What Is the Penalty for Building Your Home Project Without a Permit?

If you’re a fan of binging home improvement shows, it’s tempting to tackle some DIYs over the weekend. But before you start knocking down walls, building a home addition, or adding new electrical sockets, take a few minutes to determine whether you need a permit for that. Failure to secure a permit for specific home improvement projects could cost you big time.

Why Do You Need a Permit for Your Home Project?

Building permits are not there to slow down the process but to make sure it runs successfully in the first place. A permit ensures that your project meets all local building codes, that the workers follow safety standards, and that the design serves the surrounding area. Some permits protect nearby structures, local drinking water, and local trees, for example.

Most importantly, you need a building permit to ensure no one gets hurt before or after the project. A permit confirms that a design is structurally sound and that the right professionals handle potentially dangerous work, such as working with electricity.

Despite the cost of a building permit—which averages about $1,600—a building permit will help you save money in the long run. Avoid fixing costly errors and maintain or raise your property value by ensuring the work is done correctly.

What Is the Penalty for Building Without a Permit?

If you’re itching to start on your next project, spending several hundred dollars and waiting up to six weeks to begin might be a buzzkill. Some homeowners even skip the permitting process because they don’t want to wait. But, if you go ahead with your project, there could be expensive consequences.

1. Your Local Government Can Charge You a Fine

If (when) the local building department discovers that you’ve been working without a permit, they may notify you to cease work until you receive the proper building permit. You may be charged $500 or more daily for violating building permit laws. Your county can also put a lien on your home if you don’t pay the fine.

2. You May Have to Demolish Your Work

Depending on the type of project, your county building department may ask you to demolish any work you’ve done. If, during a later inspection, a home inspector discovers issues that could compromise the safety of your home, the county may require that you demolish the entire project or pay to hire a professional to update the work properly. For example, if you need several permits to renovate a kitchen, and the last thing you need is to backtrack on all that work after the fact,

3. You Could Void Your Homeowner’s Insurance With Unpermitted Work

If you didn’t read your homeowners’ insurance paperwork carefully, you might be surprised to learn that unpermitted work could void your homeowner’s insurance. Your homeowners’ insurance company likely won’t pay for damages caused by unpermitted work. The insurance company won’t cover injuries sustained on your property related to the unpermitted project.

4. You May Have a Hard Time Selling Your Home

Completing home improvement projects to increase the value of your home is an excellent idea—unless you make the improvements without a permit. If a project (like the addition of a deck or privacy fence) occurred without the required permits, those updates wouldn’t improve the home’s value. 

You are required, by law, to disclose any renovations or remodeling on the property. When you try to sell your home, you may be required to retroactively pay for permits for the improvements.

5. You Risk Your Safety

Housing departments have permitting requirements for various reasons. The primary concern with building permits is safety, zoning, and building codes. Depending on the project, the city may require periodic inspections to ensure safety and code compliance.

Most importantly, you risk safety issues when you complete work without a permit or hire someone willing to do the job without the proper licenses. Poorly executed electrical or plumbing work could be dangerous and expensive, so you want to ensure the work is top-notch.

What Can a Homeowner Do Without a Permit?

Plenty of DIY and pro-jobs can go ahead without the town's stamp of approval. For the most part, decorative changes to your home that do not alter your house's plumbing, electrical wiring, or structural elements can go ahead without a permit—obviously, with exceptions. In the end, it's always best to double-check. Even though most contractors will do this leg work for you, the homeowner is ultimately responsible for pulling permits.

All this being said, here are some projects that are a safe bet to be permit-free:

• Landscape maintenance 

• Painting a room

• Adding decorative tile to floors, walls, and countertops

• Installing built-in shelves

• Add a stone walkway

• Plastering holes in your wall

• Replacing doors and windows

• Hanging an awning

• Installing trim

• Swapping appliances (without touching gas lines)