Beginning
January 1, 2009 Look For These New Changes:
Two new
laws pertaining to building activities will go into effect January 1,
2009. These bills relate to a newly established State fee for building
permits and a new declaration form for "owner-builder" projects.
Senate Bill No.
1473 signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger on September 30, 2008,
provides for the creation of the Building Standards Administration Special
Revolving Fund, which is established in the State Treasury. The bill
requires each city and county to collect a fee from an applicant for
a building permit, assessed at the rate of four dollars ($4) per one
hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in valuation, with appropriate fractions
thereof, but not less than one dollar ($1). Once appropriated, moneys
deposited in this fund will be available to CBSC, the Department of
Housing and Community Development, and the office of the Fire Marshal
for expenditure in carrying out the provisions of the State Building
Standards Law and provision of State Housing Law that relate to building
standards. Emphasis is to be placed on the development, adoption, publication,
updating, and educational efforts associated with green building standards.
Assembly
Bill No. 2335. modifies the existing forms, declarations, and notice
to the property owner and expands the acknowledgements property owners
are required to make prior to the issuance of an “Owner-Builder”
building permit. (To download the new Owner-Builder Declaration Form,
Click
here).
Special
links:
http://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicense/LicenseRequest.asp
Use this
link to check and verify state licenses for people claming to be licensed
contractors.
http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/KnowRisksOfOwnerBuilder/
If you
are considering doing a construction job as an "owner/ builder"
there are a number of important issues to be aware of. Legal obligations
and risks may outweigh the financial benefits. This section will guide
you through some of the facts that owner/builders face.
