Considering a basement finish. Please read the article below to understand the importance of pulling a permit on a remodeling project. 

Permits for basement finishing efforts are required by statute or ordinance almost everywhere. As a homeowner, if you are caught without a permit either during or after your project, you will be fined at a minimum. Even worse, you could be forced to demolish all or portions of your project to allow for inspections, and then be forced to re-complete the project within a certain time period, regardless of available funds.

If you have a contractor who is wanting to skip the permits on a basement finish, he is likely not using licensed subcontractors for such trades as plumbing and electrical. If not done properly, electrical and plumbing can cause major damage to your home. More importantly, it puts your family in harms way. If there was some type of electrical fire that caused from unlicensed electrical work in a basement, it would likely not be covered by insurance due to the lack of a permit. Same goes for all your plumbing. Licensed or not, plumbing issues come up from time to time.

Aside from the doom and gloom, there are several very good reasons for getting a permit.

Number one, it can add significant value to your home. I fully recognize this is also an argument against pulling a permit. Yes, the valuation of your home will increase -- meaning that your property taxes are likely to increase. However, when it comes time to sell the home, a savvy buyer will value homes with un-permitted (and thus un-inspected) elements less than ones that were properly finished.

Your basement finishing project has added square footage, a bedroom, maybe a bathroom, and could potentially add tens of thousands of dollars or more to the sale price of your home when it comes time. An average Olathe basement finishing project, adds about 40,000 to the value of your home. Without a permit, that value could vanish!

Second, a basement finishing contractor who encourages you to move forward without a permit may not want you to discover that he is unlicensed. In most areas, unlicensed contractors are not able to obtain building permits. This should alert you to potential fraud or substandard building practices.

Third, while the occasional building inspector may be difficult to work with, believe it or not he is looking out for your best interest. The inspector verifies that your basement finishing contractor has included all health and safety elements, and that the construction is done according to building codes and best practices. We spend hours adding extra fireblocking to meet the demands of the inspector. If a guy is not pulling a permit, he is likely skipping this important step.

KC Basement Finishing (913) 432-4340

http://www.kcbasementfinishing.com