After getting a quick start with the pad, forms and foundation, the last two weeks weren't as busy at the job site. Well, at least for the crew. Our family spent one Sunday cleaning up limbs, sticks and roots from the clearing and building a fire ring in anticipation of hosting our first guests. Just cause we only have dirt and a foundation wasn't going to stop us from having a little bonfire the Friday after Thanksgiving complete with hot dogs, chili and s'mores.
Little bonfire on the left. We didn't make much of a dent in the wood pile in the background. More bonfires to come!
The last two weeks weren't totally wasted. We completed one essential part of the entire project. The well.
Pretty, isn't it? We'll end up enclosing this and maybe make it into an outdoor storage area with hose.
The crew had to dig to 325 feet to tap into the aquifer below. There's not too much to see for all that digging except for a tank outside the bedroom side of the house, but we should have plenty of water for years to come. Well, once we get power.
We've had a temporary electric pole in place for several weeks, but it's not doing anything for now. The power company and the county have an agreement that electricity won't be run to a new construction project until you have a building permit. Since we're also installing a septic system, we need a permit for that too. The officials required the building permit and the septic permit submitted together. The government red tape is really piling up and we're not even inside the city limits.
Someone else that wants our building permit is the bank. Before any money is released for the first draw, the bank requires a building permit, insurance and an inspection of the progress. So everything up until this point has been done without any money from our construction loan. This process surprised us and required some careful planning by our builder.
Thankfully, after moving at the speed of government, last week we were able to get all the permits and other required documentation to the bank to get some financial relief and to the power company so that they will get us power in the next few weeks. A lack of power isn't going to stop our progress. Framing is next and should start later this week. It's time to start raisin' some walls!