WANT TO BUILD A HOME IN TAHOE? START NOW. HERE’S WHY.

CHANGE IN TPRA RULES WILL AFFECT THE TIMELINE OF SECURING YOUR BUILDING PERMIT IN LAKE TAHOE. START PLANNING YOUR FUTURE HOME NOW.

For years the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) had an excellent arrangement for Lake Tahoe Architects that allowed us to work directly with Washoe County on all the permitting processes through one individual in their office in Reno, NV.

During that timeframe, Borelli Architecture offered its clients a streamlined process through one main contact at the County office that helped us to move forward with our permit plans and construction in a timely manner.

Not so anymore.

At the end of last year, our representative at the Washoe County Building Department retired – and there are no plans right now to replace him.  We all hope there will be a new representative soon.

In the meantime, we are now required to present all the elements involved in designing and securing permits for home building projects in Lake Tahoe to two separate organizations which happen to be hours from each other.

And, although Washoe County is expeditious in their review, TRPA takes longer to review and process the materials – due to the load of permits that they officially must handle before any building is approved in the Basin.

Long story short: What used to take me a month, now requires a wait time of up to three months.

If you are even thinking about building a home, or diving into an extensive remodel of your home in Tahoe, contact me sooner than later.

For over 30 years, I have hand carried hundreds of blueprints and all the necessary paperwork to the local constituents to secure a permit, and I am still ready to do so for you.

TRPA Permitting, Feasibility Studies, All Part of our Services at Borelli Architecture.

As a Lake Tahoe architect, we enjoy working with our clients on the design of their dream home. In addition to these creative services, we also offer a turn-key operation that provides many additional services that are necessary when building or remodeling a home in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The list includes yet is not limited to:

• Custom Interior Design
• Site Planning
• Space Planning
• Permit Processing Assistance
• TRPA Feasibility Studies
• Contractor Selection and Bidding Assistance
• Construction Administration Services

Don’t wait. Let my team at Borelli Architecture in Truckee and Lake Tahoe expedite the design and permitting process in Lake Tahoe so we can get started on construction sooner than later.

Got questions? Contact me anytime.

Jim

James P. Borelli
Founder/Principal
Borelli Architecture
Truckee / Lake Tahoe
jim@borelliarchitecture.com
775.831.3060

TOP REASONS WHY HOME REMODELS CAN BE A GOOD INVESTMENT

With the start of the spring season, it’s often a time to commence on the annual spring clean-up.  In my business, it’s also when the phone starts to ring from clients seeking my opinion as to whether remodeling a home can be a good investment. With that in mind, I thought I would use this blog to provide some of my personal insight, and few good reasons for you to ponder, about the subject at hand.

1) Remolding a home is an adventure that can be very rewarding. 

Be it big or small, investing in a remodel of your home in Truckee or Lake Tahoe, or just a few rooms, can not only improve the value of your residence yet can result in many benefits that you will enjoy for years to come.  Always wanted a bigger kitchen?  How about a great room?  Or maybe the kids have flown the coop, and it’s time for a real Master Bedroom – complete with spa and lots of closets.  These are the first things you will want to think about long before you start the remodeling process.

2) Creature comforts can add value – and security – especially to older homes.

Here in the Lake Tahoe region, there are many homes that were built over 30 years ago.  Many still have single pane windows, drafty sliding doors, small rooms and dark walls.  No matter what the size of the remodel, we always suggest installing windows and doors that are not only up to code, yet are energy efficient, sturdier, and larger to let in the light and open up to welcome in that fresh, crisp, High Sierra air.

3)  “Face Lifts” for the exterior are always suggested. And your neighbors will appreciate your efforts.

There’s no question that your home is a direct reflection of you and your family.  Certainly,a paint job could be in order, and a new roof is common in our mountain region…yet we advise our clients to look deeper into the future.  Does your home fit the neighborhood? Does it have a ‘welcoming’ appeal?  At some point you probably are going to sell your home so take the time to do your research as to the best options for an exterior home remodel.  With our architectural consultation services in Lake Tahoe and Truckee, we always suggest switching to low maintenance exterior products as part of the process.

 4) Make it fit YOUR lifestyle. 

An “ideal” home should fit your lifestyle – and if you have owned your home for a while, that may have changed.  Here in the High Sierra, some of the most popular items that we include in our architectural designs of mountain homes in Truckee and Lake Tahoe are mud rooms, great rooms, spa and fitness centers, expanded patios complete with outdoor kitchens, and expansive windows that open into the great outdoors.

5) Expand your home’s footprint, if you can.

Ah, the ol’ ‘impervious coverage’ question.  Development at Lake Tahoe includes a very sophisticated review by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.  Within their rules and regulations, there is always an evaluation of how much coverage your property is allowed – which is determined either through a TRPA Site Assessment or an Individual Parcel Evaluation System score (IPES).  Not sure about your coverage allowance?  Let us help you out.  Borelli Architecture offers a variety of other planning and permitting services outside of our design capabilities that include the following:

  • Site Planning
  • Space Planning
  • Permit Processing Assistance
  • TRPA Feasibility Studies
  • Contractor Selection
  • Bidding Assistance

BONUS POINT:  Act now, not later.

With all the important regulation that comes with building and remodeling homes in our environmentally-sensitive region, there is a tremendous amount of planning and permitting that needs to be addressed long before we embark on a remodel of your home.

Now is the time to take action.  And we’d be happy to help you sort out the best options for you and your family.  Want to see some examples of remodeled homes in Tahoe? Take a look at my website and then feel free to contact me sooner than later … as remodeling a home can be both enjoyable and fruitful when it’s all said and done.

Jim

James P. Borelli

Founder/Principal
Borelli Architecture
Truckee / Lake Tahoe
775 831 3060