The Importance of Permits in Home Remodeling in Lancaster: What You Need to Know

It’s time to start your remodel! After thinking and planning for so long, you’re finally ready to get the ball rolling. You’re excited and you can’t wait to see construction begin…and then you hear that you’ve got to wait for permits. The pre-construction phase of your home remodel can seem to be needlessly long when you’re impatient to get started. But while it’s not as sexy as demolition and construction, the permitting process is actually vital and necessary to the success of your project.

What Are Building Permits and Why Are They Necessary?

Simply put, residential building permits are documents that give you legal permission to repair, build, remodel, or modify your home. They are issued by your local government (the county, the city, or the township). These building permits are required to ensure that the construction complies with federal, state, and local regulations. They’re in place to make sure that work done on your home is safe and complies with fire, plumbing, structural, electrical, environmental, and other regulations.

While they may seem like a nuisance, building permits are beneficial to public and individual safety. Without regulations on homes and other buildings, there’s no accountability to make sure they’re safe and structurally sound. Permits also safeguard the environment. For example, in Lancaster Township, you’re required to apply for a Stormwater Management permit if you’re planning to modify or add any impervious surface to your property. You’re limited on how much impervious surface you can have, in order to keep the rainwater runoff under control for the area.

What Types of Remodeling Projects Require a Permit?

• Structural changes such as adding or removing walls
• Anything dealing with plumbing, electrical, or HVAC systems
• Adding impervious surfaces like driveways, patios, or sidewalks
• Adding square footage onto the home in the form of conditioned space (like a new bedroom) or outdoor living space (like a screened porch or outdoor kitchen)
• Finishing an unfinished basement or attic
• Adding a fence or shed
• Most large-scale projects

What Happens if I Don’t Get Permits?

Permits are designed to keep you, your family, your property, the community, and the environment safe. If one is required for your project, you definitely need to get it! If you don’t, you could end up with one or more of the following consequences:

• You could be fined, and the fines could increase over time. The amount of the fines for not obtaining the proper permits differs based on location, but they can be quite high. Sometimes you’re fined every day until the problem is dealt with.
• The township can issue a stop work order, resulting in lost time and money.
• You may be required to demolish the work that was done and return the property to its original condition. 
• You could have trouble with your home insurance. Unpermitted work could void your insurance or the unpermitted area might not be covered if you need to submit a claim.
• You might have trouble selling your home in the future. You might be required to retroactively pay for permits before you can sell. Unpermitted work can also negatively affect your home’s value.
• You may be putting yourself or others at risk if the work is not done up to code.

How Does the Permit Process Work?

Depending on the scope of work, you can apply for your permit directly, or you may need to have your contractor submit plans and proposed designs. In Pennsylvania, your township will issue the permits (you’ll submit your application and pay related fees–in person or online). In other places, it might be your county, city, or other municipal office. Building permits vary in cost and scope according to the type of the project and your location. Other factors can come into play as well–for example, if you have a historic home.

According to Pennsylvania state law, your township has 15 business days to get back to you about your residential building permit. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be approved within 15 days–sometimes they ask for more information or for a change to be made.

It can be hard to navigate the permit process if you’re not used to it. We are here to help. Our team knows all the ins and outs of the building permit process in all the townships we serve, and we can help you feel confident that your project is correctly and legally permitted. It may be a bit of a hassle to wait when you’re ready to get started, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing your remodeling project has been done correctly, is up to code, and complies with the law will be worth it.

In Lancaster County

McLennan Contracting serves most of the communities in Lancaster County (for a complete list of our service areas, click here). We’re familiar with the townships we work in and what each one requires in terms of permit applications.

When your contractor has a strong rapport with the individual townships, as we do here at McLennan, the process often goes much faster. We’re well-known and reputable, and the offices recognize that we have a reputation for doing the work according to state and local codes. They like to see our name on the permit applications.

An Example: Lancaster City

Lately, we have been doing a lot of projects in Lancaster City. The older city homes often come with some challenges. Some of the homes date back to the 1900s and the material and workmanship need to be brought up to code. The electric can be outdated and present a safety hazard, and the walls are sometimes constructed with horsehair plaster, which is a challenge to remove! Our longstanding relationship with Lancaster Township means that despite these issues, we are able to pull permits without trouble, and our excellent craftsmanship means the homes pass inspection. Our clients can rest easy knowing that their homes are in good hands from start to finish and that everything is done legally and safely.

Still Have Questions?

If you still have questions or the permitting process seems overwhelming to you, let us help. One of the best parts about working with a Design-Build team is that every aspect of your project–including applying for the appropriate permits–is done in-house and with everyone in the loop. This means you don’t have to worry about missing a permit or submitting one incorrectly, and you can focus on the best part of home remodeling: dreaming about all the memories you’ll make in your new space with those you love.