Permits for new homes are on the rise in Marshall County.
This week County Building Inspector, Chuck DeWitt told the commissioners that 9 permits were issued in May for single family homes and so far this year they had issued 16 permits for homes.
Looking back in history he said in 2011 a total of 26 permits for homes were issued while in 2013 it dropped to 22 and last year, in 2013 only 18. DeWitt said, “We are on pace to set a new record with 16 home permits already this year.”
When asked, DeWitt said only one of the homes is in a town limit the rest are all in rural areas.
The building inspector said contractors are having to turn business away because they are so busy, many already planning into 2015. He said when the recession hit many of the smaller contractors weren’t able to continue in business and the shrinking number of contractors has made those still here very busy. DeWitt also noted that many contractors are looking for help.
Commissioner Kevin Overmyer asked how many inspections are required for a new home build and DeWitt said typically 11 to 15 depending on the size and levels in the home.
Overmyer suggested it was time to look a the fee schedule noting that many jurisdictions are using a sliding scale depending on the square footage of the home. He said, “That seems like a more equitable way to charge for permits.” The commissioner suggested looking at the fees during this summer with implementation of new ones at the beginning of 2015.
