Renovating Without a Permit

[flip_it_fast]

No No No! What a big no no!

That cannot be stressed enough! Doing anything kind of fixing, remodeling- whatever, whether inside the home or not without a permit can be a costly mistake!

It all depends on your local laws as to what you need a permit for and what you don't.

People do things inside of their homes all of the time such as remove walls, finish the basement, add woodburners without permits. The fact is though, if you get caught and a permit was required, they can say you have to remove the structure or whatever changes else pay major fines and/or they can condemn the property.

Most of us realize that major renovations such as building an addition to a home require a building permit. But I was surprised to learn that many smaller jobs may require one as well. These jobs include finishing basements, updating plumbing or electrical equipment, constructing a deck, or even adding a wood burning stove. If you are making changes to partitions or load-bearing walls or changing the structure of doors or windows, you may need to apply for a permit as this kind of work could affect the structural integrity of your home.

So the best policy is that you always aquire about a permit before you do any changes. Better to be safe rather than sorry.

[House on the Prairie]

In Virginia, you also need a permit to put in a retaining wall that is over 2 feet in height. I was also surprised as to what required a permit. Keep in mind, your particular county may allow you to do your own drawings (ours does), which saves on the expense of having to pay a structural engineer draft them. Most counties also offer some other resources, including making an appointment with a county official to review your plans prior to submitting them.