Replies

1. 
   davidmeiland | Feb 03, 2011 06:09pm | #1

   Seems like they should

   give you a total building height not to exceed...

1. 
   atvalaska | Feb 03, 2011 08:23pm | #4

   here is what it sayz..

   "No buildings shall be erected, altered, placed, or permitted to remain on any lot other than one

   single-family or duplex dwelling not to exceed 2 ½ stories in height or 30 feet above grade at

   the highest point around the perimeter of the building."  I called the tax folks they said " the  perimeter is to the top of the wall plate...not the "Peak"  ...the way they read it  AND if u had a slab on grade 20x20 building placed another 20x20 on top then added a 10x20 overlooking the 20x20 below AND (not OVER 50% of said floor below )...thats the "1/2 story "sound right to u guys?

1. 
   DanH | Feb 03, 2011 08:26pm | #5

   That's not what "half story"

   That's not what "half story" has traditionally meant.

2. 
   Clewless1 | Feb 04, 2011 01:17am | #6

   ... highest point around the perimeter ... to the wall plate and not the peak. But on gable end walls, the peak is at the perimeter. Hip roofs, it would be at the wall plate. That's the way I'd interpret what you're saying.

   As for 2 1/2 stories ... hmmm ... Common traditional meaning, I think would say that any story falling w/in the pitched roof line would be considered 1/2 story (i.e. the finished attic space under the roof line ... often narrower than the perimeter of the house to get some vertical wall height). Not sure if you have e.g. a half 'basement' and two stories above that. Don't know that I've ever heard of 1/2 story being defined in a building code (you are referring to a P&Z ordinance, it sounds like ... which should clearly define both the height value and define what a story is ... usually in a definitions section of the ordinance or w/in the section that makes reference to the terms. What a story is in one jurisdiction may be entirely different than in another. I've seen many different versions of both 'story' and 'building height'.

3. 
   semar | Feb 04, 2011 03:46pm | #9

   building height

   you got the answer already:  from the highest point of your exterior grade level around the house to the top of the ridge you cannot exceed 30 feet.

   makes no difference if you build a low slope, steep pitch or flat roof (of course depending on the municipal design criteria)

   I ran into exactly this situation when I build the greenhouse in the back. In my case it was 13 feet from the highest point of the ground elevation. Since the ground sloped slighty tothe back, the measurement was calculated from the front of the building.

   It meant I had to reduce the pitch (lower ceiling height) to accommodate them

4. 
   Geoffrey | Feb 06, 2011 06:01pm | #13

   Generally speaking a 1/2 story is refering to a finished basement that is partialy below grade (1/2 story) or a finished attic that has dormers projecting from it. It refers to vertical height, not the foot print, as you are taking it to mean.

   Your definition from the tax folks says the perimeter is the top of plate around the building , not the peak, the peak is the ridge of the roof or high point on the gable end of a gable roof.

   In other words the roof is not being counted in the height calculation according to the tax folks, or at least their interpretation of the regulation. Your 1/2 story of a finished attic with dormers would be the top of the wall plate(the point where the rafters sit) of the dormer, (my interpretation from your info), so, as long as you don't have dormers you could finish the attic space under the roof and it would not count against your height restriction, although it might be tight quarters depending on the size of your attic floor space and roof style.

   So you can build to a height of 30' to the top of the wall plate from the highest grade point, your roof style will not be affected nor count against you unless you have dormers on the roof. Those are your restrictions

   Good Luck

              Geoff

2. 
   DanH | Feb 03, 2011 07:32pm | #2

   Historically, a "half story"

   Historically, a "half story" is an occupied attic under a roughly 12/12 pitch roof.  The roof eave line would be just a few inches above the ceiling level.

   But yeah, it would make more sense to specify a maximum height.  (Though even that gets touchy, depending on the lay of the land.)

3. 
   calvin | Feb 03, 2011 08:00pm | #3

   atv

   Here, if my memory is correct, 5'6" is the minimum side wall for a habitable dwelling.  With your 6', you've added a story as well as I can figure.

   Again, we also have a height limitation (which in this historic district is gauged upon the houses in the vicinity of the new structure.

   You go to the shore of N.C. and depending on the street from the beach-you go up/up/up...............

   Decks on the roof (coming out of the pitched roof, not a deck on a flat or low slope), now there's a goofy idea.

4. 
   JMadson | Feb 04, 2011 10:20am | #7

   split level makes up the 1/2?

   The family room in my tri-level is 4' underground. There's bedrooms above it and if we added another level above that, would that make the house 2 1/2 stories tall?

5. 
   JMadson | Feb 04, 2011 10:20am | #8

   split level makes up the 1/2?

   The family room in my tri-level is 4' underground. There's bedrooms above it and if we added another level above that, would that make the house 2 1/2 stories tall?

6. 
   Piffin | Feb 05, 2011 04:09pm | #10

   One thing our twon atty taught me as we were revising some local ordinances, is that uny unclear language must be defined for the purpooses of that ordinance within it, or it becomes un-enforceable for all ractical purposes. For instance, this ? and the diff between a deck and a porch

1. 
   DanH | Feb 05, 2011 04:49pm | #11

   Actually, much the opposite -- vagueness gives the enforcing body wiggle room.  Only if you have the money and persistence to fight a ruling does the lack of clarity work against the enforcing body.

7. 
   gfretwell | Feb 05, 2011 06:23pm | #12

   Submit your plan to the HOA. Let them decide. This might be easy

8. 
   atvalaska | Apr 12, 2011 01:54pm | #14

   follow up!!...

   i called the land/rep  and they are going to let me go with they do localy ..ie; i get to have the local 30' rule ,"to the top of the plate" and 1/2 story is <50 %of the floor below.  all good news for me :)