If you’re working on any home improvement projects this summer –
the city says there’s something important you should keep in mind.
Lots of people get started on outdoor projects like patios, sheds, or mailboxes this time of year.
But if you don’t get a permit, you could end up in a sticky situation.
Check it out.
“A lot of people aren’t aware of the process, if maybe, they’re a homeowner and haven’t gone through it before,” says Brady Blaskowski, Building Official, City of Bismarck.
If you’re working on home renovations this summer – the first thing you need to do is get a building permit.
“Most people get permits for basement finish projects, sheds, garages, replacing their water heaters or furnace, adding a fireplace, doing additions,” says Blaskowski.
Belinda Van Dyke and her husband have spent the last several weeks working on renovations in their backyard.
She said that with bigger projects, like this soon-to-be picnic area you see behind me, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to building permits.”
“It took a while, just because we probably didn’t know what we were doing. It’s like, do we need a building permit for that? I don’t know…” says Van Dyke.
Depending on the project, the time and money it takes to get your permit varies.
For additions like this, it can take up to a couple of weeks.
“That may take some back & forth between the applicant and our plan reviewer,” says Blaskowski.
“We went to city, they said go to county, they said go to city, but we finally got it all,” says Van Dyke.
And building without a permit can get you in a little trouble.
“It’s considered an offense, and obviously there can be penalties given by a court system,” says Blaskowski.
But, he says if you’ve started a project already and forgot to get a permit beforehand –
Your city will likely work with you as a homeowner to resolve the issue.
