house extension without zoning permission

[Raymond Macasaet]

Hi BP community! I own a home that living room extension without zoning permission. Would this cost so a lot money to fix? I am not very familiar with zoning law. Would they tell me to rebuild this again? Thank you for your help!

[Kevin Siedlecki]

@Raymond Macasaet - You've been a little vague. How long have you owned the home? Did you build the extension, or was it there when you bought it? In many towns, the zoning board might be lenient if you bought it that way. If you added it without getting permits, they will either make you pull permits and rebuild, or, if it was done properly and to code, they might just make you pay for the permits you should have gotten plus a penalty.

I once made a purchase with an extra kitchen and bathroom that I did not know were not permitted. Luckily, the zoning and building department allowed me to keep it at no penalty, because I could prove it was there when I bought it, but I learned to check for building and permits for any unusual or even just newish features on a property.