PPIs & Permits

In the beginning we were a bit confused about PPIs or Purchaser Paid Items.  These are things that we need to pay for that Wayne Homes doesn't provide, but the costs can be included in the contract and construction loan.  They include things like surveys, sewer permit, zoning permit, building permit, excavating & trenching, connecting downspouts, well, landscaping, construction & final driveways, any plumbing or electrical outside of the house, and our countertops since we went with an outside company.  We will pay for these items up front and then turn in a reimbursement form to WH to draw from our loan.  We can also turn in an invoice and get the money before paying the contractors if timing allows.  In our case, the PPIs ended up being about 15% of the final contract/project price (not including the land).

The Stark County Building, Township Zoning, and County Sewer deparments have all become very familiar with my husband's voice :).  There is a sequence involved in getting permits that probably varies from county to county.  The first thing we had to do was get a house number slip from the regional planning office that gives the street address for the new house.  Then we went to the sewer department for the sewer permit.  Next was the township zoning permit.  This was the end of the permits we had to pull as homeowners. This was difficult to do, as all the county offices close around 4:00. WH will pull all the other necessary permits, as it needs to be done by licensed contractors. 

We also hired a professional survey company to stake the location of the house.  This wasn't required by our township, but many locations do require it.  Some even require a topographical survey.  We decided to have the land staked and a plot plan created because we are maxing out the easements of our land and didn't have any room for error.  For example, there is a 50' easement from the property line to the front of the house and 10' easements on each side.  Our lot is 85' wide and our house will be 65' wide, so it has to be spot on.   The plans also had to be approved by the developer of our neighborhood.  WH had all of this info on their checklists in the binder we received, so it made it much easier for us, as first-time builders.

Looking from back yard to front yard