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1. What is the purpose of zoning?

To protect the health, safety, general welfare, and morals of the community by seperating incompatible land uses.

2. What can I do if I receive a nuisance violation notice?

Abate the nuisance as detailed in the nuisance notice.  If you have questions about the notice, please contact the Police Department at 762-4955 or for dangerous structure abate contact the Community Development Department at 762-5400.

3. When do I need a building permit?

A Building Permit is required for anything which is built or constructed with the following exceptions as listed in the 2018 IBC: 

Building: 

1. One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided the overall height is less than ten feet and the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet (200 ft² for residential lots).* (Zoning Permit Required) 

2. Fences not over 6 feet (1829 mm) high. (Zoning Permit Required) 

3. Oil derricks. (Zoning Permit Required) 

4. Retaining walls that are not over 4 feet (1219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge or impounding Class I, II or IIIA liquids. 

5. Water tanks supported directly on grade if the capacity does not exceed 5,000 gallons (18 925 L) and the ratio of height to diameter or width does not exceed 2:1. 

6. Sidewalks that are internal to the property and do not connect to the public sidewalk or public right-of-way.* 

7. Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work. 

8. Temporary motion picture, television and theater stage sets and scenery. 

9. Prefabricated swimming pools accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy that are less than 24 inches (610 mm) deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons (18 925 L) and are installed entirely above ground. 

10. Shade cloth structures constructed for nursery or agricultural purposes, not including service systems. 

11. Swings and other playground equipment accessory to detached one- and two-family dwellings. 

12. Window awnings supported by an exterior wall that do not project more than 54 inches (1372 mm) from the exterior wall and do not require additional support of Groups R-3 and U occupancies. 

13. Nonfixed and movable fixtures, cases, racks, counters and partitions not over 5 feet 9 inches (1753 mm) in height. 

*Amended by Section 105-42 of the City of Alliance Municipal Code. 

Electrical: 

All electrical work shall be regulated, permitted, and inspected by the State of Nebraska Electrical Division.  You may contact them at electrical.nebraska.gov or (308) 631-1828.

Gas: 

1. Portable heating appliance. 

2. Replacement of any minor part that does not alter approval of equipment or make such equipment unsafe. 

Mechanical:

1. Portable heating appliance. 

2. Portable ventilation equipment. 

3. Portable cooling unit. 

4. Steam, hot or chilled water piping within any heating or cooling equipment regulated by this code. 

5. Replacement of any part that does not alter its approval or make it unsafe. 

6. Portable evaporative cooler. 

7. Self-contained refrigeration system containing 10 pounds (5 kg) or less of refrigerant and actuated by motors of 1 horsepower (746 W) or less. 

Plumbing:

1. The stopping of leaks in drains, water, soil, waste or vent pipe, provided, however, that if any concealed trap, drain pipe, water, soil, waste or vent pipe becomes defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with new material, such work shall be considered as new work and a permit shall be obtained and inspection made as provided in this code. 

2. The clearing of stoppages or the repairing of leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures and the removal and reinstallation of water closets, provided such repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes or fixtures.

4. What type of work requires drawings?

Most projects require drawings for building permit approval including a site plan and technical specifications.  Projects such as same size window replacement, siding, and roofing most likely won't require drawings but just the submittal of a set of specifications from the manufacturer to ensure they meet code.

5. What projects require an engineer or architects stamp on the drawings?

The State of Nebraska Engineers and Architects Act provides the guidelines as to which projects requires professionally prepared and stamped drawings.  To determine whether or not the project requires stamped drawings, the Occupancy Classification and square footage of the project need to be established. There are different types of occupancy which are determined by what the space will be used for. Each Occupancy Classification has a different allowable square footage that may be constructed, reconstructed, or impacted before engineered or architectural drawings are required. 

For example, a convenience store is a Class M (Mercantile) occupancy and would not require stamped drawings if it is under 3000ft². A restaurant is a Class A-2 (Assembly) occupancy and does not require stamped drawings if it is under 1000ft². The Building Official may require professionally prepared and stamped drawings even if the project is exempted by the Act.  Other than the requirement for stamped drawings, the other details that change with different occupancy categories are items such as the number of bathrooms, the number of exits, ADA requirements, etc. A copy of the Engineers and Architects Act may be found here:

Engineers and Architects Handbook

6. What is the difference between an architect and an engineer?

A professional engineer will specialize in building and structural design whereas an architect will specialize in things like building design and ambience. It is hard to nail down in a nutshell what each of them does, but an architect would work to design a building concept and then the engineer would design the structural and mechanical details to support the architect’s concept.

7. How does the City do inspections of permitted work?

The City employs a Building Inspector to go on site and inspect your work. It is the permit holders responsibility to call the City and schedule an inspection. Failure to call for inspections when required may necessitate the removal of finished building components, such as drywall or concrete, to ensure conformance with code.  Please call (308) 762-5400 to schedule an inspection.

8. What type of inspections are required?

Inspections are required at a minimum for building site-in after the location has been staked out to make sure it meets setbacks, footing depth, rebar and forms before pouring concrete, wall framing, fire and smoke penetrations, and any HVAC, plumbing, or electrical work before enclosing any walls, filling any trenches, or pouring any concrete that may conceal any of these components.  The Building Inspector may require additional inspections depending on the project.  Failure to call for inspections may result in the removal of finished portions of the project to ensure the components covered up meet code.

9. If I wanted an inspection of a building before purchasing it, who would I contact to have that done?

There are inspectors that specialize in this type of work. Some of them have an engineering background whereas some might be trained using similar criteria as a Building Inspector. You may also hire a Professional Engineer to do a walkthrough and evaluate the building.

10. Does the City require an inspection of an existing building before doing work to it?

Whether or not you want to have an inspection is up to you. There may be consequences for not having a professional inspection before occupying the building or doing work. If during the construction process we notice anything such as soft floors, holes in walls, loose or falling bricks, spalling concrete, etc., we would require an inspection by a professional engineer to either show that the structure is sound as is, or provide a report of items you must fix before you can continue with your build out. Should the City find that the building meets the definition of an unsafe structure, you must stop work immediately and may even require vacating the structure until an inspection is done to prove it is sound and not putting anyone in danger.