Obtaining a Building Permit for Your Home Improvement Project

Fall is a great time to start a home improvement project. The weather has cooled down and the kids are back in school. You'll probably want to get a jump on your project, and plan how you will do the work, what supplies you'll need and your time frame. To make sure your project goes as planned, before you do start any work plan on obtaining a building permit.

A good place to start researching your town's building permit rules is on the town website. Most towns or local governments have websites with all the information you will need. One can usually find a Building and Zoning Department webpage where you can look up the codes and find out if your home improvement project will require a permit.

In researching permits for a front walkway I had installed last spring, I was amazed to see that most home improvement projects you would consider minor do require a permit. Luckily, the Building and Zoning webpage had all the information I needed, including the town's guidelines for residential projects, the required dimensions of the walkway and what documents I would need to submit to get the permit.

Another way to research building permits is to stop in or call your local office of code compliance. They can provide you with all the information needed, as well as time lines for getting your permit. I've found that most building and zoning offices can provide you with a building permit over the counter the same day if provided with all the necessary information. To get our permit, we had to supply a completed application, two copies of a certified Plat of Survey showing all existing structures and two copies of the project plan with measurements. After paying the review fee and the permit fee, it costs us $55.

If you are using a contractor for the home improvement project, I highly recommend making sure your contractor is the one to pull the permit and not you. Not only does this make it easier on you, but it safeguards you against code violations. Whoever is responsible for pulling the permit is also responsible for making sure the project is completed to code and for fixing any code violations. If your name is on the permit, your contractor could leave you with a code violation on your hands and out all the money you paid for the job. If your contractor asks you to get the permit, think about looking for another contractor.