Lots of comments on the $100k price tag for a ramp. I used to work for a small manufacturer in San Jose. We wanted to build a simple, 300 square foot room insi

Lots of comments on the $100k price tag for a ramp. I used to work for a small manufacturer in San Jose. We wanted to build a simple, 300 square foot room inside of a 27,000 square foot space that would be attached to one of the space's walls. What I found most interesting about the estimation process was that no matter what type of structure (including pre-fab earthquake rated) we evaluated for, we couldn't get anything out of city hall for less than total $20,000 spent, with no guarantee that permits would actually be issued. Then, for any contractor we hired (assuming they were available within the next two years), their hourly rate rivaled the rates of downtown lawyers. After this experience, I've concluded that most people who pretend to know something about building something in Silicon Valley are just knowledgeless windbags. I know I certainly had no idea how bad it truly is.