Building Permit Questions and Answers
Generally, a permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, convert, or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system.
DOES MY PROJECT NEED A PERMIT?
Examples of work needing a building permit include:
- Adding a bedroom
- Finishing an attic, garage, or basement to make additional living space
- Cutting a new window or door opening, or widening existing openings
- Adding or moving walls
- Applying roofing when old roofing is removed, and new sheathing is installed
- Building a stairway
- Constructing a carport, garage or shed that is more than 200 square feet and/or more than 15 feet in height
- Moving an existing carport, garage or shed that is more than 200 square feet and/or more than 15 feet in height
- Constructing a freestanding patio cover and/or porch cover that exceeds 200 square feet
- Constructing a porch or deck where the floor or deck is more than 30 inches above the adjacent grade
Examples of work needing a mechanical permit include:
- Installing or changing any part of a heating or cooling system that must be vented into any kind of chimney, including unvented decorative appliances
- Installing a woodstove, fireplace insert, pellet stove, or related venting
- Installing, altering, or repairing gas piping between the meter and an appliance (indoors or outdoors)
- Installing bath fans, dryer exhausts, kitchen range exhausts, and appliances that are required to be vented
- Mechanical work on one – or – two family dwellings include work on heating, cooling, or ventilation systems including bath vents and woodstoves
- Installing, altering, or repairing gas piping between the meter and an appliance or other equipment, including all liquefied petroleum gas piping, is also considered mechanical work
