10 replies to this topic

[bbroker]

Hello,

We live in Saanich and are considering rebuilding our sun room. It is part of the original foundation. Our contractor - a reputable Victoria firm - suggest a permit is not required, but says it is up to us to follow up on. Besides jacking up the price of the development and inviting a bunch of municipal bureaucrats on to our property, is there any additional benefits to getting a permit? I am reluctant to go to the municipal office and invite municipal meddling if none is required.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[VicHockeyFan]

Hello,

We live in Saanich and are considering rebuilding our sun room. It is part of the original foundation. Our contractor - a reputable Victoria firm - suggest a permit is not required, but says it is up to us to follow up on. Besides jacking up the price of the development and inviting a bunch of municipal bureaucrats on to our property, is there any additional benefits to getting a permit? I am reluctant to go to the municipal office and invite municipal meddling if none is required.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I sold home improvements for about 9 years (windows, siding, sunrooms etc.)

I'd say don't bother. "Part of the original foundation" sounds like it is just a replacement, not an improvement. Like re-roofing.

Absolute worst case scenario is at some point you end up paying twice the fee. Twice the fee is better than inviting bureaucrats over to inspect as things go along.

[concorde]

if you aren't doing anything major, like just replacing some drywall and flooring, a permit is not required and I wouldn't bother. If you are demolishing everything back to the foundation and rebuilding, I would suggest to get a permit.

The contractor should not be putting this on your shoulder, they are the expert and should be giving you advise. I would tell them its their responsibility.

[Bernard]

if you aren't doing anything major, like just replacing some drywall and flooring, a permit is not required and I wouldn't bother. If you are demolishing everything back to the foundation and rebuilding, I would suggest to get a permit.

The contractor should not be putting this on your shoulder, they are the expert and should be giving you advise. I would tell them its their responsibility.

Ultimately the responsibility is on the homeowner, the contractor will not suffer if they work without a permit and you needed one.

That said, if there is no structural change there is no need for a building permit if the sun room was permitted in the past - that is likely your biggest problem. You can go down to the studs but no further. You also need a building permit if you change the heating of the room.

You may need an electrical permit, but electrical permitting is not done through Saanich, but the province - local governments can choose to do electrical permits or not.

Your safest, though scariest, option is to talk to Saanich about it. You can call them off of the record, give them your neighbourhood but not house, and ask them their opinion.

If you go ahead and it looks like building work is going on, a neighbour can phone in and report you. If that happens they will come out and inspect what you are doing. If no one calls in, nothing happens.

[Mike K.]

Our contractor - a reputable Victoria firm - suggest a permit is not required, but says it is up to us to follow up on.

If my contractor told me to follow up on a permit I'd follow him to the door.

Reputable contractors I've worked with know whether or not a permit is required and will not ask their client to follow up with municipal staff. That's just silly.

[Sparky]

I would start here, http://www.saanich.c.../permitsqa.html read the very first Question in the Q&A then click on the bylaw hyperlink and read the 33 pages carefully.

If after that you decide to continue with or without a municipal building permit, make sure that any persons working on your property are covered by Worksafe, and hold 10 % of all payments due for 31 days after "substantial completion."

Search your property at LTO (yes you will get to see the inside of the Atrium) at the 31 day point and make sure that no one (any workman or supplier can do so) has leined your property before paying the "lein holdback" to the contractor.

Oh, yes I amost forgot....read the agreement with contractor carefully before signing. I usually say I don't have time to read it now, but I will get it back to you tomorrow. Then READ it.

[davek]

If you are found to be doing work that requires a permit and you have none, you are subject to a stop work order and a double permit fee. There is very little work, mostly cosmetic, that is allowed without a permit.

[bbroker]

Thank you all for the great feedback.

We pushed ahead, sans permit, and completed our project last week.

Interesting to note that a pair of Saanich friends embarked on a similar journey as us - one two months before, one three weeks before - and both opted for the permit route.

Without going into too much detail (I have been told that municipal workers troll contractor forums), one is still awaiting a permit (expects it to arrive within three weeks - welcome rainy season) the other broke ground in September.

Our contractor explained some of the areas the municipality would have likely caused us misery, pain and cost. All of which were dealt with promptly and efficiently around our schedule and not the arbitrary and capricious schedule and temperament of a meddling bureaucrat.

We have absolutely no regrets and are pleased with our decision to proceed. Our friends: not so much. With the changing seasons additional contingencies are required including a substantial temporary shelter which means higher development costs ... a real sad state of affairs.

[Mike K.]

That's great to hear!

[sebberry]

The extra costs, time and costs as a result of time wasted waiting for permits sounds terrible.

Homeowners should be able to proceed with certain work sans permit providing they call in the inspector at the appropriate stages of the project.

I know it's with good intentions that permits are required, but I can't help feel that just as many renos are botched up because homeowners avoided the permit process.

[Baro]

I'm all for regulations and inspections, but make the process efficient and painless or you're just going to drive people "underground".