31B-114 126 King St Permit application letter 2013-03-18 (2)City of Northampton
Massachusetts
DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTIONS
212 Main Street ● Municipal Building
Northampton, MA 01060
Scott Bousquet
New England Plumbing and Heating Inc.
59 Bennett Road
Wilbraham, MA 01095
March 18, 2013
126 King Street, 31B-114
Permit Application review
Mr. Bousquet,
I have received the permit application for work at 126 King Street. The application is not complete:
Sections 11 and 12 are blank.
The Worker’s Compensation Insurance Affidavit is not filled out.
The structural engineer is not listed in section 9.
We require a construction control document from the structural engineer.
We require verification from the Department of Public Works that the sprinkler main can be
connected to the city water supply (“Water Availability”). Please contact the Water Department
at (413) 587-1097
The valuation of the proposed work appears to be significantly less than industry standards. We
request detailed estimates for the proposed work in accordance with Mass code section 109.3
Building Permit Valuations: “The applicant for a permit shall provide an estimated permit value
at time of application. If, in the opinion of the building official, the valuation is underestimated on
the application, the permit shall be denied, unless the applicant can show detailed estimates to
meet the approval of the building official. Final building permit valuation shall be set by the
building official.” In the alternative, a cost of $120.00 per square foot of renovated space can be
used for estimating purposes.
More information is needed before we can finish reviewing the plans, including but not necessarily
limited to:
Fire protection:
Alarm system narrative
Sprinkler and alarm system drawings
Energy conservation:
Thermal envelope information, including R values and window and door information (u values)
in accordance with 2009 IECC section 402
HVAC system plans including duct work, controls, heat loss calculations and equipment sizing
in accordance with 2009 IECC section 403
Lighting information in accordance with 2009 IECC section 404
I will require a pre-construction meeting at the work site prior to issuing the building permit. I want to
make sure that the project owner, the architect, the engineer and the contractor are clear on lines of
communication, areas of responsibilities, required reports and schedules of inspections. I also want to
discuss some construction details that may be problematic, including insulation, air sealing, unit and
stairway fire separations, fire caulking and fire blocking.
Please note that this project requires Construction Control (Mass code section 107.6). In addition to the
architect and engineer’s responsibilities, the contractor has the responsibilities detailed in section
107.6.3.
“Construction Contractor Services: The actual construction of the work shall be the responsibility of the
general contractor as identified on the approved building permit and shall involve the following:
1. Execution of all work in accordance with the approved construction documents.
2. Execution and control of all methods of construction in a safe and satisfactory manner in accordance
with all applicable local, state, and federal statutes and regulations.
3. Upon completion of the construction, certification in writing to the registered design professional in
responsible charge that, to the best of the contractor’s knowledge and belief, construction has been
done in substantial accord with section 107.6 and with all pertinent deviations specifically noted. The
building official may require a copy of this certification.”
I will continue to review the permit application and plans once you provide this information.
Respectfully,
Louis Hasbrouck
Building Commissioner
City of Northampton
(413) 587-1240
lhasbrouck@city.northampton.ma.us
cc Charles Miller
Tom Douglas
Jacob Smith
Michelle Sun
Teh-Jing Sun and Feng Chin Sun