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Building Permits for Home Improvements
Building Permits
If you are doing a major remodeling project you may be
required to apply for a building permit. Local building
codes are established to ensure a certain standard of
construction, as well as, safety in the community.
Building permits are normally required on jobs that
require more than just a basic level of knowledge, such
as electrical work, framing, new foundations, adding a
room, etc.
Normally, the larger the municipality, the more
stringent the rules and the more active they are in
watching for work that is being performed illegally.
Many cities even pay people to drive around looking for
violations.
Also be aware that some permits can only be requested by
licensed individuals. This means that any work performed
has to be done under the licensed person’s supervision
and that they are responsible for ensuring that the work
meets all local, state and federal building code
requirements.
Another thing to take into consideration is that if you
are making a large addition to your property (above a
certain percentage of the overall value) you may be
required to bring the whole structure up to current
code. This may not be a problem on a newer home but if
your home is older it may require a lot of additional
work.
Check with your local building department to find out if
your project requires a permit and to find out the cost
of the permit, as well as, any inspections that may be
required and how much advance time is required to
schedule an inspection. While you are at it you will
also want to check if there are any deed restrictions on
your property and/or any homeowner’s association bylaws
that might apply to your property and may limit what you
are able to do.
Permit fees vary widely from city to city. What may cost
a few hundred dollars in one area my end up costing
thousands in another. Your local building department may
have a flat fee for certain types of permits or the fee
may be based on the estimated cost of the project. In
other words, the higher the estimated cost of the
project, the higher the fee may be.
While we are talking about money you may want to be
aware that your property tax assessment may be affected
by your project. Obviously if you are increasing the
value of your property by adding on, it may increase
your tax assessment.
Typically local building departments can provide you
with a checklist of the documents they require along
with you application. These may include, but are not
limited to:
Your completed application
A legal description of the property
Summary of the scope of the project
Cost estimate (which may be used to determine fees)
A site plan showing the planned changes
Blueprints and any required drawings (such as plumbing
and mechanical)
Engineer’s stamp (endorsing drawings and calculations)
Location of utility lines (i.e. water, sewer, gas and
electrical)
Soil erosion reports
Once you have submitted your application with the
appropriate documents your plans will be reviewed by one
of the staff members or inspectors to insure that they
are in compliance the current code. If the inspector
finds some information missing, or not in compliance,
you will be notified so that the appropriate changes can
be made. When the inspector is satisfied with the
information you have submitted, the building department
will issue a building permit. The whole process may take
a few days to a few weeks depending on the complexity of
your project and the building department’s current
workload.
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