All Forum Posts by: Timothy Smith

I'm a local agent in St Pete area. I have a construction background as well. Lets connect and I'll see how I can help you accomplish your real estate goals for this year. 

I would say most DIY don't pull any permits. They're only required for certain criteria. Any cosmetic rehab isn't going to need any permits. Its when you start moving around or add new plumbing/electrical/HVAC/structural work. I would say a vast majority aren't pulling permits for DIY rehabs unless they are very extensive. 

Well if you're just adding interior walls in an existing space, that is pretty minor. Just make sure you're not taking out load bearing walls and causing anything that could become a safety concern to tenants. Permitting is in place to protect safety and wellness of others (and add a little $$$ to your local municipality).

You will have numerous issues that will arise especially if you already brought it to their attention. Neighbors could call the county for unpermitted work and stop you from building and fine you. If you did build it unpermitted and you went to resell you wouldn't get credit for the additional sq footage as appraiser base everything off county records. You may have issues obtaining proper insurability as you have an unpermitted addition. If something were to happen like the house burns down, they may deny any insurance claims since work wasn't properly permitted. There are a multitude of ways this would go wrong.

Adding habitable structures and attached sq footage to dwellings with no permit is very risky, and your asking for nothing but problems down the road. 

The extra few thousand for drawing and permitting will be well worth your money, time, and future frustrations. 

I'm a Realtor and general contractor licensee located right here in St Pete as well. Let me know if I could help you out with anything.

I'm in St Petersburg and in a AE 9 zone. Its my primary residence and I pay about $1600 /year. St Petersburg is part of the National Flood Insurance Program with FEMA and it allows a lower rate. I'm not sure whether its eligible for investment properties though. Shop around and make sure the insurance company participates in the NFIP.

Additionally it may be worth checking. There are new flood maps that are supposed to be released this year which will change the flood zone of some areas. For instance, my house will be going from an AE to a X100 zone. The current flood maps are from 2003 so its about time their due for an update. You can check the property at https://www.pinellascounty.org... to see if there's any change.