Inspections to Complete in 2015

Arvada logoSo far we have had two building permits and five or six visits from the Arvada inspectors.
The first building permit was for demolition and the under-slab plumbing. We passed after two or three visits from a very nice inspector who did a courtesy inspection to help us prepare for the actual inspection and then helped us be sure all the piping had the correct fall. That was a good experience when we had none with building departments. We consider ourselves fortunate to be working with a helpful and friendly building department.
We were then able to move ahead with the re-building permit in February 2013.
The foundation layout was approved easily because we had the engineer’s drawings and his written approval. And as part of that inspection, the radiant pipe layout and underground HVAC was approved. These inspections were done in March of 2013. We spent the rest of 2013 working on the HVAC boiler install, finishing the demolition by removing the rest of the drywall, the kitchen attic, and all the fiberglass insulation. Then we ordered the new rockwool insulation and started the installation. All of this on a part time basis of about a week a month.
When 2014 rolled around and Dave retired, we had lots of work to do to get our Arizona house sold, move, and get settled in the unfinished house. The permit had to be renewed in March and all that was accomplished was installing the insulation and tweaking the boiler and hot water return installations. Work in Arizona on the move and house sale took up most of the winter and spring. The house sold after lots of remodeling and upgrades at the beginning of June but took until late July to close.
In the summer we were pretty distracted from the remodel due to a trip to Indiana and our son’s wedding in California. So when we renewed our permit in September, we didn’t have much to show for a year of effort. Then when we got the gas line installed in October, the inspector approved the installation and the HVAC except for the ventilation system that is yet to be installed.
We need to get to the next inspection before our current permit has to be renewed in March because we must be able to show constant effort or the project could be considered abandoned and we would have to purchase a new building permit.
Here are the remaining inspections for the building. The head of the Arvada building department is expecting us to finish these steps in 2015!
Insulation
Rough Framing
Rough Electric
Rough Plumbing
Partial Electric
Drywall
Final HVAC
Final Plumbing
Final Electrical
Final Building
We can call for the insulation inspection in a couple of weeks and hopefully get an electrician who will install the rough electric by the end of March.
We could install the ventilation system and ducting to get the Final HVAC inspection in March too.
Installing the new windows and doors will need to be done about that time to finish the outside walls. Then we can build the inside walls in April and May and rough in the plumbing, so we can get the rough framing and plumbing inspections in late May or June.
Partial electric to all the outlets and light fixtures should go in next and then drywall. I figure those should be ready by September.
Of course these are rough estimates as to timing. Remember the two questions I can never answer? How long will it take and how much will it cost? We are trying to meet a schedule, but we want to be sure that everything is done as well as possible and according to the LEED and Energy Star guidelines so that takes time and attention to detail.
But the plan is that by next New Year’s we will have the final building permit passed and closed.

UPDATE: The hoped-for progress in this post was far too ambitious for reality. The only inspection completed in 2015 was the insulation, a rough electrical was denied but that was a courtesy inspection i.e. one to find out what had to be done to pass. 

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