Beach Zone and permitting

[relaxation]

We are looking to add onto our screen porch and add an open deck at our house at Blue Mtn Beach. We were looking into the permitting requirements. It seems overdone for just adding a deck and adding on to a screen porch (with no changes to roof). Sounds like we need an structural engineer drawin, boundary and foundation surveys, elevation certificates. Our job if relatively small and we don't understand why all the engineering is required. Our house is on the other side of 30a (about 1/2 mile from beach as crow flies).

Anyone else run into this. Sounds like it could add 1,00 to 3,000 to a small job.

 

[Uncle Timmy]

We are looking to add onto our screen porch and add an open deck at our house at Blue Mtn Beach. We were looking into the permitting requirements. It seems overdone for just adding a deck and adding on to a screen porch (with no changes to roof). Sounds like we need an structural engineer drawin, boundary and foundation surveys, elevation certificates. Our job if relatively small and we don't understand why all the engineering is required. Our house is on the other side of 30a (about 1/2 mile from beach as crow flies).

Anyone else run into this. Sounds like it could add 1,00 to 3,000 to a small job.

Anything built within Walton County's Coastal Building Zone (- the 140 mph Wind Zone or "everything south of the bay") requires a permit and inspections by the Building Department.

This requirement includes:

-sheds
-utility buildings
-storage buildings
-screened buildings
-porches
-decks
-carports
-pump houses

All new construction deemed structural needs to be certified by an architect or engineer.

It may sound like overkill but the Building Dept's responsibility is to ensure that anything built within the Coastal Zone won't go airborne and cause damage on neighboring properties.

Your deck would apply but I am confused by your screened porch- if the roof and structure are already existing then you shouldn't need a permit to add screening.

Are you adding anything structural to the screened porch or just screening an existing space?