Permits Matter When Renovating Your Home
Permits matter when renovating your home in Charlotte/Mecklenburg. You should NEVER skip obtaining permits for renovation work. Doing so could spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for you and your home in the future.
Permits Matter When Renovating Your Home In Charlotte/Mecklenburg
Homeowners who skip the permitting process when making substantial renovations to their home expose themselves to any number of problems when the time comes to sell their homes:
- If you’ve made renovations without a permit you must disclose this fact in the NC Residential Property Disclosure Form when you sell your home. If you fail to properly disclose, it’s likely that the buyer will terminate the contract. And if the buyer doesn’t find out until after the home is sold and closed, you could be facing a lawsuit for non-disclosure (your agent, as well). And if you do properly disclose, prospective buyers may very well balk at purchasing a home without appropriate permits to ensure that work was done without compromising safety and/or to code.
- Homeowners can be held personally liable for non-permitted work done in a home if that work was not properly completed.
- Homeowners can be fined by the city/county authorities for work that has not been permitted or even be required to remove or replace the work with proper permits.
- If something untoward occurs or someone is injured as a result of work that wasn’t permitted and you make an insurance claim, the claim could be denied.
When You Need A Permit In Charlotte/Mecklenburg
When Permits Are Required
- Appropriate permits for residential work are required for any new construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, movement to another site, removal or demolition of any building.
- Permits are also required for the installation, extension, alteration or general repair of electrical, mechanical or plumbing systems.
- Permits are required to be grouped by the particular project and paid for by the general contractor or the homeowner acting as their own general contractor.
- Separate permits are required for building, electrical, heating, air conditioning and plumbing work.
Permits might not be required for any projects on one- and two-family home and town homes with work costing $15,000 or less, unless that work involves:
- The addition, repair, or replacement of load bearing structures
- The addition or change in the design of a plumbing system
- The addition, replacement or change in the design of a heating or air conditioning system
- The addition, replacement or change in the design of an electrical system
- The use of materials not permitted by the code
- The addition of roofing, excluding replacement of like grade fire resistance material
Don’t Forget: Permits Expire!
- Permits expire six months (180 days) after the issue date if no work has begun. Permits also expire when work has started but is discontinued for 12 months (365 days) after the last inspection date.
What Does A Permit Cost In Charlotte/Mecklenburg?
- For more information on the cost of various permits in Charlotte/Mecklenburg, click here for the County’s fee schedule for every type of work/building permit.
Internet Permit Process For Homeowners
- For residential projects costing less than $30,000 when a “Homeowner serves as the Contractor” allows the homeowner to submit a building permit application on-line. Information on how to submit your permit application on-line, click here.
Questions About The Permit Process In Charlotte/Mecklenburg?
- Mecklenburg County provides a Residential Technical Assistance Center to help residents with the permitting process.
- Call: 980-314-2633
- Visit On-Line: www.MeckPermit.com
