Should I? or Should I not? Do I? or Do I need? to obtain permits for home renovation
Should I? or Should I not? Do I? or Do I need? to obtain permits for home
Recent statistics released by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing
Corporation revealed that 45 per cent of households intend to do some form
of maintenance and repairs, while 78 per cent will undertake alterations
and improvements. Sixty-eight per cent of the homeowners who intend to
renovate this year will do so to update, add value or prepare to sell their
home.
Most of us realize that major renovations such as building an addition
to a home require a building permit. But I was surprised to learn that
many smaller jobs may require one as well. These jobs include finishing
basements, updating plumbing or electrical equipment, constructing a deck,
changing roof material or even adding a wood burning stove. If you are
making changes to partitions or load-bearing walls or changing the structure
of doors or windows, you may need to apply for a permit as this kind of work
could affect the structural integrity of your home.
Yes, there is a hassle involved in getting a building permit. You will need to
provide the municipality with detailed plans of the renovation to the house
and provide any additional documentation requested. An inspector will be
engaged during the project to ensure that the work complies with building
codes and regulations.
CBC producer recently used her home for a hidden-camera video shoot where three
contractors were asked to submit estimates for expanding a landing off the back of the
home. Price range from $2000, another 5k/6k(both without permits) to $11,500 with
permit. They always ask the homeowners to make the decision.
Permits are intended to ensure sure things are built to code and prevent safety hazards,
like fires caused by faulty electrical wiring. The penalty starts with a fee that is double
the cost of a permit, and could run owners tens of thousands of dollars more. The city
would come in and ask them to remove the work to correct it, to make it compliant with
city bylaws. In, 2011, The City of Vancouver shut down more than 250 projects last
year because they didn't have proper permits.
Seller must disclose everything to the listing agents whether the renovation
was done with or without permit. All these must be disclosed to the buyer.
As a buyer, if you are looking to buy a home that has had recent
renovations, check with the city to see if a building permit was issued and
that the structure was inspected and compliant. You can make your offer
conditional on the availability of the permit. If you accept the renovated
property without any permit, it also means you will be inheriting all the
problems that might occurs after.
A dream home purchase can turn into a nightmare if you do not acquire
the proper permits or if renovations were done by a previous owner
without a permit. The municipality may force you to remove walls, ceilings,
cabinets and other finishes so that an inspector can determine if the work
complies with the building requirements or, in the worst case, remove the
improvement entirely.
Tina Mak Personal Real Estate Corporation
Your Vancouver Radio Realtor
(The Bridge from East to West since 1992)
#1 Female Agent since 2002 @ Coldwell Banker Westburn Rlty
President of AREAA Vancouver
Canadian Ambassador of Coldwell Banker 2011
Co-host of AM1320 Radio Investment Show
International President's Circle Award
Gold Master Medallion Award in Vancouver Real Estate Board
5489 Kingsway, Burnaby
B.C. V5H 2G1
Tel: 604-412-5860
www.TinaMak.com (English)
www.TinaMak.ca (温哥华中文地產網頁)
www.WestNoblerealestate.ca (Commercial site)
Email: tinamak@tinamak.com
"Knowledge Empowering Investment Decisions"
