What Can Happen If You Don't Get A Permit Before Your Home Renovation

Home renovations are an excellent way to personalize your space, potentially raise your home's resale value, and fix any annoying quirks that came with the house when you bought it. An important step in home renovations is securing the proper permit. If you hire a licensed contractor, they will usually handle pulling the permits for the project. But some homeowners who choose to DIY their home reno or hire an unlicensed contractor may be tempted to skip the permits to save time, money, and effort.

Homeowners who forgo this step could find themselves paying more in fines over time than the cost of the permit, retroactively getting permits, and redoing work to meet the proper codes. Permits are required for a lot of home renovation projects because they ensure everything meets building codes and safety standards. They're an important part of home renovations, especially for older homes that might not meet current building codes. Understanding how to navigate renovation permits is relatively simple. 

If you don't pull the required permits for your home renovation, you could end up with a major headache. For starters, you could be charged a hefty fine by your city or county. The fine amount will depend on the specific violations, and some areas may fine you per day of construction. If a contractor was involved in the unpermitted project, you could both be charged.

Ironically, skipping the permit to save time could cost you in time wasted. If you get caught without the proper permits, you could be ordered to stop work, apply for a permit after the fact, and possibly even tear down and redo the work. This is the kind of potential hidden renovation cost that could completely blow your budget.

While not having a permit can impact your home renovation immediately, it can also have long-lasting consequences. If you don't have permits for a renovation and you experience a fire or flooding, your insurance company could deny coverage. You could also experience issues reselling your house because you won't have the proper documentation to provide prospective buyers. Finally, you could struggle to get an accurate appraisal if there are rooms that aren't up to code or don't legally "exist," excluding them from the square footage of your home.

We get it — it's hard to be patient and it can be tempting to cut corners when it comes to home renovation projects. But there are several ways your local government could find out that you don't have a permit for your project. Your neighbors may report unpermitted projects, especially if there are construction materials or supplies blocking driveways or in the street. If the city receives a complaint, an inspector could stop by your home to check for the required permits. Property tax assessors also tend to use building permits as a data point when they assess the value of a property. If your home is due for reassessment, the assessor could discover your unpermitted project.

Overall, it isn't worth it to try to skip getting the right permits for a home renovation. Knowing the types of home renovations that need permits is an important way to keep yourself above board. And while the cost of home renovation permits can vary, it will likely be less than what you'd pay in fines if you're caught without the right documentation. If you're planning a home renovation project, do yourself a favor and apply for the necessary permits so you aren't stressed about what happens if you get caught without them.