(a) 
Permit required.
No person shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish any building or structure in the applicable jurisdiction, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining a building permit for any such building or structure from the building official.
(b) 
Excavation and capping of utility lines.
(1) 
All persons, or agents thereof, engaged in the moving, removal, demolition and other practices contained in subsection (a) above that require disconnects and separation from city utilities, namely water and wastewater, will be required to locate and excavate same utility service lines at the property line and permanently cap, by an approved method, each service line so as to prohibit inflow, backflow and infiltration into the utility collection and distribution system.
(2) 
The same excavation trenches above shall be left uncovered and unconcealed until such time as the building official has declared them secure. The building official shall accurately locate and indicate same indelibly on the building permit.
(3) 
In addition to any building permit fees, all persons or agents thereof engaged in the moving, removal, demolition and other practices described above shall deposit with the city secretary the sum established by city council, which shall be refunded to the person or agent upon inspection by the building official and satisfactory compliance with this section.
(c) 
Modification of requirements.
Building permit fees for any and all building practices described in this section may be modified and changed by the city council from time to time and at various times.
(d) 
Exception for ordinary minor repairs.
Ordinary minor repairs may be made with the approval of the building official without a permit, provided that such repairs shall not violate any of the provisions of the city’s building code.
(e) 
Penalty.
Whenever in this code or in any ordinance of the city any act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor, or whenever in such code or ordinance the doing of any act is required, other than duties of city officers and employees, or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful, where no specific penalty is provided therefor, the violation of any such provision of this code or any such ordinance shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2000.00) in all cases involving ordinances that govern fire safety, zoning or public health and safety and sanitation, including dumping or accumulation of refuse, and two hundred dollars ($200.00) in all other cases; provided, however, that where the offense is one for which a penalty is fixed by state law, the penalty for such offense shall be the same as fixed by state law.
(f) 
Continuing offenses.
Each day any violation of this code or other ordinance of the city shall continue shall constitute a separate offense unless otherwise provided.
(Ordinance adopted 3/8/05; Ordinance adopting Code)
(a) 
Application required.
Any owner, authorized agent, or contractor who desires to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect or construct a sign of any description, or to install or alter fire extinguishing apparatus, elevators, or engines, or to install a steam boiler, furnace, heater, incinerator, or other heat-producing apparatus, or other appurtenances, the installation of which is regulated by the city’s building code, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit for the work.
(b) 
Information required.
Each application for a permit, with the required fee, shall be filed with the building official on a form furnished for that purpose, and shall contain a general description of the proposed work and its location. The application shall be signed by the owner, or his authorized agent. The application shall indicate the proposed occupancy of all parts of the building and of that portion of the site or lot, if any, not covered by the building or structure, and shall contain such other information as may be required by the building official.
(c) 
Drawings and specifications.
(1) 
Requirements.
When required by the building official, two (2) or more copies of specifications, and of drawings drawn to scale with sufficient clarity and detail to indicate the nature and character of the work, shall accompany the application for a permit. Such drawings and specifications shall contain information, in the form of notes or otherwise, as to the quality of materials, where quality is essential to conformity with the city’s building code. Such information shall be specific, and the city’s building code shall not be cited as a whole or in part, nor shall the term “legal” or its equivalent be used, as a substitute for specific information.
(2) 
Additional data.
The building official may require details, computations, stress diagrams, and other data necessary to describe the installation and basis of calculations, and they shall bear the signature of the person responsible for the design.
(3) 
Designer’s name.
All drawings, specifications, and accompanying data shall bear the name and address of the designer. For buildings or structures of Group E– Educational, Group I–Institutional and Group A–Assembly occupancy, and all buildings or structures three (3) stories or more in height or five thousand (5,000) square feet or more in area, except one- and two-family dwellings, such designer shall be an architect or engineer legally registered under the laws of this state regulating the practice of architecture or engineering and shall affix his official seal to such drawings, specifications and accompanying data.
(4) 
Structural and fire resistance integrity.
Plans for all buildings shall indicate how required structural and fire-resistive integrity will be maintained where a penetration of a required fire-resistant wall, floor or partition will be made for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and communication conduits, pipes and systems, and also indicate in sufficient detail how the fire integrity will be maintained where required fire-resistant floors intersect the exterior walls.
(5) 
Site drawings.
Drawings shall show the location of the proposed building or structure and of every existing building or structure on the site or lot. The building official may require a boundary line survey prepared by a qualified surveyor.
(d) 
Time limit on application.
An application for a permit for any proposed work shall be deemed to have been abandoned six (6) months after the date of filing for the permit, unless before then a permit has been issued. One (1) or more extensions of time for periods of not more than ninety (90) days each may be allowed by the building official for the application, provided the extension is requested in writing and justifiable cause is demonstrated.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-42)
(a) 
Plan review.
The building official shall examine or cause to be examined each application for a permit and the accompanying contract documents, consisting of drawings, specifications, computations and additional data, and shall ascertain by such examinations whether the construction indicated and described is in accordance with the requirements of this code and all other pertinent laws or ordinances.
(b) 
Affidavits.
The building official may accept a sworn affidavit from a registered architect or engineer stating that the plans submitted conform to the laws as to egress, type of construction and general arrangement, and if accompanied by drawings showing the structural design, and by a statement that the plans and design conform to the requirements of the city’s building code as to strength, stresses, strains, loads and stability, he may without any examination or inspection accept such affidavit, provided the architect or engineer who made such affidavit agrees to submit to the building official copies of inspection reports as inspections are performed and upon completion of the structure a certification that the structure has been erected in accordance with the requirements of the city’s building code. Where the building official relies upon such affidavit, the architect or engineer shall assume full responsibility for the compliance with all provisions of the city’s building code and other pertinent laws or ordinances.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-43)
(a) 
Before issuing a permit, the building official may examine or cause to be examined any building for which an application has been received for a permit to enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy. He shall inspect all buildings and structures, from time to time, during and upon completion of the work for which a permit was issued. He shall make a record of every such examination and inspection and of all violations of the city’s building code.
(b) 
When deemed necessary by the building official, he shall make an inspection of materials or assemblies at the point of manufacture or fabrication. He shall make a record of every such examination and inspection and of all violations of the city’s building code.
(c) 
The building official may make, or cause to be made, the inspections required by this section. He may accept reports of inspectors of recognized inspection services provided that after investigation he is satisfied as to their qualifications and reliability. A certificate called for by any provision of the city’s building code shall not be based on such reports unless the same are in writing and certified by a responsible officer of such service.
(d) 
The building official shall inspect or cause to be inspected at various intervals all construction or work for which a permit is required, and a final inspection shall be made of every building or structure upon completion, prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
(e) 
The building official upon notification from the permit holder or his agent shall make the following inspections of buildings and such other inspections as may be necessary, and shall either approve that portion of the construction as completed or shall notify the permit holder or his agent of any violations to comply with the city’s building code:
(1) 
Foundation inspection.
To be made after trenches are excavated and forms erected.
(2) 
Frame inspection.
To be made after the roof, all framing, fire blocking and bracing is in place, all concealing wiring, all pipes, chimneys, ducts and vents are complete.
(3) 
Final inspection.
To be made after the building is completed and ready for occupancy.
(f) 
Work shall not be done on any part of a building or structure beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the written approval of the building official. Such written approval shall be given only after an inspection has been made of each successive step in the construction as indicated by each of the foregoing three (3) inspections.
(g) 
Reinforcing steel or structural framework of any part of any building or structure shall not be covered or concealed without first obtaining the approval of the building official.
(h) 
In all buildings where plaster is used for fire protection purposes, the permit holder or his agent shall notify the building official after all lathing and backing is in place. Plaster shall not be applied until the approval of the building official has been received.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-44)
(a) 
Action on issuance.
The building official shall act upon an application for a permit without unreasonable or unnecessary delay. If the building official is satisfied that the work described in an application for a permit and the contract documents filed therewith conform to the requirements of this code and other pertinent laws and ordinances, he shall issue a permit to the applicant.
(b) 
Refusal to issue.
If the application for a permit and the accompanying contract documents describing the work do not conform to the requirements of the city’s building code or other pertinent laws or ordinances, the building official shall not issue a permit, but shall return the contract documents to the applicant with his refusal to issue such permit. Such refusal shall, when requested, be in writing and shall contain the reason for refusal.
(c) 
Special permit for foundation of building.
When an application for a permit to erect or enlarge a building has been filed and pending issuance of such permit, the building official may, at his discretion, issue a special permit for the foundation of such building.
(d) 
Encroachments on street lines.
A permit shall not be given by the building official for the construction of any building or for the alteration of any building where said building is to be changed and such change will affect the exterior walls, bays, balconies, or other appendages or projections fronting on any street, alley or public lane, or for the placing on any lot or premises of any building or structure removed from another lot or premises, unless the applicant has made application at the office of the director of public works for the lines of the public street on which he proposes to build, erect or locate said building, and it shall be the duty of the building official to see that the street lines are not encroached upon except as provided for in article 3.11 of this chapter.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-45)
(a) 
Rights granted; time limits.
A permit issued under this article shall be construed to be a license to proceed with the work and shall not be construed as authority to violate, cancel, alter, or set aside any of the provisions of the city’s building code, nor shall such issuance of a permit prevent the building official from thereafter requiring a correction of errors in plans or in construction, or of violations of the city’s building code. Every permit issued shall become invalid unless the work authorized by such permit is commenced within six (6) months after its issuance, or if the work authorized by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of six (6) months after the time the work is commenced. One (1) or more extensions of time, for periods not more than ninety (90) days each, may be allowed for the permit, provided the extension is requested in writing and allowed for the permit and justifiable cause is demonstrated, and such extensions shall be in writing by the building official.
(b) 
Supervision of work; affidavit of conformity with permit.
Whenever a permit is issued in reliance upon an affidavit or whenever the work to be covered by a permit involves installation under conditions which, in the opinion of the building official, are hazardous or complex, the building official shall require that the architect or engineer who signed the affidavit or made the drawings or computations shall supervise such work, be responsible for its conformity with the permit, provide copies of inspection reports as inspections are performed, and upon completion make and file with the building official written affidavit that the work has been done in conformity with the approved plans and with the structural provisions of the city’s building code. In the event such architect or engineer is not available, the owner shall employ in his stead a competent person or agency whose qualifications are approved by the building official.
(c) 
Approved plans to be kept on site.
When the building official issues a permit, he shall endorse, in writing or by stamp, both sets of plans, “Reviewed for Code Compliance.” One (1) set of drawings so reviewed shall be retained by the building official and the other set shall be returned to the applicant. The permitted drawings shall be kept at the site of work and shall be open to inspection by the building official or his authorized representative.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-46)
(a) 
Payment.
A permit shall not be issued until the fees prescribed in this section have been paid. Nor shall an amendment to a permit be approved until the additional fee, if any, due to an increase in the estimated cost of the building or structure, has been paid.
(b) 
Penalty for commencing work before obtaining permit.
If any person commences any work on a building or structure before obtaining the necessary permit, he shall be subject to a penalty of double the permit fees.
(c) 
Accounting.
The building official shall keep a permanent and accurate accounting of all permit fees and other monies collected, and the names of all persons upon whose account the same were paid, along with the date and amount thereof.
(d) 
Fee schedule.
On all buildings, structures or alterations requiring a building permit, a fee for each building permit shall be paid as required at the time of filing the application, in accordance with the schedule as established by the city council from time to time.
(e) 
Valuations.
If, in the opinion of the building official, the valuation of a building, alteration, or structure appears to be underestimated on the application, a permit shall be denied, unless the applicant can show detailed estimated cost to meet the approval of the building official. Permit valuations shall include total cost, such as plumbing, electrical, and mechanical equipment and other systems.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-47)
A general permit issued pursuant to this article shall carry with it the right to install in any building or structure, or part thereof, heating apparatus, elevators, sidewalk elevators, vaults, chutes, coal holes, lifts, cranes, derricks, steam power boilers, and steam, oil, gas or vapor engines, provided the same are shown on the drawings and set forth in the specifications filed with the application for the permit, but where these are not shown on the drawings and covered by the specifications submitted with the application, special permits shall be required.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-48)
Work requiring a building permit shall not commence until the permit holder or his agent posts the building permit card in a conspicuous place on the front of the premises. The permit shall be protected from the weather and located in such position as to permit the building official to conveniently make the required entries thereon. This permit card shall be maintained in such position by the permit holder until the certificate of occupancy is issued by the building official.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-49)
(a) 
Misrepresentations on application or plans.
The building official may revoke a permit or approval issued under the provisions of the city’s building code in case there has been any false statement or misrepresentation as to material fact in the application or plans on which the permit or approval was based.
(b) 
Violation of building code.
The building official may revoke a permit upon determination by the building official that the construction, erection, alteration, repair, moving or demolition of the building for which the permit was issued is in violation of, or not in conformity with, the provisions of the city’s building code.
(1987 Code, sec. 6-50)