When is a permit required?

[cb1030]

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling a home I bought last year, and so far most of the improvements we've made have been cosmetic: new carpet, paint, counters, fixtures, doors, you get the idea. However, the plan for this spring is to start on the exterior of the house by replacing/expanding an existing deck.

Although I haven't inspected the foundation of the existing deck yet, I doubt I'd be reusing the footings because the shape of the deck itself is less than optimal, so the plan would be to demolish and start over with a larger deck.

My question is will the new deck require a permit, and if so, from the county or city or both? Any idea on ballpark costs for a permit in this scenario? Somewhat complicating the situation is that my address is Ankeny, but I believe I'm technically outside of city limits on the southwest side of town by Saylorville.

 

[BCClone]

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling a home I bought last year, and so far most of the improvements we've made have been cosmetic: new carpet, paint, counters, fixtures, doors, you get the idea. However, the plan for this spring is to start on the exterior of the house by replacing/expanding an existing deck.

Although I haven't inspected the foundation of the existing deck yet, I doubt I'd be reusing the footings because the shape of the deck itself is less than optimal, so the plan would be to demolish and start over with a larger deck.

My question is will the new deck require a permit, and if so, from the county or city or both? Any idea on ballpark costs for a permit in this scenario? Somewhat complicating the situation is that my address is Ankeny, but I believe I'm technically outside of city limits on the southwest side of town by Saylorville.

Call your city.

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

The simple answer is "anything that add's value to your home that might not be seen from the road so the the county can raise the taxes you pay on your home" and that is about it. I have finished 3 basements in homes we have bought and never once have gotten a permit. I researched county codes and followed their rules and took pictures during the process in case there was a problem, but never ran into any problems.

Long story short it is so they keep track of improvements so they can have you pay them more taxes.

Flipping houses might be a different deal because you buy them, fix them up and then resell them and inspections might need to see permits to OK the deal. But, if you are upgrading your home and live in it for a few years after project is done, I would not waste my time getting permits..... but make sure you follow the county rules if you do it yourself.

 

[AllInForISU]

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling a home I bought last year, and so far most of the improvements we've made have been cosmetic: new carpet, paint, counters, fixtures, doors, you get the idea. However, the plan for this spring is to start on the exterior of the house by replacing/expanding an existing deck.

Although I haven't inspected the foundation of the existing deck yet, I doubt I'd be reusing the footings because the shape of the deck itself is less than optimal, so the plan would be to demolish and start over with a larger deck.

My question is will the new deck require a permit, and if so, from the county or city or both? Any idea on ballpark costs for a permit in this scenario? Somewhat complicating the situation is that my address is Ankeny, but I believe I'm technically outside of city limits on the southwest side of town by Saylorville.

Outside city means anything goes.


Disclaimer:
*I do not take on any responsibility if I am wrong*

 

[BCClone]

Outside city means anything goes.


Disclaimer:
*I do not take on any responsibility if I am wrong*

Good luck with that.

 

[throwittoblythe]

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling a home I bought last year, and so far most of the improvements we've made have been cosmetic: new carpet, paint, counters, fixtures, doors, you get the idea. However, the plan for this spring is to start on the exterior of the house by replacing/expanding an existing deck.

Although I haven't inspected the foundation of the existing deck yet, I doubt I'd be reusing the footings because the shape of the deck itself is less than optimal, so the plan would be to demolish and start over with a larger deck.

My question is will the new deck require a permit, and if so, from the county or city or both? Any idea on ballpark costs for a permit in this scenario? Somewhat complicating the situation is that my address is Ankeny, but I believe I'm technically outside of city limits on the southwest side of town by Saylorville.

Lots of grey area for permits. Technically, in some cities, you need a permit to change an outlet or a light fixture. I did a new flat roof and renovated a living down to the studs and back, with no permits. Sold that house last year with no issues, but it was already a finished space, I just updated it.

That being said, decks are an area where you will hear some horror stories. Cities seem to be sticklers with decks and making sure they are structurally sound. Plus, it might be in full view of your neighbors and/or passers by. So, you could get a "surprise" inspection if you're out there working on it.

Generally, if I'm adding any new SF or messing with plumbing/electrical, I will permit just to cover my bases.

Friends of mine finished their entire basement without permits. Added probably 500 SF to their house. Now, when they go to sell, they won't be able to claim that square footage. Their plan is to set the price as if that SF is included and leave it up to buyers if they want to get that space permitted or not. I'm not entirely sure their plan will work, though, and could turn out to be a huge PITA.

 

[EIClone]

Many times it depends on the type and cost of the remodel. Most Cities or counties have some sort of cost associated with the remodel, but not always. You may find info on their web page.

It also may depend on how much your neighbors "talk".

 

[CtownCyclone]

hat being said, decks are an area where you will hear some horror stories. Cities seem to be sticklers with decks and making sure they are structurally sound. Plus, it might be in full view of your neighbors and/or passers by. So, you could get a "surprise" inspection if you're out there working on it.

Got to think the inspector won't be pleased with you doing this work without a permit. All it takes is one person making a phone call that will really mess up the flow of your day.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

What about installing a macerating toilet?

 

[jpete24]

When in doubt just pull the permits. It makes things easier some day down the road if/when you decide to sell.

 

[Brandon]

City of Ames is very strict on deck codes. No permit you'll be tearing it out and starting over.

 

[Tailg8er]

Lots of grey area for permits. Technically, in some cities, you need a permit to change an outlet or a light fixture. I did a new flat roof and renovated a living down to the studs and back, with no permits. Sold that house last year with no issues, but it was already a finished space, I just updated it.

That being said, decks are an area where you will hear some horror stories. Cities seem to be sticklers with decks and making sure they are structurally sound. Plus, it might be in full view of your neighbors and/or passers by. So, you could get a "surprise" inspection if you're out there working on it.

Generally, if I'm adding any new SF or messing with plumbing/electrical, I will permit just to cover my bases.

Friends of mine finished their entire basement without permits. Added probably 500 SF to their house. Now, when they go to sell, they won't be able to claim that square footage. Their plan is to set the price as if that SF is included and leave it up to buyers if they want to get that space permitted or not. I'm not entirely sure their plan will work, though, and could turn out to be a huge PITA.

Not sure what you mean by the bolded. I believe "official" sq ft listings aren't supposed to include below grade/basement space to begin with. That said, depending on the listing realtor, seems like some of them include that anyway. I don't think the presence of a permit really has anything to do with that. Our last house had an un-permitted finished basement when we bought it - no issues with the purchase, and no issues when we sold 4 years later.

 

[BoxsterCy]

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling a home I bought last year, and so far most of the improvements we've made have been cosmetic: new carpet, paint, counters, fixtures, doors, you get the idea. However, the plan for this spring is to start on the exterior of the house by replacing/expanding an existing deck.

Although I haven't inspected the foundation of the existing deck yet, I doubt I'd be reusing the footings because the shape of the deck itself is less than optimal, so the plan would be to demolish and start over with a larger deck.

My question is will the new deck require a permit, and if so, from the county or city or both? Any idea on ballpark costs for a permit in this scenario? Somewhat complicating the situation is that my address is Ankeny, but I believe I'm technically outside of city limits on the southwest side of town by Saylorville.

If you are in Ankeny they have, like a lot of cities, a permit form with handy design guidance. Even if you are outside of an area requiring a permit I'd download the guidance and follow it.

Linky to their pdf: https://www.ankenyiowa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=8548

Not all cities accept some of the new ledger board screws. My city still shows 1/2 lags as minimum on their published guidance. There are a million different composite deck boards and not all are approved by all cities, so check. They usually require a drawing to be submitted for approval which helps people from screwing stuff up from the get go. Most cities will require a footing, framing and final inspection. None of these are out of line requirements. The span charts are a handy tool they provide for the DIY peeps.

I don't ever recall a deck permit being something I thought of as too expensive and when you're done it has an approval. Designed a bunch of them back in the day.

 

[Rabbuk]

For a deck I'd get permits because you're liable if someone takes a header on it due to something not being up to code. Regardless of whether they are invited.

 

[Gonzo]

Lots of grey area for permits. Technically, in some cities, you need a permit to change an outlet or a light fixture. I did a new flat roof and renovated a living down to the studs and back, with no permits. Sold that house last year with no issues, but it was already a finished space, I just updated it.

Friends of mine finished their entire basement without permits. Added probably 500 SF to their house. Now, when they go to sell, they won't be able to claim that square footage. Their plan is to set the price as if that SF is included and leave it up to buyers if they want to get that space permitted or not. I'm not entirely sure their plan will work, though, and could turn out to be a huge PITA.

If you don't get permits and something happens like flooding or a small fire, those damages would not be covered by insurance, correct?

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

Friends of mine finished their entire basement without permits. Added probably 500 SF to their house. Now, when they go to sell, they won't be able to claim that square footage. Their plan is to set the price as if that SF is included and leave it up to buyers if they want to get that space permitted or not. I'm not entirely sure their plan will work, though, and could turn out to be a huge PITA.

This part is not necessarily correct. As I said in my post above, I have finished 3 basements in houses we have owned and did all the work myself and never considered a permit. Sold all 3 with no issue, the last one in 2019. The listings all had the finished area in the basement listed and ran into no problems in central Iowa anyway.

 

[throwittoblythe]

Not sure what you mean by the bolded. I believe "official" sq ft listings aren't supposed to include below grade/basement space to begin with. That said, depending on the listing realtor, seems like some of them include that anyway. I don't think the presence of a permit really has anything to do with that. Our last house had an un-permitted finished basement when we bought it - no issues with the purchase, and no issues when we sold 4 years later.

Yeah, poor wording on my part. I guess the issue comes in if an agent compares assessed SF to a listing. If you have your house for sale for 2500 SF but the assessor's office only has 2000 SF, that would seem to raise some questions. Or, an inquisitive inspector could pull permit logs and let the buyer know that the extra 500 ft is not accounted for in the permits. I would imagine a good realtor would point that out to their buyer, and it could create a debate.

Every house comes with its warts, but I would imagine some buyers would be scared away by a large, unpermitted improvement. And in the case I cited, we're not talking adding some carpet and painting walls. I'm talking adding electrical circuits, a new bathroom, etc, etc.

That all being said, it's entirely up to the buyer. They are welcome to accept a house with unpermitted space, if they like. Though, it really becomes a liability if we're talking a new addition or something big being added without a permit. Once you buy that house, you now own that issue and could come back to haunt you.

 

[throwittoblythe]

This part is not necessarily correct. As I said in my post above, I have finished 3 basements in houses we have owned and did all the work myself and never considered a permit. Sold all 3 with no issue, the last one in 2019. The listings all had the finished area in the basement listed and ran into no problems in central Iowa anyway.

This is good to know. I would have imagined it would've caused issues during the sale. However, that's entirely up to the buyer and in a sellers market, probably gets even less important.

 

[cycloner29]

City of Ames is very strict on deck codes. No permit you'll be tearing it out and starting over.

Even the fence I put up, I called the City of Ames to make sure I didn't need anything or if they had a rule on which side of the fence had to face.

 

[Cydkar]

I'm currently in the middle of remodeling a home I bought last year, and so far most of the improvements we've made have been cosmetic: new carpet, paint, counters, fixtures, doors, you get the idea. However, the plan for this spring is to start on the exterior of the house by replacing/expanding an existing deck.

Although I haven't inspected the foundation of the existing deck yet, I doubt I'd be reusing the footings because the shape of the deck itself is less than optimal, so the plan would be to demolish and start over with a larger deck.

My question is will the new deck require a permit, and if so, from the county or city or both? Any idea on ballpark costs for a permit in this scenario? Somewhat complicating the situation is that my address is Ankeny, but I believe I'm technically outside of city limits on the southwest side of town by Saylorville.

What is the thought process behind "I'm going to ask the CF message board" when it comes to something as simple as a phone call for the CORRECT answer?