Applying Permits For My House Renos

The value of building permits taken out in the city of Edmonton.

Each municipality, county or governing body has different rules in place on how they treat the permitting process for renovations. So how do you know what is required?

The first step is to find out who you have to talk to and this usually is as simple as checking your property tax assessment form. In short, the jurisdiction that taxes you also processes development and building permits. Development permits are meant to ensure that any changes to the building and/or its use meet current zoning guidelines as well as community standards for historical neighbourhoods.

The reasons for applying for the appropriate permits in today’s world are so that we can have a safe environment for all of our residents to live in our respective communities. Another reason that has come to the forefront in the last few years, is that no one wants to be stuck with someone else’s problems and the real estate marketplace has embraced disclosure. So if you do these things without the proper permits don’t be surprised when you go to sell your home in the future; your Realtor will ask you if the proper permits were taken out and if the property will be able to get a compliance certificate. If permits were not taken out initially they can still be applied for but usually at greater expense than if it would have been applied for originally.

Once guidelines for Development Permits are met then the process takes you through to the Building Permit stage. Here is the City of Edmonton’s link to Residential Construction and Improvements. http://www.edmonton.ca/bylaws_licences/licences_permits/additions-and-improvements.aspx

Since each community is different in how they handle permits it’s prudent to review what the requirements are for where you live. In the City of St. Albert, forms for online information can be found here. http://www.stalbert.ca/applications-forms

In the county of Strathcona, forms can be found here. http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/planning-development-services/permitting/residential-permitting/

If you’re in the Greater Edmonton area and are looking for a contractor for you renovation project, visit our website at www.nordalta.com/contact/ to find information on how to contact us. We’d be happy to speak to you about what we can do to get the ball rolling on your next home or office project. You can also leave comments with us at robert@nordalta.com.

Michael Breault is a project coordinator for Nord Alta Construction. You can find the company website at www.nordalta.com. You can also find Michael and Nord Atla Construction on facebook at www.facebook.com/NordAltaConstruction, on twitter at www.twitter.com/Nordalta, and on LinkedIn.

Robert Breault is the president and owner of Nord Alta Construction. You can find the company website at www.nordalta.com. You can also find Robert and Nord Alta Construction on facebook at www.facebook.com/NordAltaContruction and on LinkedIn.