I am often asked the question; Do I need to get a permit if I’m just finishing my basement? The answer is almost always YES….there are a number of reasons why you should get a permit for a finished basement the first being, most cities require it.

The first thing to do when considering finishing your basement is to contact your local building department and find out what they require. Some cities don’t require a permit if you are finishing a space under a certain square footage. Others require it no matter what you are doing. SOOOOO to play it safe I always tell clients to ask the city before we begin.

I am also asked…Do I really need drawings for my basement? The answer to that is also YES. Most contractors and subcontractors will not give you a bid without a complete set of plans. With a complete set of plans they can figure square footage costs, number of fixtures, framing configurations, etc. A complete set of plans also helps you commit to the design. Without plans its to easy to get discouraged and feel lost during the renovation.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 8:40 am and is filed under Custom Plans, Permits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.