What level of rehab work requires permits?

Question

Hi folks, what level of rehab work requires that you pull permits, or at least makes it strongly advisable to do so?   I am thinking that some work may be too minor to bother with the permit process, especially since in some locations the process can take a long time.  So how do you decide whether to pull permits for a rehab job (or insist that your contractor do so)?  Thanks.

Will Barnard · Answer

Everybody above pretty much nailed the answer, every municipality has different rules. If you add square footage, increase bed/bath counts, or do a panel upgrade, 100% get a permit. If you do any major items like roof, new HVAC, new electrical wiring, new plumbing lines (not just swapping out fixtures), get a permit. For all the other lipstick stuff, you can likely skip the permit but you should still check with your local building and safety to see what permits are required for any work you do. If you skip a permit, and it is required, you are taking a risk.

Account Closed · Answer

It depends on the jurisdicton, but generally on our flips I have the guys get permits for extensive electrical or plumbing work. Just good common sense. Keep in mind if there is a house flood or fire, the insurance company will want to know the work was approved by the city/county.

Replacing toilets, light fixtures and outlets are minor and we never get permits for things like that. If you have to open a wall for access to repair a problem, that's when you start thinking about scope of work and permits.

Matthew Crivelli · Answer

If you start a sentence with "I'm gonna blow the roof off" you will most likely need a permit lol.

JD Martin · Answer

As stated, it depends. Some cities have permits for everything. Others only require electrical. In general, it is common to need a permit for: material electrical, plumbing and HVAC work; structural changes to the existing house; additions to the home; decks and porches above ground level; structural roof work outside of reshingling; removal of hazardous material; adding new windows or doors beyond simple replacement; some landscaping work (large tree removal, driveway installation, curb cuts).

Scott Mac · Answer

It depends on the municipality, they are all different.

Alecia Loveless · Answer

@Jordan Becker My town has a monetary value that if you go over you are required to get a permit, so it’s a little bit up to the owners word of honor on how much was spent.

Jason Brown · Answer

Rule of thumb. Any time you are working with the 4 systems (Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC & Roof) check for permits. In Miami where hurricanes are prevalent you would also need permits for changes to windows but that may be one of the local to me. Things like foundation work while not common will probably also need someone licensed however if you are taking on projects with foundation problems you've hopefully already got someone on your team pretty experienced with permit pulling to begin with.

Best of luck.

Jordan Becker · Answer

Thanks, all who replied above, for these very helpful comments!

What level of rehab work requires permits?

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