How to deal with city hall and building department

[Darina Pogodina]

Hi there,

I have heard a lot of stories on how building department is tough and what it takes to get special permit for building new home, single or multi or get an addition to an existing home.

So I am in the middle of negotiating my first deal and the potential of the location is great, however, it will really make seance to get the house bigger by adding a floor or tear it down completely and build a new house.

How much money would it take to get the city hall approve my project? What are the things to watch out for when talking to the building department and how much time will it take for me to get the special permit through? Do I need a lawyer? Just want to do it right

I am located in MA and the property is in Revere, MA

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I would really appreciate.

Thanks guys!