Concrete Slab....Permit Needed? (Austin: city hall, how much, house)

[utlnghrn77]

Anybody know if a city of Austin permit is needed to pour a concrete slab that is 12 ft x 12ft? It will be located adjacent and connecting to the existing house slab. I have tried calling the permit office and have been told somebody will call me back but day 2 and no answer. What should I expect to pay for a standard 144 square foot slab to be poured? Oh and my backyard has a slope away from the house. Any help or feedback is appreciated.

[centralaustinite]

yes, most likely you will need a permit and probably a pre-pour inspection. Concrete is surprisingly expensive. What are you planning to put on the slab?

[OpenD]

The biggest consideration is probably the impermeable cover restriction. Whether your slab will be permissable depends on what percentage of your lot is already covered.

[utlnghrn77]

We have a back porch area (12 ft x 4) that is covered by the same roof as the house so we just want to extend that small area to put a patio table, chairs and my bbq pit that will be uncovered. My wife's cousin has a masonry business so he would be traveling with his crew about 200 miles to build it and want to make sure we have all the proper permits if required.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by utlnghrn77

We have a back porch area (12 ft x 4) that is covered by the same roof as the house so we just want to extend that small area to put a patio table, chairs and my bbq pit that will be uncovered. My wife's cousin has a masonry business so he would be traveling with his crew about 200 miles to build it and want to make sure we have all the proper permits if required.

Yes, I understand. But there are strict standards about how much of your property can be covered with impermeable material like concrete, so that rain cannot get through it. That's why you need a permit.

[CptnRn]

Be forewarned that the permit office has been overwhelmed with permit applications for this past year and may still be slow in processing permits. They hired on some additional staff several months back to try and help with the backlog. I have found that the staff does try to be helpful even though they have been overwhelmed for some time.

City Hall overwhelmed - Austin Business Journal

I have never gotten a response from the permit office by phone. You need to go to the office in person. Walk in hours for Residential reviews is limitedto mornings. Get there early, they stop at 11 AM regardless of how long you were sitting there waiting. Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Study the Checklist and Application in advance so you can ask intelligent questions about it when you meet with a reviewer. Even better take a stab at filling it out, they will point out any deficiencies and you can submit it after talking to them and making corrections if needed.

For residential property the maximum amount of impervious cover is 45% of your lot size. You will have to apply for a permit and provide a drawing showing the site plan of your house and calculations demonstrating that the amount of impervious cover is less then 45%. You should not have any problem getting a permit if your site, with the added slab, has less impervious cover then 45%. If you are close to that amount you might consider a wood deck, only 50% of the area counts as impervious cover.

Permits | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin

Residential Building Review | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin

You can download the Residential Permit Application here. http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...permit_app.pdf

Checklist http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...-checklist.pdf

You should verify whether you will be required to have a structural engineer or architect provide sealed drawings of the foundation and inspect it in order to get the construction approved by the City. I had to do that for a couple of simple concrete footings I put in for a wood deck on the back of my house. I would expect that if your slab is simple flatwork like a sidewalk or driveway that would not be required.

[utlnghrn77]

Thanks for the input

[steve78757]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Yes, I understand. But there are strict standards about how much of your property can be covered with impermeable material like concrete, so that rain cannot get through it. That's why you need a permit.

Yes there are strict standards, unless you are a big developer with lots of money. It would likely be less painful for you to learn how to do the job yourself than to deal with the city. Just my opinion, and not saying you should do that. I'm all for good government, and strengthening local government at the expense of state and federal. But when you can't put in a 12' x 12' patio in your own back yard without paying the city, and having them inspect your yard first, then it's gone too far.... in my opinion.

[10scoachrick]

Given the slope of the yard and imagining the fill needed to support the patio addition, I'm liking the deck surround/extension idea more and more(except for that pesky BBQ pit challenge ) . Good luck with the project!

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by steve78757

Yes there are strict standards, unless you are a big developer with lots of money. It would likely be less painful for you to learn how to do the job yourself than to deal with the city. Just my opinion, and not saying you should do that. I'm all for good government, and strengthening local government at the expense of state and federal. But when you can't put in a 12' x 12' patio in your own back yard without paying the city, and having them inspect your yard first, then it's gone too far.... in my opinion.

It does not matter if you do the job yourself, you still are required to get a permit if you are in the City limits.