Adding a window (permits?)

[ivwshane]

Pretty sure that you're going to find that it's a MAXIMUM of 44" sill height, not a minimum. Also around here, the opening must be at least 20" wide and 24" tall. However, if you're at the minimum for either of those, the other dimension needs to increase as the opening must also be at least 5.7 square feet of size. I'm not sure where that number came from, if it equates to something more sensible in metric, or common window dimensions or what.

Of course your city/county/state may have their own rules which could be similar or totally differen. If the guy at the city didn't know his own regs though, I question much of the perceived value of your inspection/permitting regime...

Yeah he said the same thing as you, 5.7'.

I don't plan on doing that small of an opening but I do need something that is lower to the floor. I guess I could have interpreted what he was saying wrong and it could be that he was referring to the maximum height of 44".

For your city, are you aware of a minimum floor to sill height?

[Kristofor]

Well, I'm no builder and the info packet I had from my city didn't list a minimum height, but a quick google search for UBC (Universal Building Code) brings up the same window size requirements so presumably that's where most cities get it. It did also state that windows less than 18" high needed to be tempered glass, but I didn't see anything near the top of the list that had any absolute minimum height.

Kristofor.

[ivwshane]

Thanks. The height I want will be about 36" so I don't think it should be an issue.

[ivwshane]

One last question.

For the permits I must detail the header and window contstruction. Is that as simple as showing how I will build the enclosure (ie king stud+jack stud+header and cripple studs)?

[jlake1998]

inspector

When talking to dept. officials - especially the inspector, be sure to be very respectful, and whatever pointers and recommendations he gives, answer with "Yes, Sir", not with "Yeah, I know" and definitely not with "But my uncle Bob, who is a pro builder, does it the other way!".

Jezz, certainly would hope city employee paid for by the public would not be a jerk

[Kristofor]

Jezz, certainly would hope city employee paid for by the public would not be a jerk

What color is the sky in your world?

I'm willing to believe that a significant portion of public works types are good folks. In fact at the city level here, I've had nothing by positive interactions with the staff.

/rant=on

However, you need to meet some of the fine, hard working public servants the county has hired. Yesterday I went to renew my tabs. (this will be my last tab renewal in person I think)

I walked in to the license center and there were two people in line and 5 employee's working. That seems like it should make for a short trip.

Unfortunately seconds after I walked in two decided to take a lunch break (everyone needs a lunch break I suppose, staggering them may make sense but it looked like the line was under control, so I wouldn't hold that against them).

The third was doing paperwork this may well have been legitimate paperwork needed by the department (or it may have been the crossword or her taxes) at a 2nd window for the entire time I was there without serving a single customer. If it was legitimate paperwork perhaps it could have waited for the other two to return from lunch?

The fourth person was working the license renewal line (a clearly marked 2nd line with a station in the same counter perhaps 6 feet from the others), and would only serve customers who needed to renew their drivers license. In the 54 minutes I waited she serviced precisely 0 customers, and told half a dozen or so additional people who came in behind me that they wanted the other line, hers was for license renewals only.

The fifth and final person did all of the actual work I witnessed in this wasted hour of my life she just did it veeeeerrrrrrryyyyyy sllllllooooooowwwwwlly. The first gentleman had received his vehicle title and it had his middle name spelled incorrectly. He had the title, his driver's license, and the purchase documents. Fixing the middle name took almost 40 minutes. The next activity was a family giving/selling/whatever a car from a father to a son. Both of these gents had the same name (Jr/Sr), and same address. Such a circumstance nearly had steam coming out of the clerk's ears, but with multiple consultations with one of the lunch women after about 15 minutes the problem was solved.

I walked up, gave them a check for my tabs (Sign: "We are unable to accept debit or credit cards") and was out of there in less than 60 seconds. There were 11 people waiting in line when I left. The lunch ladies were still on break.

Lesson learned though, either take care of that ahead of time so the tabs can be sent through the mail, or drive to the swanky new Eden Prairie license center where they have a greeter, lots of staff, and nice fast lines

/rant off