2024-01-07 Evelyn Yang Recommended
Should the homeowner apply for the renovation permit, or should the professional renovation team handling the work apply?
There are two options. If you know how to do the renovation yourself and can prepare renovation design drawings for the city to review, you can apply for the renovation permit yourself.
However, if you have no knowledge of the work, you should hire someone to handle the project, and the person handling the project should apply. This makes responsibility clear. If you are only hiring a renovation worker to assist while you perform the work yourself, then you should apply yourself. Legitimate companies have always applied for permits and licenses in their own names, rather than transferring the application to someone else or the homeowner.
In other words, if the homeowner applies for the renovation permit, the homeowner is responsible if a problem occurs during the renovation. But if the renovation team applies, the renovation team is responsible for any problems.
Areas of interior renovation that require a renovation permit
Interior renovations require a permit whenever they involve plumbing or electrical work. Many people do not know this and end up causing unnecessary trouble. For example, one person bought a house where the laundry room was on the first floor. Thinking it took up too much space, the owner hired several renovation workers to move the laundry room to the basement. To improve ventilation, the owner installed an exhaust fan next to the laundry room. The neighbors were very unhappy and reported them.
When city officials came to inspect, they discovered that the laundry room had been moved to the basement. Because moving it required routing the plumbing downward and connecting a power supply, the work involved plumbing and electrical modifications. Since no permit had been obtained, they issued a fine. They not only had to pay the fine, but also had to remove the laundry room. Even applying for a retroactive renovation permit was no longer an option.
If they wanted to rebuild it, they would have to go through the normal process again: apply for a permit, submit the renovation drawings to the city, renovate, and pass inspection. Aside from the substantial expense, this would also waste time.
If no one reports it, does that mean there will probably be no problem? Do many people take this chance?
In fact, a renovation may not be discovered or reported, but if improper renovation causes the house to flood or catch fire, the insurance company will not pay the claim. In addition, when the house is sold in the future, if it is found to differ from the original house plans, the owner may still be required to remove the work.
What exactly is considered work involving plumbing or electrical systems and therefore requires a renovation permit?
Replacing a faucet or an outlet is a relatively minor project that does not require a permit. However, if you are not completely confident that you can do the work properly, it is still best to hire someone. A small faucet could potentially turn an entire house into an unsafe structure.
The same principle applies to electrical work. If you install an outlet yourself and do it incorrectly, a short circuit could cause a fire. Therefore, the recommendation is that unless you are a highly qualified professional, you should not do the work yourself. After all, water and fire are unforgiving.
Many households use natural gas, which may also involve certain dangers. Does renovation involving this area also require an application?
Any renovation involving plumbing, electricity, or gas must be reported. If you want to remove wall panels, work involving more than one-quarter of the panels must be reported. Many people misunderstand this point: the one-quarter does not refer to one-quarter of the entire house, but one-quarter of a single wall.
Although walls in the United States are generally made of drywall and may seem easy to remove, these wall panels are ultimately installed on the wooden structure of the house. Therefore, if a large area is removed improperly, it can still affect the house.
What basement renovations require a permit?
One thing to note about basement renovations is that basements generally do not have bathrooms. If you plan to build a bathroom in the basement, renovation involving routing plumbing and drainage to that area must be reported. In addition, if you plan to create a partition in the basement, that renovation also requires an application. Installing a smoke alarm also requires an application.
Another important point is the professionalism of the renovation team.
If you want to save money on renovation, you must not cut costs by hiring an unqualified renovation team. Only legitimate renovation professionals can ensure the quality of the work. Some people try to save money by casually hiring a few workers to demolish things. They do not realize that after the demolition, when city officials come to inspect, the officials may find that the workers were not professional enough and damaged a load-bearing beam while removing the wall panels. Because the beam was affected, it had to be replaced before the work could pass inspection. In this case, hiring a renovation team, purchasing materials, and replacing the beam took another three months.
This wastes both time and money. Professional renovation teams are more familiar with the structure of a house, will not demolish recklessly, and will not damage the structure. They will also be responsible for hauling away the demolition debris. Because professional renovation companies carry insurance, compensation can be obtained if a problem occurs. In contrast, unprofessional individual renovation teams cannot meet these requirements and will not take responsibility when problems arise.
If the entire house is being renovated, does each renovation item need to be applied for separately?
When applying for a construction permit, the city government calculates the fees based on the drawings or the information provided by the applicant. For example, the applicant must specify what electrical modifications will be made, and the fee is calculated according to the amount of work. The plumbing permit fee is then calculated in the same way, followed by the other items, and the total is paid at one time.
Finally, readers are reminded that whether the renovation is exterior or interior, renovations requiring permits are evaluated from the perspective of household safety. After all, the main purpose of renovation is also to improve quality of life. Therefore, to make the renovation more comfortable, be sure to renovate safely and avoid violations.
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