Do You Need a Permit to Remodel Your Home in Des Plaines?
If you’re planning on remodeling your home in Des Plaines, the first question you need to ask yourself is whether you need a permit. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t realize that they require a permit for even the simplest home renovations. Failure to obtain a permit can lead to fines and other penalties.
To avoid guesswork, speak with a Des Plaines exterior remodeling expert to explore your home remodeling options. By contracting a reputable company, you ensure the quality of the project. In addition, working with a pro contractor offers you the safety and warranty you need, from window replacements to door installations.
However, if paperwork and documentation are on your mind right now, here’s why you require a permit to remodel your house in Des Plaines, Illinois.
1. Your Contractor’s Work May Not Be Up to Code
Aside from a dwindling property value, your greatest danger may be the work itself. There is no assurance that your contractors will do a competent job if they do not have the necessary permissions.
The consequences of an inferior job might be devastating. For example, such subpar upgrades might present problems during a home inspection if you sell your property.
2. Your Municipality Could Issue a Stop-Work Order
It’s a horror to consider, but if your municipality or city office discovers you’re remodeling without licenses, you’re in huge trouble. Some cities would just examine, while others will issue a stop-work order and may even punish both the homeowner and the contractor.
Worse, the city might order the entire project to be demolished, followed by an order to repeat any work done with the right permits finally in hand.
3. Your Homeowners’ Insurance Policy May Refuse to Cover Unsanctioned Repairs
Unofficial improvements may not be covered and may even be illegal under your insurance policy. It’s especially alarming if an accident or tragedy happened in that area of your house.
For example, if there was a home fire caused by faulty wiring due to bad electrical work, or if someone fell and was gravely hurt, you may be in for an expensive nightmare.
Filing an insurance claim in this situation may be pointless. Your coverage is unlikely to cover the issue, and you may be facing complicated, costly litigation.
4. Unsanctioned Renovations Can Lower Your Home’s Value
Your town’s real estate information must be updated to preserve house prices and keep current with taxes and insurance. In addition, renovation permits will ensure that your house meets the most current health and safety regulations.
During a sale appraisal, any unofficial work flagged due to safety flaws may decrease the value of your house. Worse, you might be punished, and the appraiser may even insist that the work be removed and redone with correct licenses procured.
Similarly, any non-code room expansions will be omitted from the square footage mentioned in your “updated” property listing. As a result, purchasers will perceive your property to be smaller than it is.
5. It Can Be a Red Flag for Buyers
If potential buyers learn that your house has undergone an unsanctioned structural redesign, it might fill them with doubt, producing a loss of trust in your property.
Because you didn’t bother securing permissions, the buyer may believe you hired someone unqualified to undertake the work. In addition, they may believe that the completed refurbishment is hazardous, clouding their judgment with concerns about long-term issues.
6. Unofficial Repairs Can Sabotage a Home Sale
Failing to get permits for a substantial renovation or expansion might halt a property sale. Once your house is on the market, a home inspection and appraisal will be performed as part of the selling process.
The inspector will ensure that purchasers understand exactly what they’re buying. But on the other hand, the appraiser wants to safeguard the lender’s interests by verifying that certain requirements are satisfied before giving the loan.
Both specialists can readily get public data about your house, such as permits for any renovations performed, ensuring that the property is in excellent functioning condition. It might cost you the sale if:
- The bank refuses to fund the loan because the appraiser’s demands were not satisfied
- The potential buyer backs out owing to personal concerns about the property’s safety and structural soundness
7. It Will Cost You a Significant Amount of Time and Money
You must submit precise plans for the remodel to your local municipality, as well as any extra documents that may be required. Furthermore, permits are subject to costs.
However, as previously noted, beginning with a refurbishment without correct papers might cause catastrophic repercussions. Those hazards all have the same things in common: time spent, money squandered, and even a looming lawsuit.
Besides, you can be asked to reverse all the work done, bringing you and your property back to square one on what might have been a fantastic addition.
It seems that ultimately, you’ll need a permit to remodel your house in Des Plaines or hire a contractor to offer you affordable, sustainable, safe, and guaranteed solutions and results.
