Home renovations, building or buying can be a very stressful process to navigate. Knowing what questions to ask, where to find information and who to contact can save you time, frustration and sometimes, a significant amount of money for even the savviest citizen. To help, Escambia County Building Services and Development Services are hosting a free “Home How to Workshop for Residents" beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29 at the Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place in Pensacola.
Residents with renovation, building or property purchasing plans for the new year or those simply wishing to become more knowledgeable about the planning and permitting process and tools available are invited to attend. Escambia County staff will give how-to presentations, and Santa Rosa Island Authority and city of Pensacola staff will also be on hand to answer questions. There is no cost for the workshop.
Learn the answers to common questions like:
- What questions should I ask before I buy?
- How do I check the zoning of my property and what does that zoning mean?
- How can I research important information like how much taxes were last year, the sales history, where fire hydrants are located, if a road is private and who is responsible for the infrastructure maintenance for a property before buying a property?
- How do I get a flood elevation certificate?
- Can I change the zoning or allowable use of my property?
- How do I look up what’s going to be built in my neighborhood? How can I weigh in on the process?
- How do I add a fence, pool or other improvement to my property?
- How and when do I need to pull a permit?
- What type of projects need review and plans?
- What type of work requires a licensed contractor or can be completed by myself or a handyman?
- What steps can I take to make sure I’m hiring a licensed contractor and not a fraudulent one?
- What can I do if I have issues such as the agreed upon work was not finished or not completed?
For those unable to attend, the workshop’s presentations can be viewed live on myescambia.com/ectv, channel 4/1004 on Cox, channel 98 for Spectrum and Mediacom (Pensacola Beach) subscribers, and channel 99 for AT&T U-verse subscribers. Or watch anytime at ECTV On Demand.
More than one commissioner may attend this event. For more information, please contact the Escambia County Office of Community and Media Relations at 850-595-3476 or email cmr@myescambia.com.
