Home Improvement: Pulling A Permit

Pulling a permit is an important part of any home improvement project

Preparation alone can be pretty tough work when it comes to making some additions or improvements to your home. If you have a solid plan for doing it yourself or even if you have a contractor on board for you, your preparation is still not finished.

It is absolutely necessary to check with your municipality to make sure that your project does not require a permit. By skipping out on a permit, you could be faced with fines, legal obstacles, or even the destruction of your new project.

A home improvement project may not make if off the ground without pulling a permit, and it’s usually for your own good. Many permits are required by law so that they abide by codes and regulations.

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These codes and regulations are typically designed for any project that involves structural changes to a home or building. When a building or home is modified not within the ramifications of code, the end result could be a home addition that is faulty and dangerous.

Some municipalities may enforce strict codes for homes or buildings in historic districts to preserve the aesthetic and historic value of the neighborhood. Failure to obtain a permit under these circumstances may not be life threatening, but it will still result in fines and legal troubles.

In some cases, local codes and regulations may improve the value of your home. A home improvement project should be just that: an improvement.

Performing construction on your home without pulling a permit can come back to haunt you when the time comes to sell your home. If you sell your home, it is likely to be inspected by a code inspector and/or an appraiser, both of whom know exactly what to look for.

A buyer is not likely to be motivated by an illegal, dangerous home addition. Improve your odds of selling by creating a home that does not require extensive repairs for the next owner.

If you’re not sure where to begin, know that there are a few different ways of obtaining a permit. Some contractors will actually acquire them for you.

A good contractor should be familiar with this experience and thus able to do it properly. Keep in mind, it is very likely that the contractor will charge you for this task.

If you’re not comfortable with having a stranger obtain your permit, you can always take it on by yourself. If you choose to do so, be sure you ask plenty of questions so that your don’t miss out on any important information, such as the various departments that may require permits.

Building permits may cost a little more for your home improvement project, but avoiding them is not worth the savings. The fines, legal troubles, and potential destruction of your project could multiply your costs even beyond the price of the project and permits, and you would find yourself back at square one. Believe it or not, pulling a permit can help you save a few bucks in the long run.

By: Ben Addams