval, if applicable.

(5)

Certificate of Appropriateness, if applicable.

(6)

Certificate of Approval, if applicable.

(7)

Approval of a variance, if applicable.

(8)

Approval of a zoning map amendment, if applicable.



§ 13-402. - Paving contractor license.

Any person engaging in paving construction work must be licensed as a paving contractor by the City and must obtain all permits required by this Code and State and Federal regulations and laws. "Paving construction work" shall mean the contracting to make or provide, construct, remove, replace or maintain an impervious surface or other surface for the conveyance or transporting of persons or vehicles upon or across any public property less and except for persons solely in the business of providing sidewalks, driveway aprons and driveways as private work on private property. Upon payment of the license fee, a paving contractor license shall be issued by the Supervisor of Licenses.

4200.3. Site Plan Review for Building Permits.

A.

Establishment. The City of Oklahoma City has previously established the site plan review process for building permits.

B.

Applicability. Site plan review shall be required for all permitted uses as a condition of obtaining a building permit.

C.

Parties Entitled to Request Site Plan Review. Applications for site plan review may be filed by the owner of, or any person having a right of ownership in, any property in the City.

D.

Applications. Applications for site plan review shall be filed in accordance with the requirements of this section. The Public Works Director may waive a specific requirement of this section upon a finding that the waiver of any such requirement will not adversely affect conformance with the intent of the requirement.

(1)

Required Information.

(a)

All site plans shall be submitted to the Director in three clearly legible blue or black line copies.

(b)

All site plans shall contain the following information:

1.

North arrow.

2.

The plans must be drawn to a standardized scale.

3.

The legal description of the property written on the plan or attached, and identity of the location of the tract, with regard to corner of the section, block and street corners.

4.

All property lines accurately drawn to scale with the dimensions of each line numerically illustrated in feet.

5.

All adjacent street and alley rights-of-way, showing the centerline of each, the width and length of each, and any street names. Property lines shall be included as a part of these rights-of-way by showing dimensions from the centerline.

6.

The exact location, dimension and type of all easements that abut and/or are situated on the property shall be shown.

7.

The location of driveway approaches, width and length, of every driveway. Driveway work must be done by a licensed and bonded contractor, and a separate driveway permit must be issued.

And they told me when I was at city hall asking about driveways "You will need to hire a licensed contractor to put in a driveway."

[mkjeeves]

I seem to remember you might have several acres. I have not read the code for lots that size but think they might be different than lots less than an acre like mine. One of my neighbors has over an acre and has 8 or 10 cars parked around on gravel pads in his front yard. I stopped by to see if he had been ticketed when I was ticketed. He said code enforcement has been by his place several times to verify his cars are parked on gravel, no tickets, no warnings for doing so. Permits for improvements would still apply, but maybe gravel is okay on larger lots, I don't know. Mine is just under an acre.

[Zuplar]

I seem to remember you might have several acres. I have not read the code for lots that size but think they might be different than lots less than an acre like mine. One of my neighbors has over an acre and has 8 or 10 cars parked around on gravel pads in his front yard. I stopped by to see if he had been ticketed when I was ticketed. He said code enforcement has been by his place several times to verify his cars are parked on gravel, no tickets, no warnings for doing so. Permits for improvements would still apply, but maybe gravel is okay on larger lots, I don't know. Mine is just under an acre.

Yes I'm over an acre. I know there was no permit pulled for my shop and the addition on to my driveway. Within my building permit there is a section about slab, and that passed city inspection, but nothing specifically for the part where I added on to my driveway. Which I figure if it were a problem they'd say something, because I have a small shed in my back yard that I had been using to keep lawnmower in and they put a warning when they were doing my shop inspection that it needed a permit. I told them I wasn't doing anything on that, it was existing when I bought the property numerous years ago and wasn't my problem they could go find the previous owners if they wanted to concern themselves with it 5 years later.

My neighbor directly across from me added a 15x20 pad on to the end of his driveway during the construction progress on my shop and he also told me he didn't get a permit. City has been out enough in my neighborhood during that time between my shop and the 3 new houses going in, so I'd have thought that if he was doing something that needed a permit they'd have let him know. To my knowledge nothing ever came of it.