Know the Law - When Do You Need Permission for Home Improvements?
When you are planning your home improvements,
don’t forget to find out about permits you will need. Most times you
will need a permit of some kind, whether for that new deck or some
kind of internal improvement. So how many kinds of permits are there
anyway?
Really, the main permits you will need are planning permits or
building permits. You don’t always need both. For instance that deck
or patio may only require a planning permit. Garden sheds don’t need
building permits as long as there is no sleeping area in them –
who’d want to sleep in a garden shed anyway? There are a few more
specifics, but these vary, so you need to check what your local area
allows.
So anything that is built outside the house will usually need
planning permission, but perhaps not building permission. There are
exceptions that are too numerous to list, so you’ll need to find out
what is and isn’t allowed in your own area. Very often, the closer
your building is to the boundary or the front road, the more likely
you are to need a permit of some kind.
Internal improvements usually don’t need a building permit unless
they are changing the structure of the house. For instance, work on
foundations, roof, load-bearing walls, or the electricity or
plumbing. It’s important to apply for the right permits for your
home improvements, otherwise you may be forced to change everything
back to how it was before the work was carried out.
Even if you wish to change the use of your building, or part of it,
from one thing to another, e.g. from a dwelling to a shop you will
need to apply for a permit. Permits protect zoning laws.
Apply for a permit from your municipality, but before you do, make
sure you have the necessary plans and/or sketches to attach to it.
It’s a good idea to discuss your needs with zoning staff, as they
will be able to advise you on what you need. In some cases you may
not need anything; in other cases you may need more than one permit.
That is if electricity, gas or plumbing is to be added to or
modified in any way.
There will be a fee for the permits so go prepared. If your
application is turned down it may only be because it does not comply
with some minor by-law or restriction. You will always be advised of
the reason so that you’ll have the opportunity to change it.
During certain stages of your alterations, a building inspector will
need to inspect the work done. You will need to keep your permit and
copies of plans close at hand so that he can see them. It is your
responsibility to contact the inspector when the work had reached
these stages and notify of any last minute changes. Of course, if
you have hired a General Contractor to do your work, he will do all
of that.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
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