Building Permits: What You Should Know

A building permit is a document approved by a local government agency that certifies that work has been done to a certain standard.

Because it is in the style of a license (i.e. a permit), it must be obtained before starting work. Once the work has been successfully completed, the license is terminated and approved.

Building permits are valid for a specified period of time. Once a building permit is granted, you do not have unlimited time to start and complete the work.

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Usually, it should start within six months to a year. Projects generally need to be completed in a year or 18 months.

Many home improvements and repairs are done by homeowners and even some contractors, without the benefit of legally required building permits and the mandatory inspections that accompany them.

Licenses are not always required

Some homeowners may think that any home repairs or improvements will be examined with a fine-tooth comb by an inspector with the intention of spotting every little defect.

Actually, there are many repairs and upgrades that can be done without a license.

The rules for this vary widely from community to community, and the same project that requires a building permit and scheduled inspections in one location may not require them in another jurisdiction.

Generally, you are allowed to replace many existing items in your home one by one without a license. Anything that changes the structure of your home or represents a real estate improvement will require a permit.

You can replace a broken light switch or a leaky faucet, for example, but adding a deck or adding space requires a license.

Your community may have online resources that explain what types of work require permits and inspections, or you can call the permitting office and ask to speak to an inspector.

You can speak to the licensing office

You can usually call your local building and permitting inspections office for permitting advice, and can often be done anonymously.

While licensing offices increasingly want citizens to seek help online, there are many variables and gray areas that can be resolved with online guidance.

The permitting office exists to ensure that home improvements are done safely and pose no risk to residents.

Inspectors who are in the office and available should be available to answer questions. If no inspector is available at this time, one will call you back.

Permit costs can be prohibitive

Often, there is no set fee for a building permit. License costs may vary depending on the estimated cost and complexity of the project.

Building a fence may require a $ 55 permit, for example, while building a new large house may require a $ 2,000 building permit.

Nationally, the average building permit cost was approximately $ 1,330 in 2020, with a typical range of approximately $ 400 to approximately $ 2,200.1

But these average costs represent many permits to rebuild entire homes, and there are many projects for which building permits cost $ 100 or less.

It is very common for license costs to be based on a percentage of the project's projected cost. If you are working with a contractor, the license costs are usually included in the proposal you received.

Inspections are mandatory

The inspection is an integral part of the general clearance process and under no circumstances should you or your contractor skip this step.

On some projects, there will be up to two inspections: one in the construction phase and one final inspection. The inspector is there to ensure the work is done in accordance with the local code.

It is usually a very brief and superficial visit. When an inspector is already familiar with the work of a contractor, the inspection can be brief but comprehensive. Inspectors can spend more time inspecting if the work is done by an owner.

Ignoring the authorization process is serious business

It can be very tempting to bypass the authorization process and hide the work you are doing, especially if it is indoors where you can work without being seen.

And while you can get by, those shortcuts will likely cost a lot in the end.

If it turns out that you worked without the required permit, you may be forced to apply for a license after the fact, at a much higher cost.

And you may even have to tear off walls or ceilings to have the work inspected. If you make a mistake, you will be forced to demolish all the work and start over.