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My boring residential attached garage is about 19ft x 19ft, 19 ft high. It is about 9 feet below the first floor grade. There is a set of wooden stairs inside the garage leading up to the first floor through a typical exterior metal door. I really want to add a second floor, a sort of 'work platform' or 'loft'. Maybe 2/3 the area of the floor below. The main structural component is to be a 20ft I-beam right across the middle. I had my beam/joist plan documented and stamped by an engineer.

Here's my problem - My county permit office wants to treat it like a finished space addition. This requires

  1. completely walling the new '2nd floor' off from the first, including walling the stairs into a 'stair well' and a new door from that stairwell
  2. Adding a window to outside and yet another door into the house (2x egress)
  3. Drywalling in all the joists.

How can I alter my design to avoid these extra features, especially stairwell and extra doors? My original idea was just to add a platform and add a few stairs off the existing landing to get to it. Simple, cheap. I imagined a wooden railing on the edge, like you'd see on a deck. I don't want to fool with points of egress. I don't even need stairs if that simplifies things.

Ben C
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I once was denied a permit for an addition on my home because it was decided by a permit examiner that it was a second kitchen. It was not. It was a Craft room for my wife and her mother to do all their crafty stuff.

The plans had kitchen cabinets, (upper and lower) on one wall. (To store all their paints and glues and assorted stuff.) I had one outlet higher on a wall for a refrigerator. ( for drinks and such) It had a sink as well, ( For cleaning paint brushes and other stuff out.)

The examiner decided it was enough like a kitchen, but after talking with them, they allowed it if I lowered the outlet on the wall. (???) Another examiner pointed out there was nothing to prepare cooked food. It became obvious that they had to justify their decision to approve the plan.

Bottom line here, ask the county why they want what they want, when all you want is a platform to store stuff and do some woodworking. You may get somewhere then.

RMDman
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I'm friends with enough building commissioners, and have sat many hours in a waiting room overhearing them talk with permit-seekers, that I think I have a feeling for what's going on.

This is the typical scenario: guy comes to the permit office saying he wants to add a garage (or add insulation to a garage, tie it to the home heating system, whatever), because he "wants to work with his cars during winter". He also wants install/add nice windows, a side door, etc. Building commissioner approves, and after the inspections pass, the "garage" is furnished and someone moves in. The homeowner now has a new bedroom, but his house is being taxed at the previous bedroom count. The homeowner turns around against the building commissioner and now it's a battle of government intervention vs. I do whatever I want with my house.

I can see both sides of the argument, but the building commissioner is not there to take sides on it. His/her job is to apply the law, and living space or habitable space get taxed at different rates than outdoor buildings and storage space. Depending on how the law is phrased in your jurisdiction, a workshop might be conditioned space, same as an office would be, and taxed at that rate.

If you want to use this as storage space, then say that and make sure your plans reflect that. If you plan on using it as a true workshop, put a desk, etc., then you will have to bite the bullet.

Cheery
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