Whether building a custom home, putting an addition over the garage or remodeling the kitchen, your local building department must be taken into account. You must anticipate their input, and add to your schedule the necessary time for approvals, processing, re-drawing of plans and re-working the changes required to meet code.

Building codes for each step of construction, including framing, electrical work, and plumbing, as it varies from city to county.Individual inspectors within a single department can also interpret the codes differently.

Understanding the time and steps required to take a project from plans through approval can help you decide how best to proceed.