When do you need a building permit?

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1

I have been looking around, and this is a huge gray area! Obviously when you are not affecting structure of something, you do not need it. Such as, putting up drywall, painting, insulating, etc… But when do you cross the line to need a permit?

I have read if you move plumbing you may need one, adding an outlet to a wall, removing a load bearing wall, etc… Is this true in all areas, in no areas, what are the rules?

2

It varies from city to city. Call your city building inspector and ask them (from an anonymous payphone of course, lol)

3

Basically most anything they want you to pull a permit for. Most people don’t.

Electrical, plumbing, framing changes all “require” a permit.

4

first of all, define the word ‘need’

lol

5

you need one when the town building and codes inspector shows up

keep him away and you dont need one :wink:

6

I’m not even planning on doing anything that would affect this anytime soon, I am just trying to educate myself on this, so it doesn’t bite me in the ass down the road. I HATE gray area laws.

7

I think what you “really” need them for is anything you can see outside that changes visually.

Examples: Decks, pools, additions, slabs, etc.

Though I added on a huge addition to my parents garage in Blasdell with no permit so IDK lol.

8

after you get caught.

9
  1. You need one when something goes wrong and you cant fix it yourself.
  2. When your neigbor are a nosey and calls the inspector on you
  3. When you hire someone to do some work to the house.

Do I need to get a permit to finish my basement? maybe but im not.

10

In the city of buffalo anything over $500 requires a permit, except for paint. any electrical or plumbing or structural work any price requires a permit, and a licensed contractor. I am not sure about concrete work.

11

Sometimes info can be found on your town/village/city website. But it is pretty easy to call the local building inspector.

12

it will affect you if you want to have the house re-assessed for tax purposes. For example selling the the house. If you were to add a bedroom to the basement, it could not be listed officially as a bedroom unless the town re-assesses the house, which in turn they would make you install provisions such as smoke detectors, and other inhabitable requirements.

13

Built my deck in West Seneca without a permit. I got caught and had to pay a $50.00 dollar fine and buy the permit after it was built. Oh yeah and three weeks later I got a re-assesment in the mail. That is the exact reason why I didnt get a permit in the first palce!

14

If they can see it in a drive-by visual check you need a permit

15

or if a jerk off neighbor blows you in.

16

All of these

I put a deck on the back of my house and no one said any thing. I also built a new front porch with no problems.

My father converted his garage into a master suite without a permit…he won’t be able to sell for good money without getting it re-assessed and inspected.

17

Mostly because of nosey neighbors.
We are remodeling our house and the town inspector likes to appear everytime we are working on the house

18

That too… Basically this is a time that it is usually more cost affective to play roulette, if you get caught pay the $50 fine and get the permit after, if you don’t get caught you save the cost of the permit…

19

isnt a permit only like 20bucks?

20

It completely depends on the town. Where I live you can do just about anything except build a new structure without a permit. In Amherst you need a permit to change your hot water heater, or put siding or roofing on your house.