Note: For those of you who have been watching this chronology over time, I decided that this saga had gotten too big to be on one page, so I finally split it into several pages ... scroll to the bottom for links to jump to later pages.
The following is a chronology of the design and construction of our new workshop. For anyone interested in seeing the plans, check here. NOTE: You need resolution of at least 800x600 (preferably 1024x768) to view these pages. Also, don't bother trying to pull up the full size pictures if you are on a dial-up connection - they are over 700KB each.
This story really began in 2001, when I decided I really needed a shop in which to tinker on my Jeeps (and store the mounds of stuff we have accumulated over the years). The house we were in at the time was situated on a large lot (1/3 acre), but it was odd-shaped and on a golf-course, so anything we built would be limited in size, and would aesthetically detract from the property. I'll omit the long saga of the ensuing house search and subsequent moving ordeal – at the end of October, 2003 we ended up in a house in Southlake, TX that sits on a one acre lot (with plenty of room for a shop).
The original plan was an inexpensive 50' x 25' steel building on a concrete pad, but a review of homeowner's association rules, deed covenants, and city building codes quickly nixed that. These rules and regulations dictated that I was limited to a total of 1,000 square feet, the roof had to match the house (composition – no steel allowed), and the design and veneer had to match the house (brick).
I spent the next year (off and on) designing and redesigning this shop. I drew up rough plans in Visio, would set them aside for a month or two, then revisit and revise. I really did not get serious about it until November, 2004. I really wanted to pour the slab in the winter (so it would dry/cure slower and so therefore be stronger) and the parking and garage situation was steadily getting worse.
Since I planned to general contract the construction myself, the headaches were many, including finding and vetting subcontractors for each discipline, drawing up plans that would satisfy the city plan reviewers, getting my foundation plan sealed by an engineer (another city requirement), compiling cost estimates, and getting approval from the homeowners association’s architectural committee. The remainder of this write-up hits significant milestones.
January 10-20, 2005 – I submitted plans to the homeowners association’s architectural committee for approval on 1/10 and approval was granted on 1/20.
February 10-23, 2005 – I submitted the building permit application to the city on 2/10. The plans were approved and the permit was issued on 2/23. It’s funny that the date on the permit is 2/17, but they did not actually approve it until the 23rd … The city’s stated goal is to complete plan reviews within five working days, so I guess it’s revisionist history …
March 3, 2005 – I staked out the building and driveway perimeter and had the sprinkler main lines in the construction area located and capped.
Next Page
-or- Jump to: Planning and Permits
Concrete
Framing
Roofing
Electrical & Drywall
Brick
Finish