Making a home renovation is the dream of many a homeowner, maybe even right from the moment they buy it. If you go for a renovation, though, it’s not so simple as taking your destiny into your own hands. You’re free to reshape your home into the perfect image, but doing so could affect the people in houses, apartments, duplexes, or multiplexes nearby.
Not only that, but your design could impact future owners. Without some architectural expertise informing the renovation, there could be safety issues for anyone residing there in the future. And your renovation could affect the sensitive internal utility lines within or the main lines coming into the property from the street. Please consider a few scenarios to that point.
Suppose you want to knock down a wall in your kitchen to make room for cooking and entertaining, but you’re wondering if you need a building permit to do so? The same question might arise when hiring a window specialist or complete home renovator to install another window in your dimly lit living room. There may even be unexpected legal requirements for you to get deck building permits.
If that’s the case, you might wonder who should be in charge of procuring one. Homeowners may want to take their home’s future into their hands through renovations—but taking all the responsibility for regulations might be too burdensome for homeowners busy with family, career, hobbies, and more.
Another home renovation that is gaining popularity is the residential lifts. Building a home elevator requires a building permit along with inspections to ensure safety and compliance from the city engineering and the elevator maker.
When a renovation alters the construction of a property, a building permit becomes vital to completing the work legally. That means resale value could tank if you’re not careful about getting permits.
Before you begin your own remodeling, here’s what you need to know about permits. They take legal liability off of you in case things go south. If you get a permit, it means experts in utilities and architectural safety have deemed the work to be done as low risk to occupants of the structure and even buildings surrounding it. You or your contractor will be able to prioritize compliance with provincial building rules and city bylaws if you get the appropriate permits. And if you were ever to sell your home, you wouldn’t face hard questions or counteroffers from potential homebuyers working with their own home inspectors.
Permit-required projects can differ by province and city. For Calgary and Edmonton, you’ll want permits that factor in common provincial rules and specific municipal bylaws. The work you have in mind can get complicated, so it’s not always easy to figure out from a quick look at a web resource. Nevertheless, the kind of work requiring a permit falls into a few common categories.
Adding or removing walls, adding a story or extension to your house, and even building new or expanding existing windows are some of the most common types of work requiring a permit.
You may additionally need one or more of the following permissions in addition to a building permit:
- Installing plumbing in a new home or changing/repairing the plumbing system in an existing home require a plumbing permit.
- Wiring a new home or altering the wiring in an existing home requires an electrical permit.
- New natural gas lines, as well as changes to existing systems, require a gas permit.
But permit requirements aren’t limited to indoor work. If your interior renovation spills out and affects the land you’re sitting on, like a front or backyard, that remodelling or renovation could affect the city’s main utility lines feeding into the building. There’s a City of Calgary awareness campaign where the motto is always “call before you dig,” and a permit can save you from the hefty fines you might face if you were to hit your home’s wastewater drainage or the main gas line.
DIY renovations have maintained popularity for decades, but the fact remains that getting expert and imaginative home renovators makes for efficient, safe, and long-lasting work. It also means that permits are taken care of when you get a trustworthy and renowned home renovator to work on it. A home renovator with that kind of experience and talent can handle permit acquisition with ease and convenience. Ultimate Renovations is just that kind of complete home renovations company, with a history going back to 1979. You can rely on experience acquiring permits as a bonus to their tremendous skill in making breathtaking remodels or renovations, no matter how many changes to the property.