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POLICY GUIDELINES FOR A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

CITY OF OGALLALA

AND TWO MILE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION

May 2008

THE FOLLOWING SETS FORTH IN SUMMARY FORM A PROCESS UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE FOLLOWED IN COMPLETING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. THIS IS ONLY A GUIDELINE IN STEP FORMAT. THE OGALLALA MUNICIPAL CODE AND STATE LAW SHALL TAKE PRECEDENCE IN THE EVENT OF CONFLICT, DISAGREEMENT OR INTERPRETATION.

STEP ONE: APPLICATION

·         Obtain a construction permit application from the Ogallala City Clerk and complete the application.

·         Submit the construction permit application along with plans and drawings to the City Building Inspection Department.

·         If you are excavating, it is State Law and your responsibility to contact digger’s hotline for utility locates in the area that you are digging. It is advisable to have an accurate address or location of property prior to calling. It is a free call 1-800-331-5666.

·         For a simple modification to an existing structure, a sketch showing the changes will probably suffice. If you are building an addition, garage or shed, more detail is required.

·         Plans that are drawn and stamped by a Nebraska state licensed architect or engineer shall be submitted for the following buildings:

1.     Assembly occupancies of 1000 square feet or more

2.     Business occupancies of 3000 square feet or more.

3.     Mercantile occupancies (retail sales) of 3000 square feet or more.

4.     Storage occupancies of 5000 square feet or more.

5.     Educational occupancies of 1000 square feet or more.

6.     Factory occupancies of 5000 square feet or more.

7.     High hazard occupancies of 2000 square feet or more.

8.     Single family resident occupancies of 10000 square feet or more.

9.     Apartments of four (4) units or more and Hotels, motel occupancies of 4000 square feet or more.

10.  Utility occupancies of 3000 square feet or more.

·         In addition to the building plans, you will need a site plan. The site plan shall show the property dimensions along with where all existing and proposed structures are located. A sample site plan can be obtained by contacting the City Building official.

·         Separate applications shall be completed for electrical, plumbing and, gas piping and right-of-way excavation. Inspections for electrical shall be requested through the State Electrical Division.

STEP TWO: PLAN REVIEW

·         The proposed project will need to meet local zoning requirements. The City will check the plans to see if the improvement complies with the zoning ordinance to make sure the intended use is permissible. the City shall not be responsible for designing, OFFERING CONSTRUCTION ADVICE or specifying materials for any phase of a project other than what is located on OR WITHIN city right of way.

·         The City will review the plans for compliance with the building codes (structural and plumbing). Applicants requesting a building permit for a commercial structure shall submit a separate application for plan review to the Nebraska State Fire Marshal. State Fire Marshal Plan Review applications may be obtained in the office of the City building Inspector. 

·         The City will contact you and advise if plans are accepted or if changes need to be made.

Building setbacks are required by building and zoning codes. The building setback is the required distance from the property line to the proposed building or addition. Survey pins may need to be exposed or located by a surveyor to determine where your property lines are. All proposed new buildings or additions shall be staked out in order to check for building setback requirements.

·         The City of Ogallala has adopted the following codes:

1.     2006 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE

2.     ELECTRICAL CODE (most current edition) as adopted by the State Electrical Division

3.     2006 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE Published by International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials

4.     101 LIFE SAFETY CODE  (most current edition) published by National Fire Protection Association

STEP THREE: ISSUANCE OF A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT

·         A building permit will be issued after all requirements have been met and the appropriate building permit fee has been paid. Construction shall commence within six (6) months. Significant progress on the job site shall be achieved every 180 days.

·         The City of Ogallala owns the water and sanitary sewer mains. Service lines for water and sewer are owned by their respective property owners that they serve. Water and sewer taps shall be performed by the City of Ogallala. Costs for materials depend on the size of the taps. Contact the Ogallala Water Department 284-3925 to obtain these costs. Maintenance of the water service line including the taps, corp stop and curb stop from the curb to the building is the responsibility of the property owner. If a curb is absent, the responsibility of the property owner starts at the property line. It is the responsibility of the property owner to expose the main for the City to perform the taps and to run the service line from the main to the building being served.

·         Plumbing shall be performed by individuals licensed with the City of Ogallala and permits shall be issued only to those individuals who are licensed. Exception: A plumbing permit may be issued on a one time per year basis to a homeowner performing plumbing work for the dwelling in which they reside in.

·         Electrical wiring shall be performed in accordance with the State Electrical Act. Application for an electrical inspection shall be made to the Nebraska State Electrical Division. (Applications are available at Ogallala City Hall.)

·         Gas piping shall be performed by individuals licensed with the City of Ogallala and permits shall be issued only to those individuals who are licensed. There are no exceptions for homeowners to perform their own gas piping.

·         Sidewalks, plantings and drives that are between the property line and street pavement require a separate right of way permit. Excavations within the street or alley for utility connections shall be performed by a licensed right-of-way contractor

·         Plumbing permit fees are based on amount of fixtures installed. An average fee to plumb an entire house is approximately $80.00.

·         Gas piping permit fees are $15.00.

·         Building permit fees are calculated based on cost of construction valuation. The Building Inspector determines valuation for new construction. A minimum building permit fee is $25.00. listed below are approximate fees for various projects:

New dwelling with 1,500 sq.ft. main floor; 1,000 sq.ft. second floor; 1,000 sq.ft. basement semi finished; and 576 sq.ft. attached garage. (Average construction, wood frame)

Valuation =                $151,293.00

Building permit fee =     $571.00

Valuations for dwellings increase with more architectural design features such as complex roof designs, brick veneer, elevators, additional bathrooms, special site grading for drainage etc.)

Two car detached wood stud frame garage (576 square feet)

Valuation =                $11,617.34

Building permit fee =     $177

500 square foot living area addition onto an

existing dwelling (average construction, wood frame)

Valuation =                $27,929.00

Building permit fee =     $225

STEP FOUR: INSPECTIONS

·         Call the City when the work is ready for inspection. Do not call until you are ready. Inspections usually are performed by the City after 9:00 A.M and no later than 4:15 P.M. on weekdays. The City will not perform inspections on weekends or holidays. Telephone numbers City and State inspectors are:

OGALLALA CITY INSPECTOR, Ken Knoepfel 308-284-6723 ext 215 or 289-0640 cellular

OGALLALA ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, (State Electrical Division) 402-471-3550 and 402-471 4297 fax

OGALLALA WATER DEPARTMENT 284-3925 or 289-1033 cellular

OGALLALA STREET DEPARTMENT 284-6574 or 289-2984 cellular

NEBRASKA STATE FIRE MARSHAL 308-535-8181 and 308-535-8175 fax

NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT 308-284-4034

SOURCE GAS 800-563-0012    

·         The City will endeavor to make the inspection as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours after your call (the City does not make inspections on weekends or holidays). The City will notify you if the work is approved or not approved. You must correct the problems noted by the inspector before proceeding with the portion of work that is incorrect. Upon correcting the problems the City will re-inspect the work.

·         On-site inspections. The number of inspections is dependent on the extent of the work and the different types of construction. The following are some of the inspections your project may need:

1.     FOOTING INSPECTION. The City will inspect footing preparations prior to pouring concrete and setback requirements

2.     FOUNDATION INSPECTION. The City will inspect the foundation prior to backfill for structures with a crawl space. Foundations for basements shall be inspected after waterproofing and prior to backfill.

3.     FRAMING. An inspection will be made after the structural elements are in place and framing is complete. The electrical wiring must be installed and the plumbing and heat runs must be installed before this inspection is done.

4.     PLUMBING SYSTEM ROUGH-IN. All plumbing must be inspected before it is covered or concealed. This includes all lines that will be covered over with earth or a concrete slab and those lines that will be concealed within walls, floors and ceilings.

5.     WOOD BURNING STOVE OR FIREPLACE. These appliances or fixtures shall be inspected before the flues are covered.

6.     GAS PIPING (L.P. OR NATURAL). These piping systems within a building shall be pressure tested and inspected prior to cover - up. 

7.     SEWER INSPECTION. The City will need to inspect the sewer line and sewer tap before they are covered.

8.     SIDEWALK/DRIVEWAY INSPECTION. The City will need to inspect sidewalk/driveway construction prior to pouring concrete. Contact the City Building Official for specifications for public sidewalk.

9.     FINAL INSPECTION. A final inspection of each building project will be made when the project is complete. This could cover smoke detectors, exterior grading, accessibility, rise and run of stairs, headroom on stairs and under ceilings, stair railing, height & spacing of spindles, heating and cooling equipment, plumbing equipment, and tempered glass, where needed. For new water service, the curb stop must be installed at ground level or not more than two inches below the surface. The City will perform final inspections for all new structures within the City of Ogallala. The State Fire Marshal will be involved with the final inspection process on all commercial buildings and multi-family dwellings over four units.

The ordinances, codes and inspections are intended to promote safety, avoid maintenance and future functional problems and to help protect the investment you make in your project. The City of Ogallala is here to help make that happen. If you need assistance or have questions, please call and we will do our best to help you.