Do I Need A Permit For My Project

Once you’ve got your heart set on doing a home renovation or remodeling project, it can be tempting to start buying materials and begin demolition right away. However, before you even begin buying what you need for your project, it’s important to stop and make sure you have the correct permits for the work you’re going to be doing. Not sure if you need a permit at all? This handy guide will help you determine if a permit is needed for your project if you’re unsure!

What is a permit anyway?

A building permit is an official government approval that allows you or your favorite remodeler to alter your property. Its purpose is to ensure that work done on a property is done to code and complies with local standards for zoning and construction. Codes and standards are in place to verify that the work is safe and secure for all inhabitants and visitors. As you can see, a permit is very important when any work is done that significantly alters a home. 

When DON’T I need a permit? 

You won’t always need a permit when you’re doing work on your house. If you’re just doing some small repairs around the home, a permit won’t be needed. Typically, simple replacements won’t require a permit either. This includes things such as replacing windows with ones that are the same size as the old ones. Fences that are under six feet also won’t need a permit. If you’re working on your roof, you won’t generally need to worry about a permit either. Just so long as it’s no more than two layers of roofing material. Work on gutters and downspouts are also exempt, as well as siding. If you want to do maintenance to a flagpole or want one installed, a permit isn’t needed. Finally, storage sheds that are smaller than 100 square feet and at most eight feet tall also won’t need a permit. 

So when DO I need one? 

A permit is needed for all large projects that greatly alter a home or property. Big projects such as new buildings, additions, alterations to decks, garages, large fences, awnings, large scale repairs, and demolition of a structure will require a permit. If you’re adding anything to your home like a patio or deck, a permit is needed. If your project will require excavation or filling of land, it will require a permit. Work on a floodplain will also need a permit. Any work that will cause a permanent or structural change in your home will require a permit to proceed.

If your project involves multiple areas that will be worked upon, you will need to apply and receive permits for each individual part of the work. For instance, if you were to go about remodeling both your garage and fence at the same time… you would need to apply for permits for both jobs. Luckily, you can apply for all your permits at once. It’s especially easy in Cincinnati thanks to the handy city website you can visit. Going through their online permit application process only requires a few clicks. It will give you a total cost after entering some information on the remodel, such as how much it will cost and the square footage of demolition sites. If you’re getting your work done through a professional contractor, they will usually do it for you for the cost of the permits and an hour or two of labor. 

What happens after I receive my building permits?

Once you’ve received your building permits, you will be scheduled to have the work inspected during the process to ensure everything is done to code. The city will send out an inspector once or several times throughout the work’s progress, and if they find that something is done incorrectly or is unsafe, they will halt the process of the project until things are done to code and standards. Work done against code requirements will make your house difficult to sell until it is brought up to code. If all inspections go without any issue, your completed work will be fulling approved! This both increases the value of your house. And makes the selling process much smoother if you plan on selling the home in the future.

How do I apply for permits?

Applying for permits is a simple process that will require a form filled and filed with the city. You can find this form and print it from the City of Cincinnati website’s permit portal. You first fill out a small questionnaire on the website. This calculates the cost of all the permits you need. Then it will take you to the form where you can download the PDF file. You will need to fill out separate forms for all of the different permits your work requires. Once they are filled out, you will mail them to their respective buildings. 

For some work, permits can only be issues to licensed contractors who are registered with the city of Cincinnati. So if you plan on doing work yourself and the permit you require can only be obtained through a registered Cincinnati contractor, you might want to rethink your project. These permits can only be issued if the work is performed by a licensed professional, so you won’t be issued a permit if you do the work yourself.

We strongly suggest hiring a registered contractor for all work. This is because they are well versed with current building codes and will make all steps of a project much simpler than trying to learn to do everything yourself. If you aren’t well versed in construction codes… you may lose a lot of time working on something only to learn you must change it after the city inspects your work and deems it not to code. Though doing the work can seem cheaper, you will soon realize that mistakes are costly, and proper experience in construction is invaluable.

And that’s the permit process!

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