On one hand, getting permission from the man to work on your own home may feel downright un-American. I get it. However, if this is where you are at, try to think about it another way; you may not need the oversight, but maybe others do. In America, we’re all equal, so permitting by the government of and for the people is just part of the adventure. Bottom line though, it’s in everyone’s best interest, yours included, to have building officials who issue permits. Afterall, you want someone to make sure the DIYer next door isn’t going to rehab a home that catches fire and takes yours down with it, right? And don’t you want a lookout to prevent the person across the street from creating an eyesore that you have to look at or that’ll lower your property values? There are other reasons, but you see my point.
The first and most significant thing to keep in mind regarding the permitting process is that every building department is different. The only thing I’ve found that’s the same, regardless of the town or city, is that most building officials firmly believe that the way they do it is the way everyone does it… that their rules are the standard.
The initial steps I've described don’t require permission from local authorities. However, when you start demoing walls and addressing the bigger issues, there's a good chance you'll need a permit. I'd love to write down everything you’ll need to know about permitting, inspections, and code compliance, but all of this varies from place to place. I've worked in too many municipalities to count, and they're all different. In addition, it's common for them to make adjustments on how they do things periodically, so I try to be prepared for anything when I walk into a building department.
In some places, you'll have complete freedom to do whatever you want to your property without any outside involvement from others. However, some cities, towns, and counties will require that you provide them some details of your plans and pay a small fee before you receive a postable sign. Some building officials may ask for drawings, while others will be satisfied with a written description. One village or city may require that you hire a licensed General Contractor to do the work, supervise, or manage your project, while other towns might be okay with you acting as your own GC… as long as your name is on the deed.
Furthermore, there are some municipalities that will expect a you to make the house your home when you're finished and might even require you to sign a document pledging to live there as a resident for a stipulated time period once you’re all done. Basically, the local folks don’t want you to slap lipstick on your pig’s ear and drywall over shoddy work before you flip it and then high tail out of town, leaving your poor buyer with a house full of sub-par work. I know you wouldn’t do this, but someone else has, so rules have been put in place. If you have to live there for a while after you’re finished, they’re speculating that you’ll do a better job. Again, hiring a general contractor to oversee or do the work may be a viable way to get in and flip it.
When I'm navigating my way through the
rocky permitting and inspection waters, my mission is to receive my Certificate
of Occupancy at the end of the project. However, to reinforce my point on
the randomness of this process even further, not all towns or
local authorities issue a C.O. after the final inspection is passed. The bottom
line here: when you go to get your permit, be ready for anything, and don't be
surprised if you're faced with someone on the other side of the counter saying,
"This is how it's done" as if there's no other way. Trust me, this
attitude is common. I've grown to understand that when this happens, the clear
reality is: That’s just how it's done there.
And finally, pull a permit for the improvements
you know you're going to make, rather than things you might do.
If you’re positive you need to replace some drywall, paint inside and out, and
you'll also be popping in replacement windows, then get official permission for
those things. Don't muddy the waters by mentioning the possibility of
skylights, a hot tub, or other dreamy blips on your rehab radar. Just keep
it simple, and when you're rock solid on additional scopes of work, you can circle
back to get the bureaucratic green light at a later date.
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