Adding a New Addition to Palm Beach County Home? Here Are Some Tips!

Right now, a lot of Palm Beach County and Broward residents, from Deerfield Beach to Boca Raton to Palm Beach Gardens are quarantined in their homes, with good reason. Spending all that time at home naturally inspires us to think of ways we can improve our surroundings during the ‘down time’.

One of the best things about owning your own home in South Florida is the freedom to make it reflect your lifestyle by building additions onto your property. If you are looking forward to the day when you’ll again be able to enjoy hosting big outdoor parties in beautiful West Palm Beach and want to install an outdoor kitchen or would like to convert the den into a she shed or guest suite, it is important to know how to get a building permit before you begin your project.

Read on for some information to keep in mind when applying for a permit, including zoning rights, getting the property inspected, dealing with building violations, closing permits and fixing an expired permit.

Know what purpose the addition will serve

Home additions add value to real estate investments and are a great way to customize an existing property to make it fit your lifestyle, there is a way to build onto real estate property correctly without unnecessary building code violations. You will need to submit detailed plans as part of applying for your building permit that include accurate drawings created and signed by a professional (engineer or architect).

Getting a permit for a home addition: What you need to know

Familiarize yourself with the most current zoning regulations in your area. If you are planning the building addition in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach or any other city in Palm Beach County, read the building code standards and ULDC requirements for Palm Beach County before planning your project.

Plan on taking at least a month to collect all the supporting documents for your application.

Keep in mind that if the project will be in a shared space, like a common driveway or fence, you will need to get approval from the Home Owners Association as well as other letters of approval and applications from different departments.

Research contractors in your area and contact them to ask all your questions.

Plans for building any addition to your home will have multiple parts and involve many people including the licensed contractors who will carry out the project once it is approved. Read customer reviews then contact the contractor to ask how the project will be completed. This information will help you determine what kinds of approvals you need.

Know your budget and plan for emergencies.

You are responsible for supervising all construction work and all financial requirements if you are doing all the construction work yourself whether or not you have a license. This also applies if you are upgrading an existing building addition or need to fix an expired permit. You have to make sure you or your contractor doesn’t turn your project into an ‘illegal structure’ as well.

Inspection forms, process and what to do if you have any building code violations

Know which inspect forms you need to fill out and submit as well as what to do if your project gets a code violation after inspection. All building projects must be inspected at intervals or when completed depending on the type of work being done. You will need to schedule and pass a series of electrical, plumbing, building, and mechanical inspections. You want to avoid ‘Stop Work Orders’ at all costs!

Consider hiring a building and zoning permit consulting company. Close Permits Fast, Inc has more than 15 years of experience helping clients throughout Palm Beach County get their building permit quickly so they can start working on their home additions the correct way and in less time.

Put our Team to Work for You!

Just tell us about your particular situation by clicking the Contact Us button below.
Contact Us