Seattle Remodeling Jobs That Don’t Require a Permit
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While it’s always important to hire a licensed Seattle Contractor, some Seattle Remodeling jobs don’t necessarily require a permit in order to complete the work.
Minor repairs or alterations, for instance, typically don’t require a permit. These repairs, however, must cost the owner $4,000 or less in any 6 month period. A permit is required though if the Seattle Remodeling job includes the removal, alteration, or relocation of any loadbearing support, or if ventilation or fire resistance will be reduced.
Some other jobs that don’t require a permit include:
• Minor work on patios and concrete slabs on grade, installing kitchen cabinets, paneling or other surface finishes to existing walls and ceilings, and the painting or cleaning of a building as long as none of these works make changes to the building envelope.
• Detached accessory buildings that are used for greenhouses, playhouses or storage and tool sheds. These buildings must be one-story and the roof area cannot exceed 120 square feet. The building also cannot be set on a concrete foundation other than a slab on grade.
• Walkways and driveways that are not more than 18 inches above grade and are not over any basement or story below.
• Fences that aren’t over 8 feet high and don’t have a concrete or masonry element over 6 feet.
In other words, you can feel free to have a tree house built in the backyard for your child. You can remodel your kitchen to include new cabinets and wall surfaces, fence in your yard, or add a tool shed to your property — all without a permit.
Just make sure to enlist the help of a licensed Seattle Remodeling Contractor who knows exactly when a permit is required and when it is not.
Keever & Associates Seattle Remodeling and General Contractors have been assisting residential and commercial customers with their contracting needs since 1977. We can be reached at 206-200-5582 or via the form on this website.
Image: Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Green Building Creates Jobs
By · CommentsThis video from The Washington State Department of Ecology explains how Green Building not only helps save our environment but also creates jobs.
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The Bertschi School in Seattle, WA is boasting a new green science wing. The design, which was part of the Restorative Design Collective’s Living Building Challenge, was completed in February and was provided to the school free of charge.
The $935,000 project includes a science building with a classroom and a greenhouse known as the “ecohouse.” The ecohouse has a ground floor level and a mezzanine level. The project also created a small ethnobotanical garden with native plant species and a rain garden.
The Living Building Science Wing allows the school to expand on their science curriculum, which includes teaching students about rainwater harvesting and solar energy. Students are also learning about passive ventilation, net-zero water and net-zero energy consumption.
The Bertschi School is an independent school that provides classes for more than 200 students from preschool to fifth grade. Their Living Building Science Wing is an excellent start at turning more and more Seattle schools into Green Buildings.
Green building in Seattle continues to be a forward-moving alternative to traditional methods of building. It’s good to see so many Seattle Contractors and architects on board with the movement.
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In today’s turbulent economy, home sellers have to do everything they can to ensure that their home is primed for selling. Older and outdated homes can sit on the market for months (even years) without catching anyone’s attention. If you own a beautiful older home that hasn’t been updated in decades, you might want to consider a kitchen or bathroom remodel.
Home buyers are famously picky about kitchens and bathrooms. They notice everything from if the cupboards need updating to if there’s too much clutter under the sink. Home buyers pass through kitchens and bathrooms with the most critical eyes of all. Because of this, your rooms need to stand out for their beauty and functionality.
(View Keever & Associates’ Seattle Remodeling jobs)
In order to do this, you’ll need to get in touch with a Residential Contractor. A kitchen or bathroom remodel will require the help of plumbers, electricians, and carpenters, and a good Residential Contractor is the exact person who can put such a team together for you.
(In the Seattle area, please contact Keever & Associates Seattle Residential Contractor Services at 206-200-5582)
A kitchen or bathroom remodel will:
- Attract a home buyer’s attention
- Display pride of ownership
- Increase likelihood of a sale
- Increase home value
- Be recouped through the home sale over 72% of the time
Always remember to make sure your upgrades match your neighborhood and don’t upgrade beyond it. You want your home to stand out, but in a place where it clearly fits in. A good Residential Contractor can help you find that perfect balance.
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What is LEED?
By · CommentsVideo explaining LEED
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What Are A General Contractor’s Duties?
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A General Contractor is a person or company that is in charge of a construction project from beginning to completion, whether commercial or residential. Responsible for the coordination of each assignment, a General Contractor’s duties include:
Gathering bids from subcontractors
Your General Contractor will have a list of trusted subcontractors. This allows him to gather and evaluate bids in a quick and efficient manner.
Hires, schedules and pays subcontractors
The General Contractor will hire and schedule every subcontractor needed for a project. This can include plumbers, electricians, and even interior designers.
Answers Questions/Resolves Issues
Because a General Contractor spends so much time on-site, they are available to quickly answer client questions and resolve any unexpected issues that may arise.
Acquires permits and arranges inspections
In Seattle, and across the country, permits are needed before certain construction actions are taken. A Seattle General Contractor will acquire all necessary permits and will arrange for building and site inspections.
Your General Contractor will:
- Provide you with a single point of contact
- Order supplies and oversee their installation
- Provide skilled labor
- Ensure that the project is being built according to the plans
A good General Contractor will also have the following traits:
- Will be a good leader
- Will be able to resolve issues quickly and effectively
- Will have excellent problem-solving skills
- Will be experienced
Keever & Associates Seattle General Contractors have been assisting customers with their contracting needs since 1977. We can be reached at 206-200-5582 or via the form on this website.
Photo: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Why Green Home Renovations Are the Way to Go
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If you’re considering a home renovation, chances are you’ve come across some familiar Green terms. Through your research you’ve probably encountered words like “energy efficient”, “indoor air quality”, “water conservation”, “geothermal heat” and more. Everyone is encouraging Green Building these days. You see that now. But do you know why?
Green Building is sustainable building. It is an ecologically-minded response to the environmental crisis we’ve created — and it’s here to stay. Green Building is the responsible action we’re taking today to help protect the generations of tomorrow. But that’s not all.
Green Building and Green Renovations also have a direct impact on how we live right now — and many Seattle Contractors have taken this to heart. The Seattle Department of Planning and Development has even made available their Green Home Remodeling Guide. This guide provides people considering home renovations with free PDFs that cover everything from kitchen and bathroom remodels to roofing and learning how to manage rainwater.
Seattle Contractors who know the value of Green Building also know the following things about Green Renovations:
- Energy efficient designs and products reduce monthly utility bills
- Green Renovations are beneficial to your health
- They improve air quality
- They provide greater temperature control
- It costs only 7% more to create a 90% more efficient and comfortable building
- The extra 7% spent in the beginning is made up over time through lower utility bills
- Certain Green Renovations qualify for tax breaks
- Green remodeling is an opportunity to create a home that respects the environment
- A Green home doesn’t have to look any different from a traditional home
To learn more about Green Renovations, please contact Seattle Contractors Keever & Associates at 206-200-5582.
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When your family has outgrown your house and needs more space one of the most cost-effective things you can do is build an addition onto your home. A decade ago many people would have just gone out and bought a bigger house but the economic downturn has taught us all a few things. Now we’re a little more reluctant to jump head-first into bigger commitments and larger mortgage payments.
We’ve also learned that the generations before us may have known a thing or two after all. Our grandparents, and even some of our parents, would not have just run out to buy a new house; they would have found ways to create additional space in their current homes. The generations before us knew the following things about home additions:
A home addition is cheaper than a new house
This may sound like a no-brainer but many of us are still in the mindset that if we need more space, we need to upgrade to a bigger home. A home addition often doesn’t even come into the equation. Not because people would be turned off by the idea but because it just doesn’t occur to them to begin with.
Home additions allow you to be creative with design
When you build an addition onto your home, you can build it almost any way you want as long as it is structurally sound and meets code. The design can be exactly as you want it to be. The layout, the decorating; all of it can come from your own creativity.
Home additions are the only true way to create space
You can remodel your attic, which is nice. You can finish your basement, which is nice too. But the only way to truly create additional space is by adding additional space. When you build an addition you have the freedom to build it as small or as large as you’d like. What other option offers that kind of freedom?
You don’t have to leave your neighborhood
Many of us become attached to our neighborhoods. They’re familiar. They feel safe. We know our neighbors and some of them may even be friends. What better way to stay in the area you love while still providing your family with the extra space they require than by building a home addition?
Home additions are gaining in popularity again. Not just because of the reasons listed above, but also because of their affordability. Why buy an entirely new home for thousands of dollars more when all you’re really looking for is a bit more space? You can accomplish that quite easily with a home addition.
Keever & Associates Seattle General Contractors have been remodeling and building additions for Seattle area homes since 1977. We are happy to assist clients with their Residential Contractor needs in Seattle, WA and throughout King County.
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Seattle Contractors Unearth Centuries-Old Artifacts
By · CommentsSeattle Contractors have discovered centuries-old artifacts beneath the city. While building the University Link light rail expansion, contractors unearthed parts of the city’s very first infrastructure. The items found 38 feet beneath Pine Street included a piece of the neighborhood’s 19th century boardwalk, along with newspaper clippings, a child’s cup, and a box filled with 31 pairs of shoes — which just goes to show you never know what you might come across as a Seattle Contractor.
To read the full article, please visit MyNorthwest.com.
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Building a Green Future Meeting & Webcast
By · CommentsSeattle General Contractors and General Contractors across the country will be tuning in to a webcast presented by The Associated General Contractors of America on Thursday, April 21, 2011, from 10AM until 12PM EST. This webcast will be presented from The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C and will focus on the best practices for building a greener environment.
Building a Green Future: Best Practices for Making Our Built Environment More Environmentally Friendly, will include a panel of leading architecture officials, construction officials, and officials in engineering and public policy. The panel will also address the need to encourage more investments in Green Building.
To view this live event, visit http://visiond.com/AGCwebcast/ on Thursday, April 21, at 10am.
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