In the United States, home improvements cannot be done at will. Generally, a home improvement permit is required for home alterations and additions.

Today, let's talk about renovation permits specifically.

Question 1: Do all renovations require a construction permit?

Most houses in the United States are made of wood, so if you change the structure of your house during renovation, it may cause a lot of safety hazards. Therefore, for safety reasons, there is a step to apply for a home renovation permit in the United States.

But not all renovations need to apply?

According to the U.S. government, anyone whose home remodeling costs more than $500 must apply for a construction permit.

This means that whether we change the exterior or interior of our home, whether it is an addition, remodel or expansion, once the amount exceeds $500, we must apply for a construction permit.

In addition, if you do not hire workers to renovate the house and do it all by yourself, the responsibility will be your own, and you cannot change the exterior of the house, and you can not apply for a renovation permit if you meet the above conditions.

Question 2:What are the negative consequences of not applying for a permit?

If you should apply for a permit but don't, first of all you will receive a ticket from the government.

Secondly, if you have homeowner's insurance on your house, the insurance company will not pay when there is an accident in your house, especially one caused by renovation.

The third point is also important. Unauthorized renovations without applying for a permit may change the structure of the house so that it does not meet building standards. In this case, it will be troublesome if you need to sell your house.

Fourth, if your house is renovated and rented out, and the tenant finds out that it does not meet the building standards, he or she may sue you for "threat to personal safety". The government will not only force you to apply for a new permit, but also require you to demolish the remodeled parts and even pay high fines.

If all the processes are done according to the rules, first of all you don't have to worry about the renovation not meeting the requirements, and you don't have to worry about being fined. If you apply for a renovation permit and there are still quality problems with the renovation, you can apply for renovation accident insurance to protect your interests.

Question 3: What are the categories of housing renovation permits?

There are two main categories:

House interior decoration construction permit and house addition and alteration permit.

House interior renovation permit

If you just want to change some decoration inside the house and not change the load-bearing structure of the house, you can get fast approval as long as you ensure the drawings and related information are perfect.

If you want to change the internal partition wall of the house, you need to ensure that the partition wall does not have the function of load-bearing and earthquake resistance.

House expansion and reconstruction permit

Due to the wide range and complexity of building additions and renovations, in some cases the load-bearing structure of the building may be changed and there are certain safety hazards.

The government has tight control over such renovations, and you must apply for a permit in accordance with the legal procedures.

Determine what kind of permit you want to apply for; a wrong application can delay a lot of time, lengthen the construction period and increase the cost.

Question 4:What do I need to pay attention to for my first renovation?

Make sure the contractor has the relevant qualifications.

To ensure the quality of your home renovation, you need to check the contractor's qualification; you must be responsible in case of any accidents during the construction process.

Submit drawings at the time of application.

After determining the specific renovation parts, you can go to a professional construction team to create drawings.

When the drawings and related information are perfect, you can go to the government for approval. Generally as long as your drawings meet the specifications, the approval process will be quick.

Do not avoid government inspection.

Government inspection is the protection of the homeowner's rights. After applying for a permit and requiring the construction team to complete the renovation, you must be inspected by the government.

The government may inspect the drainage, electricity, ventilation, lighting, and lighting to ensure your safety.