[debbie51975]

i would love to build a run off my deck. Sweetie enjoys walks on a harness, but I think he'd love to be able to just bask in the sun. But I'm wondering if I would need a building permit? I'd have to sort of hide it anyway. I live in a developement with an association who basically has a bunch of silly rules. ie: you swingset has to be wood and if it has a roof, the shingles have to match your house or all basketball hoops have to have wheels & be taken down at night....

So I'm thinking if I could make it look more like an atrium (sp?), maybe I could do it, but then would I need a permit? And who would I call? Sorry...I'm not real up to date on laws like that.

[Advert]

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[Heather Sharada]

I think you would need to call the local Council Building Authority....usually if there is nothing too structural involved and you don't alter the frame of the new "bit" permits are not needed but you need to check your Council because different States and also different Countries have different requirements.

[debbie51975]

Thanks Heather:)

[OrangeCatBlackCat]

Heather is on the right track Debbie. Municipal law governs outdoor structures within a city's limits, but most cities don't concern themselves too much with structures that are not permanent as long as they don't block access or view and are on your property.

More pertinent in your case, from the sound of your post, is the building association for your development. Are you in a planned community? Or a condo? The building associations for these types of micro-communities can be quite strict: falling afoul of their rules can cost lots of money and no end of headaches. In some instances you can risk losing your home. Read the rules that apply to you location carefully. In general, they go in this order:

association --> municipality --> county --> state

A cat run that is

(1) non-permanent, i.e., has no foundation and is not attached permanently to a building
(2) entirely on your own property, i.e., doesn't encroach on anyone else's land or view
(3) not an eyesore, i.e., doesn't by its appearance devalue the attached properties

is unlikely to cause a problem, but in a micro-community you will likely need the board's permission beforehand.

Hope this helps a little.

[debbie51975]

planned community. That's the thing. One of my neighbors had to go to court over having a camper parked in the road. The association had told them to move it. No campers. They refused to house it in a rental lot somewhere else. Needless to say, they had to pay money to the association and in the end, they had to move the camper. heck...they had to approve our written landscape design, before we could build it! So I'm wondering what they would say about this? On the other hand, it's not like I want to take up the whole yard. I basically just want a small outdoor enclosure. Unless we put up a fence first. Then it wouldn't stand out.

[OrangeCatBlackCat]

I would first create a design plan that reflects your vision of what you want. Read the association's rules to make sure your design complies with the requirements set forth by those rules, then approach the association's board with your plan. You might want to start out your presentation to them by saying something like

In the interest of keeping my cats from bothering anyone, and in keeping with the intent of the association's rules, I am submitting this plan for placing a cat enclosure in my yard. As you can see, this plan and design meets the association's requirements by
(A) blah blah,
(B) blah blah,

etc., and on down the list until you have covered all the requirements of the rules. This approach preempts objections and makes it easier to get your plan approved, and it also shows the association that you care to abide by the rules in good faith. It makes it harder for the association to object out of hand.

Hope this helps, and let us know how it goes.