When Do You Need a Permit for Your Basement Refinishing Job?

Do you really need a permit to get your basement remodeled? There are lots of people with the skills and abilities to remodel a basement and turn it into a habitable room such as a lounge, a bedroom, game room or a home office remodel. However, what many don’t know is that a permit is actually mandatory, even though in some areas their enforcement is not that strict.

Since remodeling your basement is not something that can normally be seen from the street, a lot of homeowners think that they can get away without using a permit. While this is possible, there’s always a chance that you will be discovered, in which case you’ll either be forced to legalize it or to remove the improvements you added.

Regardless of the type of work you do to remodel your basement, any modifications have to be reported through a request for a permit, and architectural plans need to be submitted to the DOB. Whether you’re using a contractor or not, make sure you get a permit for the job, as being discovered later on, or when you try to sell your home, can lead to a lot of complications that you really do not want to have to deal with.