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Hi. My husband and I are thinking of purchasing a home we found in Monroe township. The home needs bathrooms to be updated, as well as eventually the kitchen. We would also like to finish the unfinished walkout basement eventually, adding in a small kitchen and family room. Are those things that we would need permits for? How do permits work? How long do they take to get and how much do they cost? Would there be a chance that they tell us we can’t finish the basement? Any info is appreciated. Thank you!
If you're not doing any electrical, plumbing, or structural work, just putting up a wall or adding carpet or something, not likely.
But, as you'll probably want to have electrical sockets and a sink and things like that, you will need permits. You don't need a licensed electrician or plumber but you need to follow the code, an electrician just tells the inspector that they probably did most of the stuff to code and know a lot of the things to watch out for.
As for where you get them, call your local buildings department for that town, they'll have information as to what you need them for, how their system works, how long they take and how much they cost. Most of the time you just call the buildings department, describe the work and when and they tell you which ones you need, what they cost and when an inspector will need to schedule a visit. Because that's essentially what a permit is, permission to do things by code and have the work inspected to ensure your house doesn't burn down, nobody dies of carbon monoxide inhalation, or the ceiling don't fall on someone watching the Giants when the plumbing has been leaking in the floor above.
Basements are tricky, especially kitchens because of the fire code and various ventilation and plumbing and electrical which are all working in a tight space together. Ceiling heights play a big role in basements and you should not use the word "bedroom" down there unless you have a second way out of that room (typically a window that a fully geared up firefighter can climb through).
But your best bet is to call the local authorities, they've definitely gotten similar calls from first timers before and will best know specifics.
It's also worth mentioning that unless you're asking in a forum local to a specific town or a group of nearby towns (like a community Facebook group or NextDoor or something) you're not too likely to run into someone that's really going to know too much about code and permits for a specific town. For example, if I was to ask someone in Union about code for fences, that wouldn't do me any good where I live in South Orange where things are a lot less permissive, and things get even more restrictive in Maplewood. It's best to double check anything a contractor says as well. They can tend to be a little too optimistic as to saying you don't need a permit for something. It's usually better to be a little more conservative than the average contractor if something's in question.
Also, be prepared for permits to be more expensive than you want them to be, and for the town to be slower than you want them to be in dealing with them.
One last question.....would finishing the basement increase the property taxes?
Almost absolutely yes, most of the time it's based on available living space, so if you increase that you're increasing your taxes. It all depends on the town though, especially as to how much various things will actually cost you. In my town, for instance, there's a different rate for a powder room, a half bath, and a full bath when it comes to taxes.
Like qrysdonnell says, every town is going to be different, so I'm not trying to be coy when I say you should ask the local inspectors office. Last time we did something the contractor had me file for the permit, which meant that I paid for it and did all the form filling out. It also meant that I didn't have to pay an upcharge to the GC to fill out paperwork.
Hi. My husband and I are thinking of purchasing a home we found in Monroe township. The home needs bathrooms to be updated, as well as eventually the kitchen. We would also like to finish the unfinished walkout basement eventually, adding in a small kitchen and family room. Are those things that we would need permits for? How do permits work? How long do they take to get and how much do they cost? Would there be a chance that they tell us we can’t finish the basement? Any info is appreciated. Thank you!
Breaking today:
"No permit required: That roofing and siding job just got cheaper"
"Other tasks that no longer require a permit are installing alarm systems, outdoor irrigation, chimney lining, indoor Sheetrock and drywall and the replacement of indoor plumbing fixtures."
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