Home improvements and renovations are great for updating your home for better comfort, convenience, and efficiency, maximizing your space to accommodate a growing family, or repurposing an unused room to a home office or recreation space. Many projects are also an excellent investment to help boost your home’s resale value if you want to sell.
Whatever your motivations for undertaking a home improvement project, you must understand the regulations regarding building permits before you begin. Learn more about common projects that do and do not require a permit, along with helpful tips you should know before you get started.
Permitting Requirements Vary from City to City
As a homeowner, you may feel tempted to skip the permit and hope for the best when undertaking a new home project. Obtaining a permit takes time and costs money. Plus, many homeowners feel frustrated when determining if their proposed home improvement project requires a permit. Part of the confusion is that there are no federal standards. Some states have minimum requirements, but regulations change with each county or city.
Local building codes enforce consistent building and safety practices through required inspections. Not all home improvements demand a permit. However, permits are required for projects involving plumbing, electricity, natural gas, or any other areas that impact personal and public safety.
If you are in doubt, contact your local permitting office. Explaining your intentions and asking questions can help you determine if a permit is necessary and help you to avoid code violations. If you plan to hire a contractor to do the work for you, make sure they have obtained the required permits. Contractors should be familiar with which jobs need a permit, but it’s ultimately your responsibility as the homeowner to ensure you follow your city’s ordinances.
Renovations and Home Improvements That Require a Permit
For big changes and any improvements that alter the size or layout of your home, you’ll likely need a permit. Safety is another major concern, with work that involves electric, gas, or plumbing always requiring permits. Some other projects include:
- Building a garage or converting an existing garage
- Changing the roofline
- Creating new windows or doors
- Building a fireplace and chimney
- Removing a load-bearing wall
- Building decks over 30 inches high
- Installing a fence of 6 feet or higher
- Projects involving a sewer line
- Installing a swimming pool
- Keeping a dumpster on a public street
- Projects that cost $5,000 or more
This list is not exhaustive, and you should always check with your local municipality on a case-by-case basis before starting any new major home improvements.
Home Improvements That Don’t Require a Permit
You can do minor improvement projects at home without getting a permit. Some examples are:
- Installing new carpeting or flooring
- Getting a new roof of the same or similar material
- Painting
- Replacing sinks and countertops
- Updating your home’s siding
- Most landscaping projects
- Adding exterior sheds and outbuildings without electricity or plumbing
- Replacing appliances
- Updating kitchen and bathroom fixtures
Typically, any update or change that doesn’t change the structure of your home doesn’t need a permit.
Consequences of Failing to Obtain a Permit
Proceeding without getting a permit can have some serious consequences. Aside from the possibility of incurring hefty fines, an inspector could shut down your project or demand that you tear down the work you’ve already done and start over. Starting home projects without a permit can also put you in danger of violating your homeowner’s insurance, which could cause you to lose the policy.
Failure to secure the appropriate permits can also hurt your efforts to sell your home in the future. Unpermitted construction can lead to fines, inspections, and even requirements to have the work done again while following the correct procedure. These steps could cost you a lot of money and delay or even stop your efforts to sell your house.
How to Get a Building Permit
You can get your permit at your local building department. If your municipality allows, you’ll need to fill out an application at the office or online. Bigger projects like home additions require you to submit the project blueprints for review. An inspector will make sure the plans meet all relevant building codes.
Along with the application, you must pay the permit fee. The amount varies by project, ranging from $50 for smaller projects to several hundred dollars. Some places charge 1% of the cost of the new construction as the fee.
Once you receive the paper permit approving the work, post it somewhere easily seen by an inspector. Taping it to a window is common practice.
Find out in advance when you need to have inspections completed. Certain steps require an inspection before moving on to the next. If you fail an inspection, you can correct the problem and have the inspector come back to approve it afterward. Budget plenty of time into your proposed building plans, as it can take up to six weeks to get an inspection.
Final Thoughts
Home renovations and improvements can make your home more comfortable and raise your home’s value if you plan to sell. While smaller projects like painting and cosmetic updates don’t require a permit, larger projects that change the home’s structure definitely will. Since each city has different building codes and regulations, you must contact your local municipality to obtain the proper permits to stay in compliance and ensure a safe build.
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