As we move into the spring & summer months, many homeowners consider improvements to their properties, such as room additions, decks, swimming pools & fences. The purpose of this section is to provide information that should be considered before applying for permits.
Decks. This is a common improvement many homeowner make. See Deck Construction Guide for a summary of the items needed to obtain building & zoning permits.This information may be useful in preparing the required building plan.
Fences. A zoning certificate is required before installing a fence. See Fence Regulations for a summary of fence restrictions.
Swimming Pools. At a minimum, these require a zoning permit and in most instances an electric permit for heaters & filtering equipment. In-ground pools and above ground pools whose walls are less than 48" high are required to be enclosed by a fence. See Swimming Pool Regulations for a summary of pools requirements.
Easements. An easement is a right that an owner of real property grants to others allowing them the use of a portion of their real property for a specific purpose. The most common type of easement is for underground utilities which typically run across the front of a building lot. Most easements are created at the time a subdivision is platted creating the building lots, so many times property owners are not even aware of their existence.
In addition to the standard utility easements, many of the subdivisions that have been platted in recent years have other easements that run along the sides and rear property lines of individual building lots. Sometimes easement may not be adjacent to property lines but actually cut through a front or rear yard. These easements are typically for stormwater drainage courses, sanitary and storm sewers, stormwater detention basins and pedestrian walkways.
It is important for property owners to be aware of easements on their lots because they can affect the ability to construct additions, decks or erect fences and pools as easements are essentially "no-build" zones on the property.
Even though a particular building project complies with all zoning and building code requirements, if any portion of it would be located in an easement, permits will not be issued since no buildings or structures can be located in an easement area without the consent of the easement's grantee. For additional information, the City recommends that you contact your legal representative.
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