All of the All Pro Home Inspectors at All Pro Home Inspectors Inc. get asked by our Ponte Vedra Beach, FL home buyers from time to time if certain improvements or additions discovered (or exposed by the home sellers) have to be or must have been permitted. Our answer generally depends upon exactly what was modified, improved or added to the home involved. Throughout the years and after doing several thousands of pre-purchase home All Pro Home Inspections, we’ve found out that almost all house buyers, house sellers, and homeowners do not know what needs to be permitted vs what may not need to be permitted. This particular list will help as a great place to start in determining if the addition or modification needs to be permitted in accordance with the latest International Residential Code (IRC) manual.
Based on the IRC, permits aren’t needed for the following:
* Detached one-story accessory buildings (tool sheds) less than or equal to two hundred sq.ft.?* Fences lower than or equal to six feet., sidewalks, driveways, swings and playground equipment?* Maintaining walls lower than or of about four feet. coming from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall & with no surcharge?* Water tanks on grade below or equal to 5,000 gallons & height/width ratio less than or equal to 2:1?* Tiling, painting, carpeting, cabinets, counter & similar finish work?* Awnings projecting less than or of about 54 inches from exterior wall & supported from wall?* Decks under or equal to two hundred sq. ft. & lower than or of about thirty inches above grade and not attached to house or serving a mandatory exit door
We wished to provide this list of what typically could be done to your house without a permit based on the latest IRC to help clear up a few of the confusion for our home buyers, owners, and sellers. If perhaps what you are intending to build drops outside of the list above it is safe to assume that the permit is needed. Nonetheless, the local city/county building official has the final say regarding what should be permitted. Therefore before you decide to build be sure to contact your local building department to avoid issues and big penalties in the future.
To find out more about building permits on Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, speak to All Pro Home Inspectors Inc. at 904-807-0939 right now!