- Totally hear you on the “making it up” vibe—sometimes it’s just a maze of paperwork and weird rules.
- I did peek at going up instead of out, but my partner nixed the ladder-to-bed idea. Guess we’re not as spry as we thought.
- Variances seem like a whole other adventure... Might try, but I’m worried it’ll turn into a money pit before we even break ground.
- Anyone else get sticker shock when you see the permit fees? Didn’t expect red tape to cost so much.
Permit fees are wild, right? I thought the actual build would be the wallet-buster, but the city wants their cut up front. Ever try deciphering the “impact fees” line item? Feels like a hidden tax for just thinking about construction. Anyone else get tripped up by utility hook-up costs too? Those snuck up on me last time.
Ever try deciphering the “impact fees” line item? Feels like a hidden tax for just thinking about construction.
Impact fees are a maze. I dug into the city’s breakdown once and half of it went to things like “future road improvements”—for a backyard guest house, really? Utility hook-ups got me too. Water meter alone was over $2k. Did you get hit with separate sewer fees, or was that bundled in? Sometimes they split it out and it’s just more paperwork and surprise costs.
Did you ever get a clear answer on what “future road improvements” even means for a single guest house? I tried asking the city and got a vague response about “long-term infrastructure planning.” The sewer fee was separate for me—another $1,500, on top of the water meter. Did anyone have luck getting those combined, or is that just wishful thinking? It feels like every department has their own line item...
Yeah, I’ve run into the same maze of fees—every department seems to have their own “must-have” charge. I never got a straight answer on the road improvements either. It’s frustrating, but you’re not alone in this. Hang in there...
