1. Foundation Tie-In-Survey Review

By: Vanessa Hernandez, Senior Planning and Zoning Technician, Hazard Mitigation Section

Part I: What is a Foundation Tie-in?

Foundation Tie-in-Survey (Tie-in)
What is a Foundation Tie-In-Survey and what does it include?  A Foundation Tie-in-Survey (Tie-in) is an inspection and review that verifies the placement of a structure’s foundation on a site to ensure it is not encroaching into minimum lot setbacks, designated wetland areas, or easements. The Tie-in also ensures that Federal standards and local elevation regulations are met prior to work beyond the establishment of the foundation.  In this process, mistakes on the site may be identified early to minimize costly violations to the code that may prohibit the issuance of a final inspection or a certificate of occupancy.

The Tie-In is cited in Section 109.3 of the 2009 Hillsborough County Construction Code; whereby, an in-progress foundation survey is to be prepared and certified by a registered surveyor for all new construction (residential and commercial) prior to approval of the required framing inspection. This requirement has been in effect since its adoption on December 21, 2001, Ordinance No. 01-33, as amended by 01-34.

The Tie-in is a function of the permit monitoring and tracking process.  Within the process and due to the close nature that the Tie-in review has with the building of a structure, a respective Tie-in review is annotated within the permit tracking system with an inspection code of 108.  In the sequencing of events, if the inspection code of 108 does not indicate approval at the time of the first framing-inspection request, activity with the permit will be placed on hold.  Additionally, the Inspection 108 will receive the following comment:  “TIE IN SURVEY APPROVAL REQUIRED (HCC 109.3). NO FURTHER INSPECTIONS MAY BE SCHEDULED.

As a note: for permits with milestones, not only may activity be placed on hold or suspended, but the system will not allow for any added requests for framing inspections until the Tie-in issue is resolved and an “Approved” status is issued.  For permits issued due to a property owner failing to obtain a permit, referred to as an “After the Fact” permit, a Tie-in is usually required at the beginning stage of the permitting process due to the foundation work having been completed.

Tie-in Requirements for the Foundation Tie-In-Survey
The Tie-in process is not a difficult process to follow; however, there are requirements that are to be met with its submittal. The following lists of items are required to be on the Tie-in:

• The surveyor must identify the finished-floor elevation (FFE)
• The vertical datum is required to reference either NGVD1929 or NAVD1988
• The survey is to include the placement of the structure with surrounding setbacks, easements, and easement dimensions
• The survey is to include the legal description
• The flood-hazard annotation from the Federal Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), when it is applicable, which includes the base-flood elevation, flood zones, the panel number and date, and the flood-delineation line
• The reference number and the Letter of Map Amendment or Map Revision from FEMA, if the property owner has received approval that the structure or lot have been removed from the Special-Flood or Coastal-High Hazard Areas
• The survey must have been signed and sealed by a licensed surveyor
• The elevation of certain parts of the adjacent roadway and respective grade elevations surrounding the structure, if the property owner has elected an approved alternative manner in showing compliance to elevation requirements

Tie-in Submittals, Review Timeframes, and Result Postings
The foundation Tie-in-survey is a review of an as-built condition of the site.  The actual Tie-in may be submitted between the form-board inspection or before the framing inspection. However, for the County to better assist in identifying issues early in the process, it is strongly encouraged all applicants submit Tie-ins as soon as it is drafted for review by the project’s surveyor. This early action will ensure that the elevation and placement of the structure is reviewed before work is completed, and any needed changes affect only the foundation and not the structure’s framing and rough-in process. If violations are identified and work had continued, the contractor and/or owner may have to make expensive corrections, which may also result in inspection delays and costly repairs to bring the structure into compliance.

As a reminder:

• The Foundation Tie-in Survey is identified as the “108” Inspection.  Review results are posted with the referenced permit number and may be reviewed from the home or the office on the PGM website at Online Inspection Services.
• The Foundation Tie-in Survey may be submitted by Email to tieinsurvey@hillsboroughcounty.org. If emailed, the survey must be provided in the following formats:  Adobe, Word, or tif image.
• The Foundation Tie-in Survey may also be hand-delivered or mailed to the Planning and Growth Management Department, Building Services Division, 601 E. Kennedy Boulevard – 19th Floor, Tampa, Florida 33602-1110.

Hillsborough County Flood-Hazard Maps
To assist with the flood-hazard mapping information, you may contact the Hillsborough County Planning and Growth Management Department, Building Services Division, Hazard Mitigation Section at 813-307-4441.  Additionally and as a part of the County’s participation with the National Flood Insurance Program, more information may be obtained on the County’s website at the Flood Maps webpages.

As a qualifying community under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System, the County also provides access to mapped flood-hazard information to assist with your informational needs at the website address listed above or at our customer service locations. 

Part II of this series will be published in the next PGM E-Newsletter issue.