What are Building Occupancies?

Have you ever seen your favorite local retail store go out of business only to become a completely different type of store later on? Building tenants change all of the time and their classifications may be very different. These classifications are referred to as occupancy groups and are an important part of the permitting process. The International Building Code (IBC) defines ten different occupancy groups: assembly (A), business (B), educational (E), factory and industrial (F), high hazard (H), institutional (I), mercantile (M), residential (R), storage (S), and utility (U). Occupancy groups are designated based on intended use; for example, a paper …

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Oct 26, 2018 By admin

Why Do Change of Use Permits Take So Long?

Change of Use Permits Permit Advisors consults and advises, pun intended, on all sorts of commercial projects around the United States and we commonly are asked: Why do Change of Use permits take so long? So, we’ve compiled some common questions about Change of Use permits and have answered them in this interview-style article. First off, let’s start off by asking: what are Change of Use permits? A Change of Use permit is required for a variety of situations. Changing the use of a building or facility may involve an extensive remodel or may require no physical changes at all; …

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Mar 20, 2016 By admin

Conditional Use Permits: What and How You Get Them

Conditional Use Permits, or CUPs for short, are permits that allow for a use otherwise restricted for a particular zone for that parcel of land. Just like the name reveals the permit is approved upon a set of conditions. Those conditions are set forth by the municipality the land falls within.

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Feb 29, 2016 By admin