Royce Custom Homes

The Variance

A VARIANCE is permission granted to you, by the Buildings Dept., to not be restricted by the building codes currently in place...usually with regard to SETBACK.

A Variance is not handed out because you want one...you need a good reason.
Wanting more space is not, typically, a good reason, unless it is for a family member with special needs.

Typically, you must show either need, or that your neighbors already enjoy such
allowances and you want the equivalent.
There is no guarantee that you will receive a Variance..regardless of the issue.

You must first submit your PLANS & APPLICATION for PERMIT...get rejected, and then
apply for the Variance.
The variance process can take anywhere from 4 to 24 weeks, involves a public hearing which you must attend, and a lot of paperwork.
The usual fee for an Architect to submit a variance is about $1,500, which covers the work of documenting the houses nearby yours to show who has what and why you should have what you want.
The actual cost of submitting the variance is very little, so it can be done inexpensively if you can and are willing to do the work in preparing the papers. It is not difficult...just time consuming.

If you are granted the variance, then your PLANS will be forwarded on to the PLANS Examiner and, if there are no issues with your PLANS structurally, you should receive
your Permit to build.