You’ve determined your budget, outlined a plan and created a shopping list of supplies for that long-awaited renovation, addition or remodel. All that’s left to do is get started, right?
Not so fast.
You are watching: What Happens If I Don’t Get a Permit for My Home Remodel?
Before you even consider breaking ground, you need to contact your city’s building department and apply for a building permit. “If the project requires it, it needs to be obtained,” says Chuck Khiel, vice president of FRED Home Improvement, based in greater Washington, D.C.
Khiel calls a permit “a safeguard for everybody.” Not only do permits protect you legally and financially, they also help keep you physically safe, because the project is inspected regularly by pros who ensure all code requirements are met and maintained. That includes city codes as well as codes for each portion of the project, such as plumbing and electrical.
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Check with your jurisdiction to see what permits are required, Khiel says. In general, anticipate that any time you’re moving walls, reworking your plumbing or electrical, adding on to an existing structure, building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or converting a space from one type of room to another (like turning your garage into a home office, school room or gym), you’ll need a permit.
Be aware this is by no means an exhaustive list. Many other projects require permits as well.
Fortunately, while the list of projects that require permits is quite long, so is the list of projects that do not require permits. Again, it varies from city to city, but here are some examples of common home DIY projects that can often be done sans permit:
A good rule of thumb? Ask, or review your local policies online. Because, as the saying goes, better to be safe than sorry.
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Trust us here. If you try to circumvent your jurisdiction’s permit protocols, you will be sorry. How so? If your city building inspector learns you added a new master bedroom suite without applying for the necessary permits, you will likely face a host of potential consequences, such as:
Don’t assume the authorities won’t find out about your project. Sometimes all it takes is for them to be in the right place at the right time, like in your neighborhood the day you’re framing the expansion to your kitchen.
“If a building inspector sees the work as they are driving by … they can put a big red stop work order on the front door and escort everyone off the property,” says Khiel. Permits, he said, must be posted and visible.
Neighbors sometimes report unpermitted projects, too, particularly if the project annoys them or blocks their view. And do not ask your contractor to work without a permit; an honest contractor won’t want to be involved in such a project. If you do happen to come across one who’s OK with it, that’s a sign you need a different contractor.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens
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