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Tired of your cramped, dark kitchen? Has your bathroom seen better days? Need an extra bedroom or more space? While some homeowners automatically hire a contractor to get what they want, others toy with the idea of doing the work themselves, acting as their own contractor. After all, you aren’t required to hire a contractor to make improvements to your own property. The law allows you to do it yourself. However, keep in mind that every community has its own rules regarding owner-builders. We know of one, for example, that doesn’t allow owner-builders to do their own electrical work. Always check with your local building department or permit office for specifics before hanging out your construction company shingle. As an owner-builder, you may not need a contractor’s license, but you are expected to get a building permit where required and to comply with all applicable building codes and ordinances.
After a delay to research laws affecting the relocation of mobile home owners for development, a new development is back on track. Horace and Reta Duncan have asked to rezone 6 acres southeast of Bloomingdale Avenue and Duncan Road from agricultural to planned development. The property would become the site of a fast-food restaurant, a bank and office space. The project would also offer 46 multifamily units, some of them located above shops. The case was delayed so that engineering firm Point Builders could answer a question about state law. A developer cannot rezone a property containing a mobile home park without determining whether the surrounding area contains adequate mobile home parks for relocation. The developer, however, argued that the law does not apply to the project because it places the requirement on parks in which 10 or more lots are rented by residents who own their mobile homes.
A body was found inside a burned mobile home in Volusia County early today, according to a report by FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 News.
Firefighters responded to flames at a home located at 515 West Ariel Road near Oak Hill about 3:30 a.m..
When the fire was extinguished, firefighters went inside and discovered what is believed to be the body of an adult and possibly some animal remains.
The sheriffs office in conjunction with the Volusia County Medical Examiners Office, will conduct an investigation to identify the victim and determine the cause of death.
The cause of the fire will be investigated by the state Fire Marshals Office. .
An informational session for local contractors will be held at the Sgt. Willie Estrada Memorial Civic Center Tuesday at 5 p.m. The event is being hosted by Actus Lend Lease, a Nashville, Tenn.-based company that is in exclusive negotiations to build or renovate close to 2,000 homes at Holloman and Davis-Monthan Air Force bases, according to Cindy Green, a spokeswoman for the company. Davis Monthan Air Force base is located in Tucson Ariz. Green said the final deal has not been hammered out between her company and the Air Force, and the session is merely an informational one designed to clue in local business on forthcoming business opportunities. "One of our goals is to work with local business," Green said. She added that her company would like to get about 85 percent of their contracts awarded to local businesses.
ARLINGTON:- U.S. engineers plan to hit the gas on reconstruction in Afghanistan, with double the number of projects in the region planned for this fiscal year, said Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, head of the Army Corps of Engineers. The Afghan Engineer District has plans for about 600 reconstruction projects, officials said. The engineering district conducts construction and engineering projects in Central Asia including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan, officials said. Projects will focus on transportation, water and power infrastructure, Strock said, calling reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan a "race against time." The acceleration of reconstruction projects will continue until 2008, by which time the Corps should have built enough infrastructure to allow engineers to move into remote provincial areas and villages, he said.
Dear Ms. Builder: I am going to have a major remodeling job done at my home. This is my first major project, so I need to find a competent remodeling contractor. How do I evaluate various contractors? -- Jean W. Dear Jean: Everyone who watches the evening news hears horror stories about how remodeling contractors start a job, collect a large down payment and then literally take off to the next town. This does happen, but most contractors are reputable. The quality of their work generally varies more than their ethics. First do some research on the type of remodeling job you are considering. Magazines such as Fine Homebuilding, Remodeling, Builder, Kitchen and Bath Business, Custom Builder, etc., are excellent sources for design ideas and general background. People often check with the Better Business Bureau, but this does not always provide reliable information.
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