Remember This One Thing About The Permit Process

When you first start thinking about a new home expansion project or if you are considering building a new home from the ground up, you might assume that your first stop is your local architect or construction professional. That is something that you can hold off on. Instead you should look to lay the groundwork based upon the input of your local planning office.

In the United States it is the local municipality, such as the county or city that has jurisdiction over the rights to modify real estate property. There are likely to be state and Federal regulations to which you will be expected to adhere but your municipality is the institution to which you will have to make your case for official written permission.

Professionals will be glad to help but will bill you at the high rates you might expect from them. The planning office staff will be helpful and will not charge you for basic advice. So the first step is really to draw on the knowledge of the planning office to establish if you actually need the sort of permits that require a professional’s touch. There is no point paying unnecessary expenses for what might be just a small DIY project.

And Do Not Let This Other Thing Sneak Up On You

You will have to find all of the records and it might turn out there might be previous improvements that did not have the proper authorization. You will be expected to get everything up to code and approved before you are granted permission to make further improvements.

When you visit your municipal planning office gather all the available records relating to your project, you will need them. It will also be helpful to visit the assessors’ office. The records there will be more complete and up-to-date; after all you do not want to leave out any important information at this point. There are many ways that it can come back to bite you if some disqualifying fact is discovered late in the game.

Cost Saving Combinations

Check with your municipality to find out if different types permit applications that can be combined. For instance, it might be possible to combine the permit requirements that that you need for assorted utilities, such as plumbing and electrical work. If so it means that you can save on the cost of multiple permits, if you file for them at the same time.

If you determine that your project will need planning consent or permits to proceed then you really do need to have the best professional advice to get the ball rolling. Once begun it can be complex and time consuming, as well as expensive.

Planning permission and permit approval are critical issues in any project that involve investment of cash and resources. Failure to obtain the correct permits can cause your municipality to demand the demolition of your prized extension. However if you start out by working with the authorities and have all of the right permits, as well as the appropriate professional advisors, you will have a project that is built on solid foundations.