Town of Beaumont. Lot Grading Guidelines

Transcription

1 Town of Beaumont Lot Grading Guidelines

2 LOT GRADING APPROVAL PROCESS Lot Grading Guidelines... 3 Introduction... 3 Purpose... 3 Definitions... 3 Lot Grading... 3 Lot Grading Plan... 3 Lot Grading Certificate... 3 Approval Process... 3 Rough Grade Approval... 3 Approval Process... 4 Final Grade Approval... 4 Approval Process... 4 Lot Grading Inspection Fees... 5 Rough Grade Inspection Fees... 6 Final Grade Inspection Fees... 6 Lot Grading Requirements... 6 Design Grades and Existing Grades... 6 Acceptable As-Built Tolerances... 6 Minimum Grade from Foundation Walls... 6 Window Wells... 7 Drainage Swales... 7 Extreme Grade Differential... 7 Damage Inspection Requirements... 7 Curb Stop (CC) Valve... 7 Emergency Sump Discharge (Third Pipe) Installation... 8 Sidewalk and Curb Condition... 8 Downspouts and Splash Pads... 8 Page 2 of 8 Revised June 7, 2012 April 5, 2012

3 LOT GRADING GUIDELINES INTRODUCTION The Town of Beaumont lot grading approval process applies to all single family residential lots. Lots must be graded in accordance with the Town of Beaumont Surface Drainage Bylaw / and according to the approved grading plan for the area. PURPOSE The purpose of lot grading is to ensure all properties (public and private) have met the surface drainage requirements set out in the area lot grading plan in order to prevent flooding and other water-related damages. DEFINITIONS LOT GRADING Lot grading consists of sloping the land within a lot to direct the flow of surface water away from a building s foundation. Proper grading ensures water is discharged towards a suitable outlet safely and according to the approved lot grading plan without negatively affecting adjacent properties. LOT GRADING PLAN Lot grading plans are required for all new developments and show the drainage relationship between adjacent properties included within the plan. They specify design elevations, surface gradients, lot types, swale locations and other drainage information required for grading. LOT GRADING CERTIFICATE An approved lot grading certificate details the existing elevations and the design elevations on a lot. These certificates are required to determine whether the grade of a lot will be approved or denied. The Town of Beaumont will accept lot grading certificates signed and certified by a registered Alberta Land Surveyor or Professional Engineer. APPROVAL PROCESS Grading approval is given in two stages, rough and final. Rough grade is the responsibility of the builder to attain and final grade is the responsibility of the homeowner. The builder is responsible for ensuring the curb stop valve (CC valve) and emergency sump discharge (third pipe) are installed properly and the sidewalk and curb are not damaged. ROUGH GRADE APPROVAL IMPORTANT NOTE: In the Town of Beaumont, rough grade inspections will not occur until final occupancy has been granted by the building inspections department. Until final occupancy has been granted no site visits will be made - NO EXCEPTIONS. Page 3 of 8 Revised June 7, 2012 April 5, 2012

4 Once the home has been given final occupancy, the lot should be graded according to the lot grading plan for the area. If the home has not received final occupancy, be mindful it will not be inspected until final occupancy has been granted. ROUGH GRADE APPROVAL PROCESS 1) The lot is pre-graded and a survey is requested from either an Alberta Land Surveyor or Professional Engineer who will prepare a plan of as-built grades (lot grading certificate). 2) The certificate is submitted to the Lot Grading Inspector along with a written request (usually via ) to inspect and the property will be added to the inspection list. 3) The Lot Grading Inspector will visit the property to conduct an inspection of the rough grade. The CC valve, third pipe, sidewalk and curb inspections will also be done. 4) Two reports will be sent to the builder. The lot grading report will outline the rough grade inspection and whether or not it was approved or if deficiencies exist. The final damage inspection report will outline the status of the CC valve, third pipe, sidewalks and curbs. 5) If deficiencies exist on the lot grading report, the builder must correct them within 30 days of the report date and request a re-inspection from the Lot Grading Inspector. If the Lot Grading Inspector has requested proof of elevations, the re-inspection will not take place until that information has been received. IMPORTANT NOTE: After the first re-inspection, if the Inspector is called out for subsequent re-inspections and deficiencies have not been corrected, a $150 fee (taxes additional) will be levied against the builder and inspections will cease until the fee has been paid. 6) Once the rough grade is approved, the builder and homeowner will be notified via mail. Files will remain open until the damage inspection has been completed. FINAL GRADE APPROVAL In the Town of Beaumont, final grade approval is the responsibility of the homeowner and must be initiated within one year of the rough grade approval date. Rough grade will be approved between 0.07 and 0.20 meters (2.75 and 8.00 inches) below design grade allowing adequate room for topsoil and sod to finish at design elevation. When topsoil is spread and compacted, it is ready for inspection; final grade inspections take place before sod has been laid. If rock or wood chips are part of the homeowners landscaping plan, the rough grade (clay base) must be raised before laying decorative materials; rock and wood chips cannot be laid at the same elevation as topsoil since water will not flow over these materials. FINAL GRADE APPROVAL PROCESS 1) After the homeowner receives their approval letter, topsoil should be spread and an Alberta Land Surveyor or Professional Engineer surveys the lot and provides a lot grading certificate to the homeowner. 2) The homeowner submits their certificate to the Lot Grading Inspector along with the $150 final grade inspection fee (payable at Town Office via cash, cheque or debit, taxes additional) and their lot is put on the inspection list. Page 4 of 8 Revised June 7, 2012 April 5, 2012

5 3) The Lot Grading Inspector conducts a site inspection to verify the elevations shown on the certificate. 4) A door tag is left at the home indicating whether the lot was approved or if deficiencies exist. If deficiencies exist, the homeowner must correct them within 30 days of the inspection date and notify the Lot Grading Inspector requesting a re-inspection. If the Lot Grading Inspector has requested proof of elevations, the re-inspection will not take place until that information has been received. IMPORTANT NOTE: After the first re-inspection, if the Inspector is called out for subsequent re-inspections and deficiencies have not been corrected, a $150 fee (taxes additional) will be levied against the homeowner and inspections will cease until the fee is paid. 5) Once the final grade is approved, the homeowner will be notified via mail. The approval letter and lot grading certificate can then be submitted to the builder/developer in order to receive the landscaping deposit refund. Once final grade has been approved, it is the property owners responsibility to maintain the surface grading. LOT GRADING INSPECTION FEES Page 5 of 8 Revised June 7, 2012 April 5, 2012

6 ROUGH GRADE INSPECTION FEES The rough grade inspection fee for single detached houses is $ per unit (taxes additional) payable by the builder at the time the building permit is taken out; this fee includes an initial inspection and one re-inspection. After the first re-inspection, if the Inspector is called out for subsequent re-inspections and deficiencies have not been corrected, a $150 fee (taxes additional) will be levied against the builder and inspections will cease until the fee has been paid. FINAL GRADE INSPECTION FEES The final grade inspection fee for single detached houses is $ (taxes additional) per unit payable at the time the final grade inspection is requested and the lot grading certificate is submitted; this fee includes an initial inspection and one re-inspection. After the first re-inspection, if the Inspector is called out for subsequent re-inspections and deficiencies have not been corrected, a $150 fee (taxes additional) will be levied against the homeowner and inspections will cease until the fee has been paid. LOT GRADING REQUIREMENTS The following requirements must be met in order to receive rough and final grade approval as well as approval on the damage inspection. DESIGN GRADES AND EXISTING GRADES The approved lot grading plan shows the approved design grades for each lot. These elevations are detailed on the lot grading certificate along with the existing elevations. The existing elevations must be within the tolerances shown below at each respective stage of grading in order to be approved. For example, if a rough grade certificate shows the design grade at and the existing grade at 32.16, the tolerance would be m (or -14 cm) below design and approvable. ACCEPTABLE AS-BUILT TOLERANCES GRADE TOLERANCE (metric) TOLERANCE (imperial) Rough Grade m to m in to in Final Grade, on topsoil m to m in to in Final Grade, on landscaping m to m in to in *The Lot Grading Inspector has the discretion to accept elevations that are outside of tolerance. MINIMUM GRADE FROM FOUNDATION WALLS In order to greatly reduce the risk of water entering basements during periods of heavy precipitation, a sloped surface is required to effectively drain water away from foundation walls; these areas include beneath decks and steps. SURFACE TYPE Earth Impervious Surface (concrete) MINIMUM GRADE REQUIREMENT FROM FOUNDATION WALLS 10% slope required for the first 2 meters 0.75% slope required for the first 2 meters Page 6 of 8 Revised June 7, 2012 April 5, 2012

7 WINDOW WELLS Depending on location, window wells may be required on some basement windows. If there is a distance of 15cm (6 inches) or greater between the bottom of the window and the top of finished grade, a window well would not be needed. Any window with distance less than that would require a window well. DRAINAGE SWALES Drainage swales are shallow-sided sloped ditches intended to transport surface runoff and are usually located along common property lines. Swales on a common property line should provide a minimum of 30 cm (12 inches) of unobstructed width within each property. Due to the topography of some neighbourhoods, approved lot-to-lot drainage may occur and on some lots, an easement or right-of-way is registered to allow for the construction of a concrete or grass drainage swale. Easements are shown on the approved lot grading plan and must be displayed on the lot grading certificate. In order to convey runoff to the nearest street, lane, dry pond or storm water management facility, grading of swales is required to be in accordance with the overall drainage plan for the area. SURFACE TYPE Grass Impervious Surface (concrete) MINIMUM GRADE REQUIREMENT IN DRAINAGE SWALES 2% slope 0.75% slope EXTREME GRADE DIFFERENTIAL Substantial grade differences can occur when grading homes with walk-out basements or an uneven overall landscape. Grading on these types of homes may require a retaining wall or other form of stabilization. In the Town of Beaumont, retaining structures are required on areas with slopes of 25% or more. At the time the plot plan is submitted, slopes between 20 and 25% are marked for possible retaining walls and the walls are confirmed at the time of home completion. DAMAGE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS The following requirements must be met before the builder will receive approval on the damage inspection report; damage deposits will not be refunded until the damage inspection has been approved. CURB STOP (CC) VALVE The curb stop (CC) valve is typically located in the front or side yard of a home and controls the home s water supply. These valves are put in at the time of subdivision development and can often be damaged during the building process. In order to receive approval on the CC portion of the damage inspection, CC valves need to be operational and installed at final grade elevation which is normally around 6 inches above the approved rough grade elevation. Page 7 of 8 Revised June 7, 2012 April 5, 2012

8 EMERGENCY SUMP PUMP DISCHARGE (THIRD PIPE) INSTALLATION The sump pump discharge collection system on a home is dedicated to collection of weeping tile system discharges. The emergency sump pump discharge (also known as a third pipe) is an elbow attached to the 10cm storm connection service on the exterior of the home. It is meant as an escape for water if there is a blockage in the storm sewer system. To pass inspection, third pipes need to be attached at a 45 downward angle perpendicular to the foundation of the home to ensure any water discharged does not pool beside the foundation. Section of the Town of Beaumont General Design Standards states there shall be no roof leaders (downspouts), garage drains, sanitary lines or any other plumbing systems connected to the sump pump/weeping tile system. SIDEWALK AND CURB CONDITION Since sidewalks and curbs are poured at the time of subdivision development, they can become damaged during building construction. At the time the building permit is taken out, builders are required to undertake an initial inspection of the sidewalks and curbs. When the rough grade is inspected, the final damage inspection is completed and compared to the builders initial inspection. Provided there is no additional damage to the sidewalks and/or curbs, the builders damage deposit will be refunded. DOWNSPOUTS AND SPLASH PADS Downspouts need to have a hinged elbow or empty onto a splash pad in order to properly direct water away from the foundation of a home. Downspout elbows should be directed away from foundation walls towards the drainage swale along the common property line but must not extend or project past the property line. Extensions are acceptable as long as they do not extend onto adjacent properties. Where downspouts are not installed, splash pads are a recommended and are an acceptable substitution. Splash pads help to minimize soil erosion. FOR MORE INFORMATION Town of Beaumont Lot Grading Inspector Twp Rd 510 Please direct mail to: Street Beaumont, AB T4X 1A1 Phone: (780) Fax: (780) [email protected] Web Address: Page 8 of 8 Revised June 7, 2012 April 5, 2012