[quadmasta]

I finally got to a point where I'll have a small amount of money to begin working on my dedicated theater. I've got an upstairs bedroom that I found out has a HUGE amount of dead space behind one of the walls.


I can add around 75 square feet to the room by moving the wall back 38". Both sides of the room would start to slope with the roof line at around 48". The room's ceiling joists seem to be nailed into the roof joists so the wall that would need to be moved isn't load bearing.


Do I need to get a building permit for this work? I was planning on building and framing the new rear wall before I removed the wall that's already in place to keep from having basically a huge hole to the outside (under the roof) of my house. Is this a good approach?


Thanks in advance,

Brian

 

[BritInVA]

I'm sure you will but an anonomous call into your local building inspectors office will confirm.


Cheers,

Mark

 

[quadmasta]

I'm in Georgia if that helps anybody out.

 

[mbgonzomd]

If you ever wonder "do I need a permit," the answer is usually "yes." Like mark suggested, call and talk to the permit office. They will probably ask for a plan and maybe send someone out there to look at it. Whether you get a permit or not is up to you, but once someone from the office comes out there or sees a proposed plan you are to some extent stuck. I personally have done all my work without one, but there are many of nights I wish I would of simply gotten the permits. The one thing I would make sure of is that the wall is not load bearing. If there is any doubt about this, pay a structural engineer a few bucks to look at it.

 

[mchristopher89]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mbgonzomd /forum/post/0


... I personally have done all my work without one, ...

When you sell a house here (Ontario, Canada) you must sign a form stating that to the best of your knowledge, every modification to the house requiring a permit was done under a permit. This is a legal document, so if you sign Yes and you know you should have had a permit, you would be liable.


Mark

-------------

Forewarned is four armed, but who needs four arms??

 

[advertguy2]

Hi Mark,


Where abouts in Ontario are you? I just sold a house where I finished the basement without a permit. Didn't have to sign a thing. Wasn't asked by my agent or the buyers agent. I'm in Oakville. Perhaps it's different in other parts of the province.


Dan

 

[sunnyvali]

I would just get the permit. I live in IL and just got my permit to build the basement with HT, game room, bedroom and a bathroom. My main reason for the getting the permit was to not only ward off any legal issues, but to not get into any insurance issue if my bathroom were to leak, etc.

 

[IHaveAMullet]



Quote:
Originally Posted by advertguy2 /forum/post/0


Hi Mark,


Where abouts in Ontario are you? I just sold a house where I finished the basement without a permit. Didn't have to sign a thing. Wasn't asked by my agent or the buyers agent. I'm in Oakville. Perhaps it's different in other parts of the province.


Dan

I had to sign the same thing when I was in Regina, SK. I think that if you sell a house through MLS that the contract is pretty much standard. Maybe the agent just skimmed over that section?

 

[ctviggen]

Insurance typically does not cover you for water leaks, unless you have a rider that's separately purchased. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[sunnyvali]

Bob- good point. I will check with my insurance company. Thanks.

 

[cfmustang]

Permits? We don't need no stinkin permits...

 

[fredpamm]



Quote:
Originally Posted by sunnyvali /forum/post/0


I would just get the permit. I live in IL and just got my permit to build the basement with HT, game room, bedroom and a bathroom. My main reason for the getting the permit was to not only ward off any legal issues, but to not get into any insurance issue if my bathroom were to leak, etc.

I agree. I did the same because I did not want any hassles from the village or inspectors when I sell.

 

[advertguy2]



Quote:
Originally Posted by IHaveAMullet /forum/post/0


I had to sign the same thing when I was in Regina, SK. I think that if you sell a house through MLS that the contract is pretty much standard. Maybe the agent just skimmed over that section?

Hey Mullet,


Do you really have a mullet? If so, thats freakin' cool!!


My agent knew that I was finishing my basement by myself and I think I may have even asked her if the fact that I finished it myself WITHOUT a permit would cause any problems. She said no not at all and didn't mention anything about it being in the contract. When I bought my new place, I don't remember reading anything either. Oh well.


Dan

 

[Dennis Erskine]

You do need the permit in Georgia

 

[JonDotCom]

As long as you put it in the declarations when you sell the house, you protect yourself from some liability. If it's obvious you messed with something and don't put it in the declarations then a new owner could come after you.


For instance, the people I bought my house from in the communist state of Kalifornia did an undeclared non-permitted kitchen remodel and did many unsafe wiring modifications. Some of the 220 stove wiring was even exposed with no sheetrock behind a non-permanent cabinet. I could have gone after the seller but I'm a nice guy. Of course, people like the prior owner are the reason people should get permits, because some types of unpermitted work can be unsafe and kill!

 

[JonDotCom]

As long as you put it in the declarations when you sell the house, you protect yourself from some liability. If it's obvious you messed with something and don't put it in the declarations then a new owner could come after you.


For instance, the people I bought my house from in the communist state of Kalifornia did a non-permitted kitchen remodel and did many unsafe wiring modifications. Some of the 220 stove wiring was even exposed with no sheetrock behind a non-permanent cabinet. I could have gone after the seller but I'm a nice guy. Of course, people like the prior owner are the reason people should get permits, because some types of unpermitted work can kill!


My personal opinion though is that it's not anyone's business what I do to modify the inside of my home as long as everything is done "up to code" and is safe. I only plan on pulling a permit when I add-on, and nobody can tell what else in the home was/wasn't done with a permit while I owned the home.

 

[mchristopher89]



Quote:
Originally Posted by JonDotCom /forum/post/0


I only plan on pulling a permit when I add-on, and nobody can tell what else in the home was/wasn't done with a permit while I owned the home.

In a lot of municipalities, you can query the building department to see what permits were issued.


One of my neighbours is in trouble because of that... He built a "workshop" but turned it into a house. No plumbing, electrical, hvac, etc, permits. Big trouble.

 

[Davinleeds]

Get a permit. It's cheaper now rather than later.

 

[JonDotCom]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mchristopher89 /forum/post/0


In a lot of municipalities, you can query the building department to see what permits were issued.


One of my neighbours is in trouble because of that... He built a "workshop" but turned it into a house. No plumbing, electrical, hvac, etc, permits. Big trouble.

Well, hopefully he doesn't think you turned him in

.

 

[scottjohnson]

depending where you live and what county. county officials seam to have a "big head". where i live if the homeowner is doing the work, inside an already existing building, no permit is needed. how ever, if your adding square footage to a structure then a permit is required. just so they have a record to show why your taxes went up! oh, this is true with electrical work too, homeowner can do it.