Rhode Island Zoning, Planning And Land Use Law FAQS – Building Permits, Additions, In Law, Variance
What do most homeowners ask when planning home renovation? One of the major concerns confronting homeowners is whether a building permit is required or not when doing home renovation. This concern seems to be a pretty simple issue that has a fairly straightforward answer, but this is not the case. The issue is not as simple as it may seem. The requirement for building permit will depend on your location, the type of renovation that you are planning to undertake and even what you do to earn a living.
There are certain locations that will require demande de permis de construire building permit for all types of home renovations and repairs beyond painting, while there are other areas that are less rigid and allow extensive repair jobs without permits. There are also specific jurisdictions where you have to get a building permit when building a deck that is attached to your home but will not require one if it is a deck that is free-standing or attached to your shed and garage. There are even areas where businesses and farmers are exempt from needing building permits for the same projects where homeowners are required to have one.
The main challenge when it comes to building permits is the lack of standard rule that is applicable for all locations. Thus, it is important for you to determine the existing regulations that are applicable in your area before commencing with the home repair or renovation.
Here are some typical circumstances where building permit is required:
o Altering or modifying your supporting wall or home exterior
o Renovating your roof line
o Building additional structure that is attached to your home
o Constructing a large detached structure
o Installing a new plumbing or electrical
Here are some of the situations where you need to confirm with local authorities whether a permit is required or not:
o Building a small detached structure such as shed and deck
o Building perimeter fence
o Complete renovation of a room
o Modifying a partition wall