The Home Stretch

We passed our final inspection!

We had our progress inspection a few weeks ago. We used the opportunity to understand exactly what was required for the final inspection. It turns out that the list of requirements was pretty short: grout the shower, install the toilet, connect the sink drains, install the smoke detectors, install an air-gap on the dishwasher drain line and add a few more boards to the landing outside the sliding glass doors in the back.

There were a few things that we wanted to get done first even though they weren't required for the final inspection. Before we installed the toilet we wanted to get the baseboards done in the bathroom so we wouldn't have to work behind the toilet. Once those were in, we installed the toilet, hooked up the sink drains and installed the mirrors. We also turned on the heat in the bathroom floor and moved into the bathroom. We can't use the shower yet, but everything else is functional.

Next we wanted to finish the laminate floors. We needed to get the transition pieces for where it met up with the carpet in the new bedroom and the old hardwood floors in the exiting bedrooms. After a trip to the East Bay where a Lumber Liquidator had them in stock, the floors went together fairly easily. It is so nice to have them finished! It really makes the house look nice.

The next weekend we got the remaining items for the final inspection completed. Grouting the shower was the biggest item and took most of the day. It was also the most rewarding. I was really looking forward to finishing the grout in the shower because it really makes a big difference in how nice it looks. We also installed the air gap on the dishwasher drain, installed the smoke detectors in the master bedroom and the hallway and built out the landing on the back porch.

We had our final inspection last Tuesday. It went really smooth and everything passed without any problems. The only thing that kept our permit from being closed out completely was that we need a sign-off from planning because they requires us to plant a new tree in place of the one we cut down at the beginning of the project.

In our plans we specified we would re-plant a Bay tree. We did this because they are native to the area and grow abundantly on my grandparent's property. So, this past weekend my grandpa and I hiked around his property to find a nice tree that we could transplant. We found a nice, tall and straight one that wasn't too bushy. It was surprisingly easy to get it out of the ground. I think it was partially due to the lack of rain. The soil was very loose and dry which made it easy to dig.

We got the tree out of the ground and wrapped it up. We planted it in the back yard
as soon as I got back to our house. Hopefully it will survive the transplant and take.

So now we are just waiting for planning to verify the tree and sign off on our project. Hopefully that will happen this week!

We will continue to wrap up the remainder of the items over the next couple weeks. We need to get the new doors in: the pocket door to the bathroom, the closet doors and a new door separating the hallway from the great room. We need to get the shower glass installed. We need to get the rest of the trim caulked and painted as well as install a few more baseboards.