Do you need a permit to finish your basement or not? Did you know that a building permit is applied for and granted by the building department of the city or town that you live in. In essence, building permits guarantee that the construction work at your home is done in both a correct and safe manner. In most states, including Connecticut and Massachusetts, it’s actually illegal to complete most home improvement jobs without filing for and obtaining a building permit first. However, there are a few homes improvement projects that do not require a building permit.
For example, you do not need a permit for minor finishing work such as carpeting, painting and installing countertops, fences, backyard play structures and retaining walls. On the other hand, a building permit is necessary when the project involves altering, constructing, re-constructing, repairing, removing, and or demolishing a building or other structure. You also need a permit if you plan to change the use of a structure, and to install or change any equipment such as the electrical or plumbing fixtures and systems.
In addition, the building permit must be issued and in hand prior to starting any work. If you fail to obtain the building permit for your basement, the home improvement project may very well end up costing you significantly more money. For example, if you’re found in violation, your local building department could force you to demolish the work and start from scratch. You could also be fined. Keep in mind that if you’re only having minor finish work completed, such as painting the walls and ceiling, you don’t need a building permit.
In order to apply for a building permit, you will need blueprints of the basement design that includes room descriptions, labels and the height of the ceiling. You will also need to provide the electrical, HVAC, and plumbing locations, along with the smoke detector locations. The application fee for the building permit will typically average around $1 per square foot. So, if your finished basement is going to add 500 square feet, keep in mind that the building permit will cost you approximately $500.
If you don’t want to deal with the building permit process yourself, we can handle that for you for an additional fee. You also need to keep in mind that the building department will inspect the work at various intervals during the project. The building inspector will sign off on each phase once they’re completed and he or she is satisfied with the work. When each phase is approved, your contractor is able to move onto the next step. When the entire basement remodeling project is complete, the building inspector will perform a final inspection. Assuming that final inspection passes, the inspector will issue a signed-off building permit.
For more information as to whether or not you need a permit to finish your basement, or questions about our design and build services, or to schedule an initial consultation in Connecticut or Massachusetts please contact us today at 860-341-6373. DBC Solutions takes great pride in providing the highest quality custom carpentry and contracting services in the home improvement industry. Our business model has been the same for 17 years. Doing things, the right way the first time every time is the only way to do it.
