Hello from SE. PA.

Ray, here from just South of Philly. New 24x30 garage being built as I write this. Been a year to get thru design (me), permitting applications, (3) code enforcement officers, (2) 3rd party Engineering reviews, and just today...foundation forms were completed. Concrete contractor had 4 guys here working through the pouring rain to get the forms done. I had a 20x20 that was just as old as the house (1906) but not fairing quite as well, and needed to come down. I have motorcycles, a '54 BelAir (rough, not running), a Jeep YJ Trailrig, My daily driver is a CC/LB GMC Diesel 2500. 4 kids, all with their own cars, and I'm still working on all of them, AND I have a 1947 Dodge 1 ton farm truck coming in about a month. Was my Grandfathers. It's complete, but rough. As most farm trucks go, it was used as such and not babied. That truck is 23ish feet long, hence the need for the larger garage. My garage will be 24' wide, 30 ' deep with one 16'x9' door at the front 24' wall. 12' tall walls, 12/2 pitch steel roof. I'll be looking to get a lift, in the near future. Plan is to have the truck and the lift at slight angles in the garage for easier in/out and better wall clearance. I'll be building a messanine for storage as well as some tall shelving for storage. It'll be full, probably too full, again, to work in, and I'll be selling off some shtuff to get the space back, which will mke my wife happy (maybe).

It's amazing how much **** is accumulated when you grow up having to fix everything. Back then I did it because it was the only way the family could afford to get stuff done. Now, I continue to do it because yea, it's cheaper but mainly because Ive had to fix the **** work of too many people that I paid, and expected too much from.

Welcome from western Nevada.

It's really sad that the permitting process takes so long and is so expensive. There needs to be some serious timeline restrictions placed on all the various government agencies involved.

I had gotten verbal acceptance back in October, and told me to wait for them to call to let me know to pick up the permits. Winter set in, and I knew nothing would get done until Spring anyway, so I was patient. I called at the end of Feb, and the township manager informed me that they have yet another new Code Enforcement officer, and he was requiring me to fill out the apps again, so that he could review the plans, etc, even though he already had it all. He just refused to look at it until I filled out another application...which was the exact same form that I had filled out for the previous two CEO's AND the two 3rd party Engineering companies. 4 days later, it was approved for the bargain price of $2500!

Welcome to the Forum from another “String Saving” guy who knows that I might need every bit of the stuff saved in my collection of bits and pieces.